HI Guys,

Tony never answered me about wheather he would be willing to cut a set of ribs with different air foils or not. It's been weeks. I know he said he was going to be on each coast for 2 weeks at a time. I'm beginning to wonder what's up with him. I'll shoot him another email, and see if he answeres.

Bob in Seattle

Well it looks like I'll have to make my own ribs as my Irish luck has struck once more.I broke a tooth on an olive pit that was hideing in some pasta salad and it took most of my stash of cash to get rid of what was left of it.

The wood came in friday and I picked it up from the lhs yesterday.I spent some of the day makeing up the trailing edge stock and the spars.I have a customer dropping off some drafting mylar this week so I can trace the plans and keep the origenal set clean,they may find a permenent home on the shop wall.

Hi Scottie,

Sorry to hear about your tooth. My little pile of Raven pieces and parts is getting a little bigger each week. I bought a balsa stripper the other day so I can make my own square stock from sheet stock. It's the woodworker in me, what can I say. I have started to go through my balsa stock selecting the right wood for the various parts. I am still trying to decide if I want to add spoilers or flaps to it. It will get one or the other. The flaps would be for getting out of big thermals and landing on shorter fields not camber modes. I still have plenty of time to decide.

I am probably going to make the two rib templates this week and make a test set of ribs using some 3mm depron. I want to have a little better idea of the stack process before I use my balsa.

Wayne

Morning Guys,

I'm sorry to say that I still haven't heard from Tony. I don't know what has happened to him. Maybe we should look at finding another guy. What do you guys think ?

Bob in Seattle

Hi Guys,

I just heard from Tony. The answer is YES. He can make a rib set for the Ravin with any airfoil you want. Here is the situation. He now has a full time job. He has to travel extensively He time on the cutter is very limited. He said to let him know what you want as far as airfiols and numbers of sets and he would try to get to it asap. But, we need to be somewhat paitent.
So that's it guys. Figure it out as soon as you can and let him know. Don't forget that the current rib plan in his computer is for a D box wing. If you want a change on that, let him know with your choise for an airfoil.

Bob in Seattle

Well I got a little closer to being ready today. I had the afternoon off so I took my Raven plan over to the copier place and had them make me two copies of the original, one regular and one a mirror image. This way I can cut up the copies to make it easier to work with while preserving the master copy. It cost a whole $7 for the two. Paid cash and got a discount, gotta love it.

So those of you wanting laser cut ribs need to let me know what you want so I/Bob can get the information to Tony. He started a full time job which includes travel so he needs a reasonable lead time to get them done in time for the start of the build. In order to keep things simple all I really need to know is what airfoil you want and whether you want fully sheeted ribs or d-box sheeting only. According to the previous price table Tony gave us the cost will be roughly $55 plus shipping. After I have solid commitments I will be able to get a solid price from Tony but $55 plus shipping should be close.

I hope all of you are getting excited, I know I am. I think my local hobby shop guy is getting sick and tired of me looking though the racks of linkages and stock at his store. I have been trying to think through most of the build in order to not have an uh-oh moment. Hopefully between all of us we can have everything figured out.

Wayne

Wayne:

Do you want us individually to contact Tony or are you going to send him a composite list?

After much deliberation I have decided to stay with the original foil of a fully sheeted wing (not the D-box). Why mess with a successful plane? Plus, at my windy venue, more wing strength is favored over weight. YMMV.

BTW, some pages back someone mentioned bell cranks from hilaunch.com...well I was in my LHS yesterday for some parts for my US1M sailboat and just wandered through the glider parts section when what did I see but a package of that bell crank and 4 control horns (2 aileron and 2 R/E) for only $10 USD - my time is worth more than that. They just "jumped" into my basket! Very nice construction. Now to figure how to make the axle. Thinking of aluminum tubing to keep the weight out of the tail - every gram aft on the tail is 4 or more in the nose.

I have to get off my butt and order the wood this week, but I am trying to add it to an order I am putting together to build a US1M hull too so I can save on the shipping. Who has the best wood now; Lonestar, National, USA Balsa or ????

After going through my parts box I have accumulated the cells, motor/gb, ESC, UBEC and servos (HS81's for the R/E and HS-5125 digital thin wing for the ailerons and HS51's for the spoilers - still undecided about flaps but I have two HS-81MG's if I need them). Still looking for a spinner but I may wait until I get the nose tapered so I can get the correct size.


FC

FC

Originally Posted by FoamCrusher

Wayne:

Do you want us individually to contact Tony or are you going to send him a composite list?

Hi FC,

My thought was to put together one composite list and send that to Tony. I was thinking that a single point of contact would be easier for him rather than having 5 or 6 guys contacting him. I have no interest in getting in the middle of the money part so once the final cost is calculated you can send him the funds directly.

What do all of you think? Would each of you rather contact Tony yourself? I am not trying to insert myself into the middle of anything here just trying to help.

Wayne

This sounds like fun.
When are you planning on the official start?
How long will the build take?
When are you going to do the rib order?

I'm trying to decide if I should jump in at the last min. I already have a Bird of Time kit to do this winter but I could put it off maybe.

I wonder how mad the wife would be if I have two sailplane builds to do.

9 pages guys and no-one has started building yet

Mike

Originally Posted by Mike Smart

9 pages guys and no-one has started building yet

Mike

I'm thinking some may have jumped the gun a little.

Mike how much for a set of plans shipped to conus?

Originally Posted by 3sportbob

I'm thinking some may have jumped the gun a little.

Mike how much for a set of plans shipped to conus?

If Conus is in the US - £10-90p

Mike

conus = CONtinental US

Originally Posted by Mike Smart

If Conus is in the US - £10-90p

Mike

yes - sorry mike conus = continental US. Thanks Don for clarifying that for him.

I'll get in touch via your website and do the paypal thing.

Bob