Hi buddies. Just to share. Many years ago, when I was almost a kid, a gentle US military modeller gave me a RCM review and my friend Carmelo and me saw this wonderful sailplane. We together built this O2 just from the little plans on the review, swapping dimensions and so...
During some years, we shared the glider and flew with a Hobby Shack Cirrus 2 channels, latter we used another 6 ch. Cirrus and Futaba.
We enjoyed a lot with this glider and flew it on slope soaring near home over the ocean coast dunes, high star catapult launches, and ocassionals electric winches on duration and the new LOL F3B competitions on Seville, ( Spain ), during last seventies and new eigthies,.... ( a long time ago... on a galaxy... far .... far away.... ). Really this Reanud´s sailplane fall to me in love with soaring. We did on that time some others O2, now from RCM plans and kits.
Now, almost 35 years later I just some days ago started to build another Olimpic from scratch and plan to do a E conversión....., let´s see....
My idea is to build again that classics sailplanes that I flew on my youth and enjoyed so much. On that time I flew an Airtronics Aquila and O2, a BOT and a Mirage.
Aquila it is still flying and a new E-conversion BOT was finished last month, so now it is the time for the old O2. After that will be Mirage´s time...., really I like these oldies but wonderful sailplanes....
but Olimpic II was my very first ..... and I loved so much....

ULTIMATE´S BIRD OF TIME STEP BY STEP PHOTO CONSTRUCTION, COVERING AND FLYING. (36 min 44 sec)

I begin to cut all ribs, formers, etc. after get a pair of copies from plans. After that it is time to begin the construction itself by the tail....

Do your own kit really speed up the building time. I keep the ribs, formers and so bagged and marked with black ink ballpen so latter will be easier to find....

I cover the plans on the building board with cut-rite wax paper to protect the plans of glue. Also cut the sticks to the tail group from sheet better that buy sticks so wood will be more uniform.
I used alifatic yellow wood glue to laminate the pine and balsa stick to the tail rudder post and the leading horizontal stab edge....

Stab build begin with framing the contour, then balsa ribs are glued. Just be neat on the angle cutting. I doen´t care too much by now with the tips outline, only cut the spars a little longer and latter we will trace the right contours....

After the horizontal stab was framed it is time for the vertical one. As before I framed the contour and later added the ribs. On the vertical stab and rudder were installed some more triangle gussets ....

After the tail group were framed it is time for hinging. I used little Klett plastic hinges. three for each surface for more security.

Hi UlitmateTwo, I'm in the process of building the OLY II SX kit from Ray at Skybench and it will be good to follow your progress. As mine is built from the kit, rather than creating all of the parts as you are doing, I've got it much easier! I've chosen to create built-up tail surfaces, rather than using the supplied laser-cut parts in the interest of keeping the weight down. At least that's the plan so far! I've also altered the vertical tail pieces and plan not to have the counter-balanced rudder... we'll see how it goes!

Thanks for posting your pictures!

Rob

Originally Posted by robh

Hi UlitmateTwo, I'm in the process of building the OLY II SX kit from Ray at Skybench and it will be good to follow your progress. As mine is built from the kit, rather than creating all of the parts as you are doing, I've got it much easier! I've chosen to create built-up tail surfaces, rather than using the supplied laser-cut parts in the interest of keeping the weight down. At least that's the plan so far! I've also altered the vertical tail pieces and plan not to have the counter-balanced rudder... we'll see how it goes!

Thanks for posting your pictures!

Rob

Hi Rob, Tx a lot for posting. Your tail groups looks awesome and you did a good job. Neat idea about do some holes on the elevators to save some weight. I like and plan to do on mine too. Just a question. Why new versions of the Oly have straigh rudder hinges instead of balanced one as Renaud designed...
Tx again and feel free to posting your progress....
Best regards.
Manolo.

After tail surfaces were framed and hinged added I traced some patterns from cardboard of the tips contours and shaped to the right curves. Now looks cooler.
Tail group needs yet some light holes on the elevators as Rob did, reinforce the joiner dowel and horns area with ciano and fine glass cloth, V shaping the hinge area and final sanding, but I will do these steps to more later when all airframe will be done. So next step we will go to work on the fuse sides...
Manolo.

I'm subscribed. I also have a OLY II SX kit from Ray at Skybench that I'm wanting to get built during this winter building season. I have planned on building it as an electric which is how I found this thread in the first place. It'll be good to follow along.

Originally Posted by m.davis

I'm subscribed. I also have a OLY II SX kit from Ray at Skybench that I'm wanting to get built during this winter building season. I have planned on building it as an electric which is how I found this thread in the first place. It'll be good to follow along.

Hi Davis, welcome to the blog. My Oly is built by plans from the original Airtronics kit, and plan to stay very close to it, even fighting to change some things, but I want to keep the most from the original good Renaud´s ideas, without of course the e-conversion, some more streamlined nose area and simulated built canopy, a little more rounded fuse corners, individual servo operated spoilers, and a bolt on wing.
Anyway I have read a lot of good things about Skybench kits and the more modern versions and the rest of the production of that fine company.
So please feel free to posting and share your ideas and opinion.
Best regards.
Manolo.

Well buddies, after the tail group were framed, lets go to the fuse by now and built the fuse sides only....
Just started to build the fuse sides, gluing the ply nose cone and balsa tail post, add the inside balsa reinforcement and interiors stringers. I just changed the rear center pine reinforcement spar by hard balsa to compensate the weigh cause I added also some 1/8 sq. balsa spars on the bottom and upper line of the fuse to let a more rounded corners.
By the same idea, I just changed the 1/4 triangle front bottom balsa spars for anothers one of 8mm. to lend a more agressive sanding on this area and let flow the boxy fuse box contour to the roundness of the prop spinner more latter...
After that we will set aside the fuse sides apart and start on the wing building....
Manolo.

Looking good Manolo! Here's a couple of shots of the nose of mine. I attempted to do as you suggest and get the nose to feather into the spinner as much as possible. I think with a little more sanding she'll be good to go!

Cheers,

Rob

Originally Posted by robh

Looking good Manolo! Here's a couple of shots of the nose of mine. I attempted to do as you suggest and get the nose to feather into the spinner as much as possible. I think with a little more sanding she'll be good to go!

Cheers,

Rob

ˇˇˇˇ Awesome...ˇˇˇˇ