I know...like to read this thread, but not much construction to look at these days....so yanked out my phone cord and posted mine....got a really busy job, so I've been doing as others suggest...30mn - 45 mns couple nites a week. Trying to keep in mind building is fun and interesting, rather than a chore. I've used thinned out Tightbond as many have suggested....I like it...my nose likes it...can't wait to fly some wood...running the Radian foamy in the interim....flies great...but....

Hi MR Smith

Looking at your not finished L.E. reminded me of when i was in the Silent Flyers we all built Paragon's as a first glider.

Built 3 myself and have a framed up one now for a E power some day.

This new guy did not ask any question's about the build, and he brought out his Paragon for his maiden flight. Well his L.E. was looking just like your's with a wide flat front and all covered in monokote and ready to fly, he did know any better so up it went and it flew kinda slow but it did fly!!

Talk about turbulated air, it is amazing how forgiving these bird are and still fly.

Just a another day at the club flying field, boy those were fun times with Ed Slobod and the gang !! R.I.P. Ed

G Don

G Don,

I've gotten wiser in my old age, sat out on the back deck with a razor plane and some 40 grit, Had a hobby 5" plane too....but nothing like a razor plane with a fresh blade. Carefully used the 40 grit for rough shape....I swear with 40 grit, I was almost taking off micro shavings off of the LE! gently sanded with 120....over the whole wing.....love the feel of a plane after it's first sanding.....something only a woodworker/woodie builder can relate to.....

Got an OLY III box sitting up on the shelf also....I think that will be alot easier after learning the Skybench tricks on the BB.

Looks awesome MrSmith! At least someone is building. I haven't touched a thing model-wise in my shop for weeks.

Speaking of building surfaces I'll take a guess and say that you are either not married or like to live on the dangerous edge building on those kitchen counter tops. My wife is really easy going but ...........................not the granite counter tops!!!!!

Just kidding. I got away with it too...........................once.

Mr. Smith

I bought a David Razor plane and a ton of blades to last, and one other brand too.

Like you say they are perfect for shaping those L.E.'s and when the blade is just right you can see right through the balsa curl's.

Great tool to have.

G Don

Originally Posted by granada don

Mr. Smith

I bought a David Razor plane and a ton of blades to last, and one other brand too.

Like you say they are perfect for shaping those L.E.'s and when the blade is just right you can see right through the balsa curl's.

Great tool to have.

G Don

It's been an unusually hot and sunny day here in the UK and I've had a very pleasant hour using a David plane and Perma Grit bars to shape LEs on my glider, Long may it continue!

I was actually *gasp* working on my woodie today. I have the V-stab for the GL re-covered and happily settling in epoxy. It darned better fly straight tomorrow. I put some carbon along the LE of the V-stab, along a weak point. It will just break somewhere else, I know. I have also been progressing on the Spirit E. today, as well. I have all the parts covered, now, and just need to finish "varnishing", and put the innards in.

I lost my favorite sanding block. Maybe it's in the car? I'll look tomorrow.

Hi Rich G

I guess i just might be getting a bit wiser in my older age of 71' yrs , and on my new primary glider i'am designing i will be using a 3/8" balsa dowel for the L.E. on a 12" cord wing.

The David will not have to touch this wing, but it will see duty on the stab & rudder along with one of those Perma grit sanding rods for some lighting holes in the tail feathers.

The stab & rudder are constant cord so i will stack sand and shape the holes at the same time, just a few more notes and i can get to cutting some wood.

G Don

Originally Posted by granada don

Hi Rich G

I guess i just might be getting a bit wiser in my older age of 71' yrs , and on my new primary glider i'am designing i will be using a 3/8" balsa dowel for the L.E. on a 12" cord wing.

The David will not have to touch this wing, but it will see duty on the stab & rudder along with one of those Perma grit sanding rods for some lighting holes in the tail feathers.

The stab & rudder are constant cord so i will stack sand and shape the holes at the same time, just a few more notes and i can get to cutting some wood.

G Don

Don,

Make your primary out of metal,like your art work. It'll be beautifull.............and you won't have to add in lead weight to the nose.............Hahahaha

You need to post your video of your art work here!

Eddie

Hi Eddie

It would look great but i would not be able to move it, i'am building a rotary pole to set the glider on and see it rotate at 3 rpm in my new display room with 2 dimmable spot lights to hi light it from above

Kinda like what they do in museum's, the pole will have a ball swivel so i can change the setting angle of what is on display.

A 5 ft long F4 Phantom and a 5 ft long scale model of a 36' Cigarette offshore boat will trade places with the glider, and what ever else comes along in the future that would look good on display.

Eddie i do not know how to post a DVD here on the forum, it should be done by the end of the week.

G Don

Here's my latest woodie.

I'd been away from the hobby since I was a teenager in the mid 80's, and after flying someone's Radian at the AMA field in Muncie, I'd been itching to get back in. Last fall, I found a mid-80's Writocrat HLG kit at a local swap meet and have been flying that this spring.

I took the basic planform of the mid-80's Writocrat HLG and scaled it
up 1.4x to get to 2 meter.

I ran the dimensions through the Sailplane Calc spreadsheet at http://www.tailwindgliders.com/Files.html and sized the tailplane a bit larger than scale.

I started out making a set of e205 ribs, a couple of the guys in my club suggested using the S3014, as they're well familiar with Ray's Skybench kits. I went back and reshaped the ribs. The ribs were sanded to shape between templates that were just printed from a PDF.

The scaled up version is RES with a three piece bolt on wing.
Weight is a bit heavy at 36 oz. Partly because I just bought locally
available wood rather than trying to source light stuff, and using steel wing joiners doesn't help, but I figured it was a bit safer at this point.
There are definitely things I'd do differently, but it was a good learning
experience.

Fancy that! You and I are roughly the same age and I grew up in New Haven, IN, although I wasn't into R/C in the 80's. I was a member of the Summit City Aerospace Modelers.

Originally Posted by Tango Juliet

I feel bad for not having finished my Sky Bird now. Nice work. (About time we saw some real sailplanes on here)

Tango,

You should see my shop, it is full of started, but unfinished woodys. Must be part of the hobby, but I'll be glad to ship a pre labeled box down to you, fill it up with the Sky Bird Parts and send it back home. Just kidding .. you'll get back to it someday.

Ray
Sky Bench ... Woodys Forever
http://www.skybench.com

Mr Smith

Nice to see your kit taking shape and glad your enjoying the build. These guys needed to get back to building ...

Ray
Sky Bench ... Woodys Forever
http://www.skybench.com

No way Ray! I'm not sending it back! I'll get back to it someday.