Hi Guys,

Mikegbogh has inspired me. I am going to build the biggest plane I have ever built. A 1/4 scale ASH 31 Mi. The scale drawings have been sent to the printers, the foam has been purchased and the calculations are pretty close to complete.

The wingspan will 5.25m with the extended wing tips, with an optional small wing tip to produce a 4.5m plane.

The pics that inspired me to build this particular plane.

Originally Posted by DudleyLeRoux

Hi Guys,

Mikegbogh has inspired me. I am going to build the biggest plane I have ever built. A 1/4 scale ASH 31 Mi. The scale drawings have been sent to the printers, the foam has been purchased and the calculations are pretty close to complete.

The wingspan will 5.25m with the extended wing tips, with an optional small wing tip to produce a 4.5m plane.

The pics that inspired me to build this particular plane.

Nice subscribed

You go boy I will watch closely ASH30MI it is then and I will race you on the slope with the JS1 B.better get carving the Sungazer is only 6 months away.

Great stuff Mike, You'll see it at Sungazer next year

Hey Dudley the ASH31 is a beauty and I'm sure you'll have it ready in time, but if not, there's always the Graupner option...

Rog

Subscribed

Well, got home a little early from work today so I got started.

'Lost foam' or making a mould? Either way, should be good!

Sooo....
Is this the secret project then?

J
Who fears Dudley may be lost to his slope buddies!

Going the whole hog and making a mould for this one.

Spent a few minutes (read hours) shaping the fuse today. Going to need about another 10 hours to get it 100%

Don't worry Johann, i'll be throwing this one off the local slopes too

I have chosen to use HQ 3,0 - 13 (the 13% thickness in keeping with the 13% thickness of the full scale airfoil)

Managed to finish the shaping today. There are still some lines I'm not 100% happy with, but those will get sorted out with microballoons once the cloth is on. I find it easier to fix on a hard surface, instead of the soft foam.

I detached the tail boom during shaping because it was getting in the way. It was then shaped and re-attached.

Hi Dudley,
This is looking real good, My very first big sailplane was made with expanded polystyrene and keeping the boom part straight became a big problem. I eventually heated a piece of spring steel (normally used on undercarraiges etc)
and pushed it all the way down the middle of the boom ,from the tail and then managed to epoxy in a hardwood dowel with good effect, carbon will also do the trick.
It will get better as you start adding some glass, I do a layer at a time.

regards
Mike

Hey Mike,

Thanks, the first layer of glass in on, the boom is pretty stiff now. I'm going to have to learn how to put glass on a large foam plug in one go. I did the bottom in the morning and the top in the afternoon. It need to give it a little sand around the seams and add the lighter glass.

Originally Posted by DudleyLeRoux

Hey Mike,

Thanks, the first layer of glass in on, the boom is pretty stiff now. I'm going to have to learn how to put glass on a large foam plug in one go. I did the bottom in the morning and the top in the afternoon. It need to give it a little sand around the seams and add the lighter glass.

Hi Dudley,
Thats exactly right, top, and then bottom , you battle to do both sides at once.
To get the glass to work easy use something like the 163gr from AMT it drapes on compound curves nicely.
more pictures?
cheers
Mike

Molto bello.

Originally Posted by mikegbogh

more pictures?

Sure