Art Hobby Sierra Build Thread

[TJTucson]

Well - here goes nothing. I've been using this forum for my benefit and watching all the great building tips and USING them :D I really appreciate all the tips I have taken from here - Thats for Everyone here !!

So here is my attempt at passing along things that have worked for me. First, let me clarify at the beginning of this thread. I am not a professional builder :eek: I build for the purpose of creating something and the love of working with my hands. I'm sure there are lots of builders here and on other forums that do it for the same reasons.

I need all the help I can get - so please post your suggestions and tips as I progress through this kit. I want everyone to learn from MY mistakes :p

Now that the legal"ese" is out of the way - enjoy the project.

Tracy

[TJTucson]

I decided to get a larger ship from Art Hobby because ..... well ..... just because. :D I have their Hyper 1.5 DL and have had lots of fun with it. And wood is "cool" in my estimation. I needed something to learn the larger aspects of thermal and sailing, figured this would let me do a little local competitions if I feel brave enough.

First Lesson: Check the box CAREFULLY before accepting it from your local postal person. (notice politically correct :o ) I did not notice the slight damage to the exterior of the box.
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra1.jpg
Notice the "little" dent !! :eek:
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra2.jpg
Well here is what it looked like inside
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra3.jpg

[TJTucson]

Here is the extent of the shipping damage. It is located on the right outer wing panel, where the aileron is to be cut out.
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra4.jpg
Another look
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra5.jpg

Needless to say I called Andre at Art Hobby to see what could be done. As most of you know if you accept the package you must make the claim with USPS provided insurance was purchased. Andre always ships the kits with insurance. I investigated how long it would take to get the claim taken care of and it runs about 8 weeks. :(

Just a little long for my liking. But Andre has had claims with USPS before and usually they do not delay the claim or put up a fight - like SOME shipping companies. (I guess there really is something positive with the Federal Govt ;) )

I called Andre back and told him that instead of ordering a new wing, making the claim, then waiting weeks for reimbursement - I would simply make a repair of the damaged section of the aileron. Andre was extremely professional about the whole process and was very helpful about possible repair techniques. I shot Andre an e-mail thanking him for all his help and he told me he was sending me some veneer to help with the repair. NO CHARGE :eek: - Now THAT's CUSTOMER SERVICE. I did not ask for anything other than suggestions and a little help on technique. I will definitely recommend Andre at Art Hobby to anyone.

[TJTucson]

Okay now since I've decided to build this as is - I could use some suggestions on the repair. Let me know what you think about cutting out the damaged section and replacing in kind. How to attach the new section? Fiberglass? CA? Throw something my way.

Here is the entire kit as it was shipped. Really nicely packaged and the instructions are decent. This kit is definitely not for a novice builder. You should have experience with basic fiberglass work and should have built other ships to get experience with techniques. (or use this forum like me ;) )

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra6.jpg

I started with setting my aileron servos and making sure the servo trays for the wing fit properly. Notice I have centered the servo and placed the servo horn slightly forward. My buddies on the slope and at the thermal field recommend 20-30 degrees of forward throw when in neutral (or centered). This will allows for more up throw mechanically without changing the throw percentages on your transmitter.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra7.jpg

Now the flap servos should be exactly opposite. The servo horn should be angled towards the rear or towards the flap. This allows lots of downward deflection of the flap. (If someone - I can't remember who - did not tell me this then I would not be getting top performance out of my Hyper DL)

Since I am using flaps on this kit the servos holes must be cut and cleaned out to accept the servo trays. I double checked that the tray matched the prescribed circles on the wing.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra8.jpg

Note: The drawings that come with the Sierra show the flap servos / arms on the top of the wing. But the prescribed circles are located on the both of the wing. I debated long and hard whether to make my own circles on top of the wing and cut them per the drawing. But I like the look of a "smooth" top wing and decided not to following the drawings.

Can someone tell me the advantage of cutting the servo into the top of the wing versus the bottom? :confused:

I am still toying with the idea of putting the flap arm on top and penatrating the wing from the bottom with the servo push rod. I've never done this on any of my other planes, but have seen it done. Again I'm not sure about the advantages.

[TJTucson]

Very CAREFULLY cut away the veneer layer over the foam. I actually cut inside of the prescribed line and then use the dremel to make any final openings for the servo tray.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra9.jpg

After making sure that the "rough" opening is COMPLETELY separated from the rest of the wing. I use a dental pick to pluck the veneer off the top of the foam. Be careful doing this - I have used the dental pick in a "prying" motion before and damaged the "good" side of the opening. So don't pry the veneer off, simply get the pick under the wood and pull evenly. If you've completely separated the veneer from the wind then you will have a couple of pieces fly off - usually they hit me in the forehead - SMACK ! :rolleyes:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra10.jpg

Next I cut the foam around the "rough" opening, cutting only about 3/4 of the depth of the servo tray. Don't cut too deep here - I have cut too deep (on my Hyper) and cut through the top of the wing :eek: Just cut enough to make pulling the foam easy enough with your needle nose pliers.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra11.jpg

Now use your pliers and make a mess :D DON"T pluck too much!

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra12.jpg

This makes a huge mess - So my wife MAKES me keep the vacuum close to suck up the pieces. Besides it makes her happy with me and my construction "inside" the house.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra13.jpg

[TJTucson]

I use the round grinding wheel on my Dremel to clean up the "rough" opening and to smooth the foam for final fit. I spend about 15 minutes VERY carefully grinding down and smoothing out the opening and foam inside. I trial fit the servo tray continously during this process. I don't want to make the opening too big. If this is too big then I have to use epoxy to fill up gaps and that adds weight :o

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra14.jpg

Now I mark all the servo trays where I need to run the wires. This gives me the opportunity to make more room around the tray to run the wires. The manual describes how to increase the room for the wires and tips on how NOT to glue them in - :p

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra15.jpg

[Mechanic]

I have found that using the dremel with the router attachment makes quick accurate work of digging out foam. I cut the outline of the area to be routed with a knife, then route away with the router. The foam gets cut out cleanly with a smooth surface at the bottom of the well. The router will not cut any deeper than it is set for.

[TJTucson]

Mechanic - That's the next item on my list to buy for the tool box - Router attachment for the Dremel tool. I have gone too deep before and made mistakes. You know what I mean.

T

[daveWCO]

I am not a professional builder....

Tracy

Tracy:

Hmmmmmm. I don't know if I'm buyin' that! :)

Nice work, so far!

daveWCO

[TJTucson]

Thanks Dave for the encouraging words. Especially coming from you - your's are some well crafted planes !! :cool:

Little more done tonight. Working on the wiring harness for the wing and fuse. Decided to use a DB9 connection between the wing and the fuse. So I had to get to Radio Shack and make up the harness. This thing just keeps climbing in price :o

Here are both sides of the connection with leads soldered on tightly (I hope).

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra16.jpg

This is the harness for the fuse. Notice I got RF filters for the wing leads. I'm a little worried about RF noise with the long runs to the ailerons. I've read all kinds of notes here about no problems with RF noise on this size of ship, but it's cheap insurance. I hope I've installed them correctly.... ?? :confused:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra17.jpg

Notes on the DB9 Connection
Pin 1 = Left Aileron Signal
Pin 2 = Right Aileron Signal
Pin 3 = Left Flap Signal
Pin 4 = Right Flap Signal
Pin 5-7 = Open
Pin 8 = Negative (Ground) Connection
Pin 9 = Positive Connection

[checkenbach]

A few tips-
Don't cut the wing saddle hole as big as plans call for- or not at all if using DB-9 connector. Much strength is lost if cut to plan.
Don't glue on the nose cone before planning servo install or wing nut mounting.
Do make plans for ballast tube, preferably bottom loading, shotgun style.
Do reinforce the V-Tail as this is the single weakest link in the kit. I'm currently making a new tail for mine, after a simple ground blowover. Reinforce the wing "spar" as well.
Get rid of the CHEESEY hardware. I fabbed G-10 control horns, and made wire V-Tail links A-la Prodij. Much more info, too small of a box. Chris

[TJTucson]

Chris - Thanks!!! :)

What do you mean by shotgun type ballast (bottom load)?? :confused:

The reinforcement for the tail section - What have you done or are planning on doing? :confused:

I know what you mean about the hardware configuration. Am planning on "up grading" the entire package. Most of the kits I get don't have adequate hardware anyway. ;)

Will work on things tonight and hopefully get more posting done

T

[Mechanic]

Here is a picture of a shotgun type of ballest tube.
http://www.soaringusa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

The ballest is held in by the nose cone when the nose is slipped on.

[TJTucson]

Not much completed tonight - Late start on things. But got the wing harnesses completed and ready for installation. :rolleyes:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra18.jpg

Now need to work on the wooden plugs that will hold the DB9's in place.

Mechanic - Thanks for the ballast link. Am seriously considering that type of ballast tube. :D

T

[billwolfe]

I'm not buying that "not a professional builder" stuff either!

Boy, I can't wait to see this plane fly at the Big A! :)

[TJTucson]

Fortunately this one will not fly on the big "A". It will be strictly a thermal for Mansfield or a slope with REAL grass. :D

T

[John Gallagher]

Just to let you know, you can make a partial damage claim up to $50 from your local post office. The original seller would have to agree that the damage value is reasonable. While they are waiting for the approval the post office will keep the kit for a day or two but you get the kit back plus some money for repairs. Don't know if it's too late for you since you've started building the kit.

I know all this because they bent my Riser 100 kit.

[TJTucson]

John - I did not know that you could claim a partial... wish I knew before I started the build. :o Oh, well it just means one more thing to work on during the build. Thanks!!

Worked on the DB9 wing installation tonight. Could not find a small 3 or 5 pin connector that would work well in the wing panels, so I settled with the DB9 connection. (If anyone knows of a nice 3 or 5 pin connection for this PLEASE let me know. :rolleyes: )

Figured I had to set them in a hard wood instead of balsa, so I got a length of 3/4" x 3/4" Bass for the wood anchors. Cut them to the lengths I thought appropriate (1.40" in fact), then drilled out the center sections and started working on the final fit with the ol' trusty Dremel.

Here I am trial fitting the DB9 in the rough openings.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra19.jpg

Now they are ready to be epoxied into the bass anchors

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra20.jpg

I wanted to make sure they were "relatively" even with their appropriate mate. So after mixing up some 5 minute epoxy and "gooping" it in the wood holes I connected the sets together, then clamped them to a straight piece of wood. (looks my book shelf .... oh, yea that's were it went :eek: )

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra21.jpg

[TJTucson]

Next I marked the foam area's in the wing where the DB9 were going to be glued in place. The steps I used were as follows:

1. Mark the Wing Tip panel where deemed appropriate.
2. Dremel out the foam to the appropriate depth.
3. Sand down the bass anchor matching the contour of the wing panel.
4. Make sure the depth allows about 1/8" of the connection to stick out.

(notice the black mark on the knife - that's my MAX depth of cut)
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra22.jpg

5. Connect the other side to the sanded DB9 anchor and set in panel.
6. Mark the limits on the root panel for cutting with knife
7. Dremel foam again.
8. Connect the DB9 set together then sand down the other anchor to match the completed one.
9. Trial fit - trail fit - trial fit - trial fit - Get the picture.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra23.jpg

[TJTucson]

If everything goes according to plan you should be able to get a good fit between the panels and the connection will be secure. Heck, if I can do it I know you can - ;)

Here is the competed set from the side

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra24.jpg

Another view from the top

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra25.jpg

Note: I have not epoxied the anchors in place yet. Got to do some more wing work before setting them in place.

[checkenbach]

I'm making a new tail out of two !/8" pieces of balsa with .005 fiberglass sheet laminated in between, using some old CA type hinges sandwiched between the two pieces, it's glued together, need to glass it now. It seems to weigh a ton compared to the old one, but at this point durability is the key. I glued some carbon fiber scrap to the wing spar to make it fit the spar box better, hopefully yours has been improved. Use at least a 12" tube, Ballast kits are available at NCFM website(See M-60threads)

[TJTucson]

Got the center DB9 completed. Hopefully tomorrow I can start getting the center section fiberglassed together.

Made another block using the Bass for the center section. Shaped it correctly then cut the foam out in the wing to match. Pretty easy once you get the hang of setting the anchor like on the tip panels. :D

Here is the anchor once I got the hole cut out and one side of the foam cut. Am fixing to mark the other side at this point (in order to cut out foam)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra26.jpg

This is after gluing in the DB9 connector and cutting out the sheeting area where the end sticks out.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra27.jpg

Finally the complete unit - :cool:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra28.jpg

Thanks to Chris - I ordered the ballast tube from NCFM and Derek says it should be here by the weekend. Hopefully - because I really want to get moving on this thing. Working just a couple of hours every night really makes this drag out :o

T

[davidleitch]

Multiplex make an excellent 4 or 5 pin flat connector for tip to centre servo connections. Don't have a photo to hand, but its an easy connector to solder up, and then has flat pins for the join.

[marty o]

Tracy,
Thanks so much for running this thread. I haven't built a full house ship before. I think the detailed descriptions you're giving will help with the K2 I'm working on. My build is going incredibly slowly, mostly because I'm scared of messing it up.
Marty

[TJTucson]

Got to work on things before the wife gets home for "our night out"! :rolleyes:

Connected the wiring on the center panel. First soldered the positive and negative leads to the DB9 and then put the control leads in the DB9. Notice the striping I put on the control leads. One stripe was left aileron, two right aileron, three left flap and four right flap. This way I get to say I actually "planned" this . ;)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra29.jpg

Okay - I have to admit it - FIRST MISTAKE ! :eek: (Trust me there will be more) I connected the leads without shaping the center blocks. Now I was left with shaping them and fighting the fit with the leads holding the center panels together. Think before you leap!

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra30.jpg

[TJTucson]

So I got shaping on the blocks and got everything fitted correctly. Even got the dihedral angle correct. (That was purely luck!) I suggest using a belt sander for a table mounted sander for shaping the blocks. IT'S SO MUCH EASIER as compared to hand sanding (Yes you guessed it - I got a new sander for "early" Father's Day) :p

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra31.jpg

Trial fit photo with blocks in place

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra32.jpg

[TJTucson]

I used 20 minute epoxy to set the blocks in place. I normally like the 5 minute but setting the angles and blocks correctly takes ME more than 5 minutes. So now I set waiting for the epoxy to set. (By the way I used 20 minute "finish" epoxy to reduce the weight)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra33.jpg

Underside of completed panel

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra34.jpg

Well the wife is finishing her exercise routine (she's in training for a Triatholon). So I'm off to a nice night out on the town. Hopefully will get some more work done this weekend. :D

T

[TJTucson]

Marty - Thanks for the encouragement!! Just remember, if you mess up you can always go back to fix it. Besides, fixing my own mistakes has taught me more than just simply building. Send me some pictures!! I'd like to see your project.

Tracy

[TJTucson]

Okay - Am trying to finish the wing panels and electronics today. (Hopefully!)

After letting the center section blocks set up overnight I tested the connections with the fuse harness and operated the ailerons / flaps. I can tell now I will need to sit down with the radio book and get into learning programing the mixes. I eventually will have camber / reflex / crow and a flap pot for fine adjustment. (Probably OVER complicating my flying :D )

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra35.jpg

Gluing in the servo trys in the cores. Note: I have strayed WAY off the instruction manual for the Sierra at this point. The manual says not to install the servos or trays at this point. I think it's because of the finishing process. Figure it's just more tape protection I will have to perform before I finish the wings. Also note that the manual wanted me to cut the flaps & ailerons before all this. But I'm hard headed and will cut them out later. ;)

Here I am checking the wire routing around the tray. Making sure the wire is out of the way and into the foam. I used the dremel to cut a path around the tray in the foam.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra36.jpg

Next glued in the trays on just the flaps at this point. I applied 5 minute epoxy on the opposite of the wiring on the foam and on the bottom of the servo tray. I avoided getting epoxy on the wiring. I really don't know why but hope its right. Figure if I have to get back in there to fix or repair wiring it will be easier without the epoxy in the way.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra37.jpg

[TJTucson]

I used the pick in the picture above to get the wires out of the way of the trays during the epoxy process.

Next I needed to set the DB9 connections in the tip panels. I got the carbon alignment rods installed, checked the fit, then applied epoxy to the block and the wing hole. I pushed everything together then taped the tips to the center section. (Hoping the epoxy does not run into the center section :eek: thus gluing the two together)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra38.jpg

By setting the DB9 connections in this manner I was able to slide the panels forward or back to get proper alignment. It was only like 1/32" of an inch but I wanted the get as close to perfect as possible. I did both sides right after the other. I'm a little impatient when building and here is shows.

I probably should have waited for one side to set up and then worked on the other. But this way I got to play with the entire wing as a whole for the FIRST TIME!

Man is this BIG (it is the biggest one in my hanger at this point!) :p

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra39.jpg

The short guy next to me is my full time co-pilot (when he's not doing homework or talking to girls on the phone). The eldest son is taking the photo. I'm 6' 1" tall - so this will give you some size prospective.

And for those who fly with me on "A" - it's not 6' 1" ROUND :mad: (Mike)

T

[MonkeyBone]

Looking good!!!!! I was thinking of getting the Timon 2m or the Boar 2m not sure which one yet. I'll be making the wing a one piece on which ever one I decide on. I was wondering how reliable the DB9 connecters are?? I was thinking about using it on mine..

[daveWCO]

Tracy:

Wow! Nice, thus far!

I can't wait to see you chuck her off the "A." :D

[TJTucson]

Fiberglassing the center section together - I've used ideas from this forum to help me with this part, so I want to pass along what I've learn. :)

The manual says to tape off the center section in preparation for the glassing. (Remember to remove the tape immediately after glassing the center section. Get the tape off before the resin sets up or you will glass in the tape :eek: This is experience talking)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra40.jpg

Now working the fiberglass can be a royal pain. Here is what I've learned to make this process so much easier. Lay your glass out on newspaper as flat as you can. Then spray 3M adhesive over the glass.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra41.jpg

Next lay wax paper over the glass on the newspaper and smooth out the wax paper. Then peel up the wax paper off the newspaper pulling the glass with it. Most of the time you will have to help start a corner of the glass so it comes off with the wax paper. Don't worry about messing up a small corner, you will have lots of glass to work with.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra42.jpg

You'll end up with this

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra43.jpg

[TJTucson]

Now you have something you can mark and cut without fighting the stray strands of glass. AND this helps keep out the wrinkles in your glass work. I mark the wax paper side of the glass/wax combination. Then use scissors or and exacto knife to cut out the size of glass I need.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra44.jpg

Here is what I end up with after cutting the glass out. I did use the exacto knife to get the center section out for the DB9 connection.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra45.jpg

Then peel off the glass from the wax paper. I use the exacto knife to get the glass started coming off the paper. Be sure to pull evenly on the glass or it will twist on you.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra46.jpg

[TJTucson]

The 3M adhesive on the glass will help hold it in place when you start working the resin into the fibers. Don't worry about the 3M adhesive messing with the chemistry of the resin, I've never had a problem with resin setting up or not adhering to the surface due to the 3M.

Pour the mixed up resin over the glass. (Please be sure to take safety precautions when working with resin. I use rubber gloves and work in my office with the windows open and fans blowing. Also I use West Systems resins which don't smell. When I started working with glass I use the resins that come at the hobby store and my Wife wanted to kill me everytime due to the smell :D )

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra47.jpg

Spread the resin out using the Wife's credit card :D Or an old electronic hotel key, like the one I use. I usually keep the keys during my trips so I have something to spread resin with on my ships.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra48.jpg

I used the edge of the card to spread the resin around the glass surface (usually at about a 60-75 degree angle). Then I will lay the card almost flat (10 degrees or so) to work in the resin into the glass. Just be careful not to start floating around the glass on the working surface. Sometimes I press too hard and start moving the glass. (Thats when words that I should not say come out :o )

The manual has me laying a 2 oz or so glass down first then a light weight 0.75 oz glass over the top to help smooth things out. So I worked the heavy glass first then simply layed the light glass into the resin on top. I had to add just a little more resin to get full pentration. Use a paper towel or cotton balls to get the extra resin off the glass.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra49.jpg

Here are the photos after everything's done and worked in, BUT before the tape is taken off. I removed the tape right after these pictures. :cool:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra50.jpg
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra51.jpg

[TJTucson]

Monkeybone - I'm not really sure about the DB9 connection reliability. I've seen it used on other ships so I thought I would try it out. Typically I've simply used the "plug and play" method. You know the servo plugs and extensions. So this is a new experiment for me.

I've never seen a Timon or Boar 2m ship. Got a link to a site??

Tracy

[MonkeyBone]

Thanks for the reply.... Heres a link just scroll down to the bottom of the page..Link (http://www.arthobby.com/gliders.html)

[TJTucson]

Next I cut out the ailerons, while waiting for the center fiberglass section to cure. Will be ready for sanding tomorrow :rolleyes:

I use a aluminum straight edge to cut all my control surfaces. This way I don't get any "wavey" straight lines :p

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra52.jpg

Now had to repair the damaged section on the aileron (you know the one from the shipping damage) It measured about 2.25" wide and about 0.75" deep. Notice the veneer Andre sent me!! :D THANKS AGAIN ANDRE! I sanded the veneer in prep for this repair.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra53.jpg

Marked out the section top and bottom. Now the bottom was a square and the top was in a V shape. I did this so the balsa filler I used had something other than the edges of the veneer to set up for glue.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra54.jpg

[TJTucson]

Peeled up the veneer just like with the servo holes earlier.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra55.jpg

CA'd the balsa filler to the bottom veneer section. Then sanded into shape the filler section so it matched the area. Besure to leave the section open for the top veneer.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra57.jpg

Here is how it looked with the bottom section glued in place.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra58.jpg

[TJTucson]

Clamped and glued the top veneer section in place. Notice the "braces" I used to make sure everything aligned. Used slow CA to glue this in place. (always thought that slow CA was a contradiction in terms - you know like military intellegence) :D

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra59.jpg

Then filled in the small gaps with wood filler.

http://members.cox.net./tjcastell1/images/Sierra60.jpg

Now I have to wait for everything to dry. Next will sand the filler and fiberglass. But need to get the grill going for my Father's Day celebration.

TO ALL DADS - Have a great Father's Day !! :)

Tracy

[MonkeyBone]

Looks good... very nice repair job. What will you be using to hold the outer pannels on to the center section?

[TJTucson]

Monkeybone - will simply be using plastic 1/2" tape for the outer panels.

[TJTucson]

Monkeybone - Boy am I embarassed!! :o

I did not realize they were Art Hobby ships. Well, I now have two of their planes and will attest to the high quality. I just love the wood grain wings. I'm trying to find some veneer locally so I can cover some "Impulse" wing cores I have sitting around. The cores are sitting above my head now with carbon rod spars set in place. All I need is a good veneer. :D

I just ordered a used Glass 2M from one of the guys on this forum. So I may be going glass soon ;) You never know!!

Will work some more this evening on the Sierra and post up!

Tracy

[jrgospod]

Tracy

I would like to suggest another way to do the FG on wax paper application. I saw this on the HL pages and it works great. Use Post-It glue stick on the wax paper to hold the FG to the paper. Then cut out the shapes you want. Now spray the FG side with a mist of 3M77. You can now apply the FG and wax paper to the structure and peal away the wax paper. Doing it this way lets you use the wax paper on top of the FG to smooth things out and make sure all is ready for the epoxy. Give it a try on some scraps and see how good it works. Enjoy!
John

[TJTucson]

John - Sounds like a great way to work out the smoothing problems I usually have. I will definitely try it on my next project. I've got an OA-37 idea started on the Slope Forum. It's a scratch build that I started and need to get back to it. It's definitely the next one on my list!! Thanks for the ideas!!

Tracy

[TJTucson]

Cut out the ailerons & flaps tonight. I like using CA hinges for most of my gliders that I build. So once I got the control surfaces cut out and sanded for close fit in the slots, I marked out the CA hinges. The cutting board I use has a convienent ruler scale at the bottom - makes for fast even set up for things like this. :cool:

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra61.jpg

After CA gluing the hinges in place on the control surface, I then mark them out on the wing core.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra62.jpg

I gently with force push the control surface into place. I have cut the core slots slightly longer than the hinges so I can adjust the surface from side to side. It helps me center the control surface in the slot and gets it tightly in place. If done right I get it really close, so close some times I CA the control surface to the wing :eek: . I then have to cut it loose.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra63.jpg

[TJTucson]

Now on the ailerons I sanded both the top and bottom of the connection side of the control surface. I created a shallow V for the ailerons. This lets the aileron hinge in the center and move both up and down up to 30 degrees or so. It's tough to describe how I do this (I forgot to take photos - sorry).

The flaps do not have the traditional V on the connection side of the surface. I have sanded the bottom to allow about 40 degrees of throw but the top was sanded to only allow about 5 degrees of up throw. I did this so I could keep the gap between the flap as small as possible. And it also allows reflex in the flaps if I choose to set it up. :D

Here's max throw down:
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra64.jpg

Worked on the V tail too. CA'd the center section to the stabilizers. Then used the left over fiberglass to glasse the center section of the V tail. I want to have a detachable V tail stabilizer, so adding the fiberglass will help support the screws I will later put on the V tail.

CA'd V tail:
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra65.jpg

[TJTucson]

Prior to resin glassing V tail:
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra66.jpg

Glassed V tail:
http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra67.jpg

See ya tomorrow :)

T

[TJTucson]

Finally got back to building. This work thing is really putting a hurt on my hobbies :D

I've been working out the details on the radio installation in the nose section using AutoCAD. Finally got everything to fit on paper and now need to work it all in the "real" world.

Printed the cutting pattern then traced out the nose section.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra68.jpg

Used the dremel to cut out the fiberglass on the traced areas.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra69.jpg

Designed a removable servo tray. This serves two purposes. First, I did not have to cut a large hole in the nose section to accomidate the installation / removal of the large battery pack I bought. (Using a Size A 2000 mAH 4 cell package NiMH - thanks to Batteries Plus) And allows the installation of the reciever without any holes cut in the nose.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra70.jpg

[TJTucson]

Here's a close up of the servo tray. I fiberglassed the outside to reinforce the wood and will drill out the holes for threaded studs I'll use to mount the servos in the tray. Will make cut the holes for the studs to I can make adjustments vertically.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra71.jpg

Used 5 minute epoxy to secure the nut/wood bases for the servo tray. Used micro balloons to lighten up the epoxy - that's why its reddish :)

I will cut the holes in the servo tray so I can adjust the hole tray forward or aft depending on where exactly I need to set it.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra72.jpg

Finally, I mixed the resin for the servo tray and the carbon reinforcement for the nose. (Not my cleanest work. Should be able to clean it up a little after the resin sets.) And I fiberglassed in the nut/wood for the servo tray. I used the left over "heavy" weight fiberglass that came with the kit.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra73.jpg

Work over the next couple of days will interfer with this build :mad: Hopefully will get to work on it Sunday. Will keep posting!!!

Tracy

[TJTucson]

Okay - Inventory done :D But had back log of "honey do's" plus wanting to fly, so only got to work about 2 hours tonight.

Got the final assembly and fitting of the servo tray for the nose section. Easily removable by two nylon bolts to the nose section. This facilitates the removal / installation of the custom battery and reciever.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra74.jpg

Cut out the push rod tubes and the ballast tube holes then "dry" fit everything. Making sure that the ballast tube and push rod tubes will not interfer with the fuse wiring harness to be installed later.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra75.jpg

Coming up - Need to get the fuse wiring harness installed, the wings finished off with sealant / painted, mount the tail feathers, weight and balance, test flight :D

Seems really close now. Hopefully this week will be nice to me and I'll get to work in the evenings :rolleyes:

Tracy

[daveWCO]

Tracy:

Is there a specific reason for the plastic control rod within the plastic tube? I've never seen such a system on my park flyers or slope trash gliders.

daveWCO

[TJTucson]

Dave - It's the Gold-N-Rod control rod system. Use a 2-56 stud and thread into the yellow push rod, screw the clevis on the stud and the yellow control rod is contained within the blue sheath. This one I got at Hobby Town 48" - leaves about 7" to cut off at the tail. I got another type of clevis for the V-tail connection. I''l show pictures of it when I get it ready. Chris gave me the idea for the V-tail connection and it will make it much easier to connect the control rods without fighting the odd angles of the V-tail horns. Pretty cool and rather simple - wish I thought of it!! HA!!

Anyway the Gold-N-Rod is a stiffer system than the one provided with the kit and is light weight.

Tracy

[Wingtech]

Hi
I Have a Sierra mine is an older version 2 piece wing and slightly different nose cone arrangement but what agreat model I have just ordered the new wings for mine. Attached pic
Your building looks great you have used several of the same methods as me even down to the golden rods I found that I had to fix them almost the entire length to get a really slop free control.

Steve

[WGH]

I never liked the plastic Golden Rods, they have a nasty tendency to change length due to temp changes, seems like you can never keep it in trim. I like carbon rod best, or on my cheap gliders I use full length steel rod or cable.

[TJTucson]

Wingtech - Nice job - What no paint?? A true woody :cool: I love it!!!

WGH - Point well taken on the changing length.... :o This is the longest run I've used on the Golden Rod so I'll let you know for sure .... HOPEFULLY, I won't have to worry about it here in Arizona because it's always HOT!! :D

Tracy

[TJTucson]

Worked on getting the wing and V-tail mounted tonight. Alignment is very tricky and I just try to use common sense when setting it up. So the first item addressed was the centering of the DB9 connection. Marked the fuse where the DB9 connection is to go thru and created a wood mount for the fuse DB9. Cut the fiberglass out to size and taped the screws into the wood mount. Made the holes for the screws slightly larger so I could "snug" up the DB9 into the fuse then center the wing, thus moving the DB9 into the correct position for final tightening. :)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra76.jpg

Inside shot of the DB9 mounted

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra77.jpg

Close up of the final connection

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra78.jpg

[TJTucson]

Wanted to make sure I did not screw up too bad in the connections, so I decided to test all the connections up to this point. Got everything together with the extra battery and made all the appropriate connections. :o

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra79.jpg

IT WORKS :D Which really is surprising see how I've downed about a 12 pack during this build :eek:

Feeling superior in my building technique I've decided to continue !! :p

Next got the wing mount sleeves, cut holes in the wing for the sleeves (there is something "un-natural" about cutting holes in your brand new wing). These sleeves came with the kit and I just changed the nylon bolts to SAE instead of metric. SAE is much easier for me to find. These sleeves provide a counter sunk hole for the nylon bolt. I suppose it's to make a smoother wing, but the way I fly this will not make ANY difference.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra80.jpg

Here I've got the two forward sleeves glued and the back is up slightly for the photo. I went ahead and pushed the aft sleeve into position after the photo.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra81.jpg

[TJTucson]

Making sure the bolts and nuts line up thru the wing and then the fuse can be trouble. At least it was for my Hyper. So I tried it this way this time :rolleyes:

Got the backing wood and marked the holes. Drilled the holes slightly larger than necessary to allow the blind nut slight movement in the hole. Then got my trusty 5 minute epoxy mixed (the pressure is on now) and then dabbed the glue on the back of the blind nuts. Using the wing at a jig I bolted the wing to the backing wood / blind nut combination and let it set up.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra82.jpg

Figure this will make the blind nuts exactly where then need to be in the wood mount. After set up I then pull all apart. (be careful the epoxy stuck to some of the thread and it took some pressure to get the bolts out)

Here is the V-tail mount without the bolts

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra83.jpg

Then I use the wing (or V-tail in this case) to epoxy the wood mount with blind nuts into the correct position in the fuse.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra84.jpg

Seems to work. :D Will let everything set up tonight and then will check tomorrow. Still need to set the wing in place (hopefully tomorrow night).

[TJTucson]

After I posted last night, I could not sleep so worked on the Sierra more. Here's what I did ....

Set the wing bolt brackets with 5 minute epoxy, soldered the ends to the new battery and worked a little on the ballast tube.

Here is the inside of the wing mounts

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra85.jpg

Veiw from the top

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra86.jpg

Got to go with the wife and help out with her Aquathon. She's nuts - swims 1/2 mile then runs 3 .... takes about 45 minutes, but I get to be the timer and lap counter for the pool .... Yea you know why I volunteer to do this :p :D

[TJTucson]

Good Aquathon :D :D

Got to work a little on the tail feathers. Decided to make modifications per Chris's recommendations to strengthen the V-tail connections. Use 2-56 solid rod and bent the horns to match the control surfaces, then used the Dremel to rout out the slot for the horns (rods really)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra87.jpg

Then used faberglass patches and 20 minute finish epoxy to set the control rods in the groove and to set the patches.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra88.jpg

Side note : Be sure not to get epoxy on the bolts when setting the blocks for the blind nuts on your wings. I ended up gluing the rear bolt into the block and had to use the dremel to carefully cut the nylon bolt head off. Then worked to get the remaining threaded stud out of the epoxyed block. :mad: What a pain in the .... well you know!!

[ChuckW]

Good Aquathon :D :D

Side note : Be sure not to get epoxy on the bolts when setting the blocks for the blind nuts on your wings. I ended up gluing the rear bolt into the block and had to use the dremel to carefully cut the nylon bolt head off. Then worked to get the remaining threaded stud out of the epoxyed block. :mad: What a pain in the .... well you know!!

Try using a steel bolt sprayed with "Pam" or other non-stick cooking spray when glueing in mounting plates. The epoxy will not stick to them.
When dry, remove and replace with plastic bolts. Much easier to snug down blind nuts too.

[TJTucson]

See what I mean about using this forum for great ideas!! :rolleyes: Thanks for the tip ChuckW - I WILL USE it next time :D Simple things like that make building these so much more enjoyable.

Well, I have two bid opening today at 4 so better get back to work!! :o

T

[F3X]

Great job on the build.
If you plan on flying this on the slope I would suggest at this stage of the build to beef up the V tail. It’s a weak area in the design when abused.

I would:
• Glass the top side of the v tail out 1/2 span with 3oz cloth.
• Flip the v tail over and route out a 1/8 wide slot all the way thrugh the balsa and up to but not through the glass on the top. Position this slot in line span wise with the bolts and run the rear slot 1.0 inch shy of 1/2 span and the front about 1/3 span.
• Lay up some carbon tows (or take a part some woven carbon cloth) wet it out with 2 hour epoxy and lay it in the slot. Fill the slot and let it cure. If you wax the bolts you can mold these spars around the bolts.
• Once its cures sand flush and then glass the bottom with 3oz to about 1/2 shy of 1/2 span.

It sounds like a lot of work but after a few flights you will be in the shop doing the repair anyway so make it bullet proof now. The extra weight won't hurt this model because its so light anyway and you will get a lot more trouble free use from it after the mod.

[TJTucson]

F3X - Not going to use it for sloping, just thermal. So I hope it won't be needed :rolleyes: I say this now and it will be the first fix I make :D

Took the day off today - going to make a 4 day holiday out of this weekend. Got all the immediate "Honey Do's" completed and got to work on the Sierra.

Trying to get to a point tonight where I'm programing the radio and doing the weight and balance. Thenk test flight tomorrow morning :D :D :D

Let's see if I can do it!!

Got the Hi-Start / Winch hook installed. I wanted to have it adjustable with about 1/2" of travel. So I marked the hook spot, drilled the center hole, centered the block and epoxied in place.

This is the nicest hook I've seen yet.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra89.jpg

Making sure I have access to the nut with a deep socket.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra90.jpg

After everything is in place

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra91.jpg

[TJTucson]

Got a hair brain idea. Thinking about how to hold in place the ballast tube without making a complicated brace for the back side. So I got some expanding foam. The thought here is a way to secure the ballast tube's aft section from sliding around during flight while not adding much weight. Now because of where the ballast tube is positioned it blocks the nut for my adjustable hook. So I want a tube that can be easily removed. So I sprayed PAM on the tube (thanks for the suggestion) and filled the empty space behind the DB9 connection.

I applied TOOO much foam :eek: So I have to cut away the area where the DB9 will be installed once it cures. The can says 8 hours so I'm waiting.

I used CA to secure the control tubes at the tail and then put a little foam in the tail section.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra92.jpg

I will get pictures of the foamed center once it quits expanding :o

While waiting on the foam, figured I would go ahead and finish the wing. Couple of nights ago I used Deft clear sealer and spray 3 coats on the wing. Then wet sanded the sealer with 600 grit cloth. Nice smooth surface.

Hooked up the harness and centered the servos

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra93.jpg

Used my square to align the servo and horn

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra95.jpg

[TJTucson]

Here's the final set up. I used this same set-up on ailerons and flaps.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra94.jpg

Still waiting on foam (8 hours!!) :rolleyes: :o

So I need to personalize the Sierra. My Hyper DL has blue tips so my wife said to make these red.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra96.jpg

Getting close now!! I can feel the anticipation of the "maiden" flight. :D

[TJTucson]

WOW - What a weekend!! :D

Okay, took the day off on Friday so I would get ready for the maiden voyage of the Sierra. But had to finish it first!! ;)

The foam worked okay - Not my first choice for the next one :o It's light enough but it left gaps in the center section. Not sure why because I thought I foam filled enough. I had to cut away a lot of the foam to make things fit. I need another way to secure the "guts" for the ballast tube.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra97.jpg

Since there was gaps in the center section I need to re-think how to secure the ballast tube end. ANY SUGGESTIONS!! I like pictures!! :p

I left the ballast tube out at this point because the winds are not forecast to be strong at all. I usually thermal in the morning hours anyway when the wind is light.

Finished off the V-tail with the cool connections that Chris suggested (THANKS!!) Here you can see with this connection there is no binding on the control horn or fighting the changing angles as the control surface moves. The connection is tight and there is very little excess movement in the surfaces.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra102.jpg

Got the radio gear and final nose section connections complete.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra101.jpg

[TJTucson]

Saturday morning (early - I could not sleep :D ) got the weight and balance completed per the instructions. Only had to add 1-3/4 ounces to the nose to get the CG where it's suppose to be.

Ready for test flight:

I was really nervous!! I called my dad to see if he wanted to come help me with the first flights. Dad's an old fighter pilot and I rely on him for flight technique, even though I'm a flight instructor!! Can't beat good ol' advise from the Air Force.

We made three test glides from a small hill that over looks the landing site. I added 5 clicks of up stick and 1 click of right (I think the right was due to the slight cross wind). All three flights perfect flight no bad habits. Did not use any flaps at this point for landing. Did not want any radical nose pitching that close to the ground.

I hooked up to my small 2M Hi-Start and Dad had the honors of first launch. With a hefty push the Sierra took to the air with some heavy input on the controls. (The small Hi-Start is just too small!!) I'll order a Hosemonster on Monday for this ship! :D

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra98.jpg

The first couple of flights where simply pattern flights to get use to the feel of the bird. I simply made large pattern and landed two times without flaps. The third flight I popped the flaps at about 50 feet and the Sierra STOPPED!! I nosed over HARD and she simply floated down to the ground about 50 feet from that point. I was INCREDIABLE to see this large ship stop then float to a nice "spot" landing.

About the 5th or 6th flight I hooked a thermal on base leg to landing and circled two or three times. Once well inside the thermal the Sierra simply climbed to altitude. I'm not sure how high I got but the flight lasted about 5 minutes before I decided to make a speed run over the field. :D

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra99.jpg

I ended up adding one or two more up clicks to the trim and removing the right click from the trim. Am thinking about removing about 1/2-3/4 ounce of nose weight, which would eliminate some of the up trim. Then I can set the control surfaces back to center mechanically.

Monday I flew on a larger Hi-Start with a fellow pilot. We ended up having a "fun" contest for spot landings. Even with his experience, I was able to get within 3 feet of the spot with only 3 flights!! Luck, simply luck ;)

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra100.jpg

I added the sticker that Andre gave me (THANKS!!) but have not taken pictures of the final results. I will take a couple more shot next weekend and post here.

Thanks to everyone for thier suggestions, help and encouragement during this build. I'm highly satisfied with the Sierra and would recommend it to anyone who likes wood grain finished, like I do!

[ChuckW]

Glad to see everything went well!

I have a Boar 2C on the way and hope to have it early next week. A flying buddy of mine has a Velvia and a High aspect also from Art Hobby. He loves them both. I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

Any tendency to tip stall on tight turns?

[TJTucson]

Chuck - Too be honest I have not "pushed" the envelope yet. The very next big boomer I catch, I'm planning on truly flight testing the Sierra. Here's my typical work out on new planes:

1. Weight and balance getting the trim to neutral and the control surfaces nearest to level creating an easy cruise profile. Like I mentioned, I'll remove some nose weight and get rid of the up clicks that are currently programed in the radio. Once that gets close then:

2. Check the pitch tendency by starting off at altitude, put the Sierra in a dive (60 degrees typical) then let go of the stick. If she noses up out of the dive it indicates a nose heavy condition, if she tail's over then we have a tail heavy condition. Will fix that within reason. I think right now most of my planes have a nose heavy config just for easier flight characteristics.

3. Will see how it "steps" up on float or thermal. Not sure how to adequately discribe this. It's really my personal ideas about how a ship properly thermals and rises in the column. Depending on the angles of attach difference between the wing and the horizontal stabilizer will determine if it flys tail hi / low (it's called decolage - but I can't spell the stupid word! :o ) Watching if it "plows" thru the sky or wants to speed thru the sky. I change the angle of the wing in relation to the cord of the fuse to get it set where I like it.

4. Once I think it's really set up and stable then I will try aerobatics and tight turns to see if anything unwanted pops up. :D

Hopefully this weekend will be good for all this. Am planning on flying Sat & Sun to work it out. But you know that we are always tweaking and changing things. As I gain more experience I also change how I look at things in thermal. :D

Long answer to a simple question: But I don't know yet :D :D :D

Tracy

[daveWCO]

Wooohooo! Nice flyin' and build, Tracy! It's always sweet to see something one spends so much time on, fly great, right off the table.

Next time, make that high speed pass a little lower so we can "feel" it. :)

daveWCO

[Wingtech]

Glad to see everything went well!

I have a Boar 2C on the way and hope to have it early next week. A flying buddy of mine has a Velvia and a High aspect also from Art Hobby. He loves them both. I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

Any tendency to tip stall on tight turns?
Hi Chuck
I have sierra and with a small amount of flap, which it responds to very well, you can make thermal turns as sharp as you like and it just dosen't let go I love :) this model I have Just maidened my X21 but Sierra was easier to setup and fly. And not so nerve racking to fly!!
I have a freind with the Velia and shows same flight charecteristics.
I also have Hyper Dl which is another great model. Kits are quite rare in UK but I think Andre has a great range of gliders and long may it stay that way.

PS have you seen new serenity and ghost moulded Wing hMMMMM!!

[Ib Jensen]

I have been flying my Sierra for two years now and love it. Keep putting the CG back until it gets squirrelly and then add a little back. The dive test does help set the CG quickly with the Sierra. Get the CG right and it thermals great.

I use the Sierra for both thermal and slope flying. I added a ballast tube in the fuse which lets me add up to 16 oz of lead. I use a couple of oz when the wind picks up at the thermal field and fill her up on the slope. It flies with a lot of energy retention when carrying this kind of weight but lands like a pussycat with crow.

I put a layer of 1 oz glass on the V tail to strengthen it. I find it helps keep the ship flying even when I screw up and end up upside down on the field.

Ib

[TJTucson]

Okay - Got the pictures off the camera on the final completed ship.

http://members.cox.net/tjcastell1/images/Sierra103.jpg

Thanks to Andre for dropping in a decal. It does add to the look of the ship. I am very pleased with the out come :D

On to the next project ..... hum .... hummm .... I really need to finish the OA-37 Sloper!!! :cool:

Tracy

[Jeff Charlot]

Looks great!

Jeff

[TJTucson]

Thanks for the encouragement Jeff!!

Are you the same guy who did the build on the P-39?? :D I saved that build for reference on my OA-37 I'm trying to start.

Tracy

[Jeff Charlot]

Hi Tracy, Yeah, I'm "that guy". I followed your thread closely, it's very well done and very informative, I learned alot about these ArtHobby ships through this thread....thanks! I've got the Colibri, but have been itching to stretch out a little and try their larger planes.

I don't want to get too sidetracked, but I can't wait to see the OA-37 get started!

Jeff

[Joedy]

Tracy,

Thanks for taking the time to post your building process. I am looking to get a Sierra myself.

-joedy

[TJTucson]

Joedy - I've flown the Sierra at least once a week since I completed it and I'm very happy with the performance. :D

One update I would make since I have been flying -- About 2 weeks ago I caught a big thermal and flew close to 25 minutes. At the end of the flight, since I had altitude and "attitude" :p I decided to make a speed run across the field. I've done this a couple of time with no problems, but this time --

I had about 500' of altitude to dump, so I added reflex to both the flaps and ailerons (I've got a switch programmed on the radio to do this), lowered the nose, flipped off the aileron / rudder mixing and made the approach. I estimate that I had probably about 75-90 knots of airspeed going across the field when the left control surface on the V-tail let go. :eek:

Typically I will make the speed run then pull nose high (about 10 degrees) and perform an aileron roll. It's pretty cool at speed just over the field at about 50 feet!! Just as I was ready to nose up was when I lost the left control surface.

The controls surface remained connected to the control rod / connection but made that scary "fluttering" sound. I kept the aileron / rudder mix off, went a head and nosed up to loose airspeed, dropped the reflex, then made a very large pattern around the field. The other control surface helped with pitch control and I even used flaps to land.

Final result of "showing off" - the right V-tail control surface only had one of the CA hinges still in tact :o the left V-tail control surface was not damaged just disconnected :o the forward wing bolt connections for the wind had "de-laminated" and was no longer epoxied to the fuse :o No other damage was done to the Sierra :) Great landing too, (If I do say so my self :cool: )

I ended up cutting off the right surface and then used the 1" CA hinges I used for the ailerons / flaps. Re-epoxied the wing bolts (that was difficult due to no access to the center of the fuse). And I replaced on my "field" weight with lead shot - making the nose section cleaner and roomier - Its relative!!

My final recommendations would be to go ahead and cut off the V-tail control surfaces then use your favorite hinge method. I had similiar problems with my Hyper DL from Art Hobby on it's tail feathers. Additionally, I have gotten a couple of suggestions from others about fiberglassing the tail feather adding strength, especially if using the Sierra as a "sloper". I don't have intentions of sloping this bird (too many rocks and cactus in Tucson!!), so I am not convinence I need to strengthen my tail (YET!). If I glassed the tail I would have to add more weight and this thing weight enought now :D

Hope this helps - Tracy

[Joedy]

Tracey,

Any new recent thoughts concerning the Sierra build? My kit just showed up in the mail.

Thanks, again, for posting such an enjoyable reading thread.

-joedy

[Ib Jensen]

Since the Sierra has no spar the skin is carrying the load. I have had no problems with this in 2 years of flying my Sierra as my primary thermal and sometime slope ship. I just wouldn't do the same zoom off a winch that the carbon skinned ships do.

When building the Sierra it would be a good idea to keep the wing saddle cutout as small as possible and add some additional reinforcement in the area. I had cracking start in this area due to some hard landings and placed a layer of 5oz Kevlar over the whole saddle area and have had no problems since. I have some problems with the ailerons and flaps warping slightly as the humidity changes. Another Sierra in the club does not have this problem so I assume the difference in finishes is the reason. I used a very light coat of Polycrillic and may have sanded some off. I am thinking of adding a layer of 1oz Kevlar or 3/4 oz glass to the ailerons and flaps to stabilize them and fix a few cracks that have occurred due to rough handling.

I added a balanced ballast tube in the fuse which allows me to add up to a pound of weight for those boomer days or when I want to play on the slope with it. I did this in such a way that I can add the ballast from under the inner nose and the outer nose keeps it in place.

Ib

[LWThompson]

You should re-touch all of the tail hinges with fast CA. This goes for any Art Hobby plane. An once of protection...

[TJTucson]

Nothing further at this point. I'm concerned now about winch launching due to IB's comments. I'm fixing to put together a winch. I have not winch launched it yet, but next available winch I'm planning on it. Will let you know if I have problems.

T

[Ib Jensen]

Don't take my comment to indicate that you shouldn't winch launch the Sierra. Mine launches beautifully and takes less line than many of the other glass slippers. I just would not recommend doing full throttle zooms off the end of the line. I have seen expensive molded ships fold under those conditions. I do zoom off the line but not at full throttle and not with hard up on the elevator. I get plenty of additional altitude and have had no indication of stress.

Treat it with some respect but you needn't baby it. When flying a couple of weeks ago I was specking out and decided to put on full crow and loose some altitude. It wasn’t until I had dropped 500 ft that I noticed that the crow switch was turned off and I was making a 45 deg dive at screaming speed. I pulled up normally and when I landed found no sign of flutter etc. I have reinforced the elevator hinges with Kevlar and tape due to normal hanger rash requiring repair so I don't worry about it. Last weekend I also was specking out and needed to do spot landings so I pulled full crow and pointed the Sierra straight down. No problems and hit the mark.

The Sierra is light enough that hand catching it is easy. I impress the guys (well at least myself :D ) by bringing the Sierra in and popping the crow as it gets to me and landing it in my hand. Great fun, but I wouldn't like doing it with a heavier ship.

Ib

[TJTucson]

Ib - HAND CATCHING THE SIERRA :eek: You must have your's lighter than mine!! Either that or you're a much better pilot ;)

I've been a little leary about winch launching it, just because I have seen other guys "rip" their wings off. I've never winch launched any ship so I'm a virgin to winch launch. There are a couple of guys who do it all the time, who have been harassing me about being a chicken. I guess its about time I jumped off the deep end, eh? :D

I've seriously looked into getting or building a winch and will probably make it my next project after the OA-37 Dragonfly. (see the slope forum for it)

Thanks for the input!!

Tracy

[daveWCO]

Chicken! :D

[Wiker]

TJTucson, thank you for a very god building thread. I have saved it on my hard disk for the future - I might build a Sierra one day.

Actually, I'm concidering a Sierra right now. I want a light plane to use on the sloop when the wind is to light for my other planes. Until now I've had a Spirit Elite dedicated for this. I'm planing to rebuild a Spirit Elite form the drawings, or... should I get a Sierra, it looks like a nice plane with low wing loading.

Some questions:

Can someone (TJTucson, Ib Jensen) give a report on the final flying weight? What about flight characteristics (did I spelle that right?) - fast sloop-like turns, rolls, loops etc.

Joedy, do you have the weight of the basic parts of the plane (fuselage + wings + tail + small parts)?

One more questions: Are there any reason not to cut out the ailerons and flaps all the way to the joint between centre section and tip section, so that the ailerons and flaps meet?

[Ib Jensen]

I see no reason for not cutting the aileron and flap all the way to the wing joint. This would require adding some additional wood to the hinfe face since the balsa insert at the hinge line does not extend that far. It would also be prudent to add a harder wood in stead of balsa at that point to take any impact loads. I had a hard landing which broke the tape I use to hold the outer pannels to the center section and the compression at the trailing edge broke the small sections. I should have extended the aileron and flap while doing the repairs.

I use my Sierra as a light to medium wind sloper and use up to 1 LB of ballast. The Sierra looks and flies great on the slope. The only plane I have that will stay up in lighter conditions is my SuperGee hand launch. With ballast I don't know how much wind it will handel since I then fly my Psycho or Zipper.

I don't remember the flying weight, but I think it is about 29 oz. I will check tonight.

The word on the street is that the Sierra is being phased out on favor of the Serenity which features a carbon boom and a different airfoil. I have no experience with it, but am tempted to order one for comparison.

Ib

[Joedy]

The word on the street is that the Sierra is being phased out on favor of the Serenity which features a carbon boom and a different airfoil.
Ib

Ib,

Are you hearing this from Andre? I'm not doubting you, but I would very much like to know now to order some extra parts lest they become nonexistent.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I have been taking note.

-joedy

[Joedy]

Joedy, do you have the weight of the basic parts of the plane (fuselage + wings + tail + small parts)?


I can weigh them for you since my kit is new in the box.

Workmanship is outstanding and the fuse finish and quality rivals that of many hollow-molded kits imported from Europe. The Sierra fuse that I have is fiberglass with CF reinforcement and features painted-in-the-mold white paint finish.

-joedy

[Wiker]

Sound just like the plane I'm after. Very tempting.
I don't remember the flying weight, but I think it is about 29 oz. I will check tonight.
Oh, that's close to the specified weight of 28oz. I thought 28oz that was the empty weight.

[Wiker]

I can weigh them for you since my kit is new in the box
Thank you Joedy, If you got the time to do it I would be greatfull. The weight of the NIB kit-parts makes it possible to estimates final flying weight, including potential reinforcements and glassing the wings. I'm a reinforcement freak.

[Joedy]

Ok, here are what I measured using a digital scale.

Both balsa v-tails 34 grams
Outer nose cone 40 grams
Inner nose cone 34 grams
Fuselage 128 grams
One outer wing panel 104 grams
One inner wing panel 160 grams

I did not measure the various hardware items such as CF wing panel roads and control linkages and tubing.

This should give you an idea of what the kit has to offer.

Again, it's a well made kit and is an excellent value for the money.

-joedy

[Ib Jensen]

Sorry, The Sierra is 47 oz ready to fly. The 29 oz is my Zipper. The extra reinforcement I placed on the wing sadle adn glassing the tail has added at least 4 oz. My wiring harness could be lighter as well. I am using a 15 pin D connector and I could have gotten along with a 9 pin.

Ib

[Wiker]

Thanks Joedy and Ib. It should be possible to glass (and paint) the wings and tail, and still keep it under 1400g/49.5oz. Very tempting. Seems like a very nice plane to have in the selection. If they are going to discontinue the Sierra I have to move fast. Can't afford it right a way so I'll have to cross my fingers for a while.

[Ib Jensen]

I had my first recognized case of Sierra V tail flutter yesterday. I was doing a winch launch in to a 6 MPH head wind and I had built up a lot of tension in the line when I launched. I kept my foot on the pedal longer than usual and could see and hear the tail start to flutter. It did not appear to be due to any weakness in the tail boom but just the tail surfaces vibrating. The wings showed no indication of a problem. Easing off the pedal corrected the problem and the rest of the flight was without incident.

I have a layer of 1oz glass on the tail surfaces and stock pushrods to the servos. I am tempted to make new fins and bag them with 1oz Kevlar placed on a bias and replacing the pushrods with carbon. The total weight should be the same but the stiffness should improve dramatically.

Ib

[DrFragnasty]

Hi Guys,

I notice TJ's pics showed HiTec servo trays....did they come wth the Sierra?
If not, where can I get some?
Do they fit HiTec 85BB servos?

My Sierra arrived in 6 days from Andre at arthobby in perfect condition.

regards,
DrFragnasty

[TJTucson]

Dr Frag - I ordered the trays from Andre, so yes they came with the Sierra. I think you can get these from HiTec directly or have your local hobby store order them. Makes the installation so easy!!

Ib - Good idea about the V-tail. I have been considering changing the rods to carbon myself. Not sure why the flutter happens, probably due to aerodynamics ie the V-tail is not a "true" lifting body or something like that..??? I have made several of my "high" speed runs since my last one and have not noticed any problems, but I am keeping the speed down on the pass. I would like to get a glass ship so I can "feel the need for speed" :D

TJ

[Ib Jensen]

I havent noticed any tendency for the wings to flutter. They are remarkably stiff for their weight. I like the black poplar that is used better than the Obichi I have seen. the tail realy has no torsional rigidity with its thin section. I will make new ones with a better airfoil and a bias lay-up and see what happens.

ib