After all of the info I received concerning the vacuum forming process, I went ahead and made another canopy for my giant scale Mossie. Comments pertaining to my latest experience are provided below:

!. I made a mistake referring to using 175 degrees for the oven temperature to heat the 0.06 PETG material. I waited and waited and waited and it never started to sag. I cranked the heat up 220 degrees and finally got results.

2. One of the recommendations was to use a 2-inch sag before removing the PETG and laying it over the mold. It was not soft enough and could not be forced all the way down along the sides of the mold. I had to place the PETG back in the oven (upside down) and try to salvage it.

3. I believe the problems I encontered in 1 and 2 above were due both to the thickness of the PETG and the size of the canopy. (My Mossie canopy is 10-inches long, 5-inches wide and 2 3/4-inches high). It's apparent that special adjustments need to be made based on the material and the size of the canopy.

4. I more or less followed Jim Ryan's suggestion to use some type of circular device that could be placed over and around the PETG. It would then be used to force the PETG down along all sides to the bottom of the of the mold. I couldn't find anything in the house that would fit around the canopy mold and stay within the top bounderies of my vacuum-forming machine. I decided to make a template from 1/4 inch plywood that matched the footprint of the canopy. BINGO...no more serious webbing. I'm inclined to believe going to 0.04 PETG would also have made things eaasier.

I'll tell you, there's nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell of heated plastic along with hearing the roar of a jet engine in the backgroud.

Thanks again to all of those that contributed to my education.

Joe A.

Glad you're making progress, Joe. That Mossie is going to be very cool.

Jim

Joe,
Yeah that smell is really a winner with my wife too!!!!!!!! (I've got a bridge I can sell you if you believe that one.)
Can't wait to see the progress on the Mossie.
Dave

After following the thread on forming canopies I did one for my Spitfire. I used .015 material from Sig and form it with my heat gun after the wife said I couldn't use the stove

The Spit canopy is relatively complex but as long as someone helps you it will foem quite easily with the heat gun

Ralph A. D'Amelio

Thanks for your response. The canopy for your Spitfire looks great. I don't see a single glue smear from a fingerprint. I had so many smears, I went ahead and made another canopy. Neat workmanship is not one of my assets.

One of the responses I received, mentioned using another canopy as material for cutting out the external canopy framing. At the time I received this suggestion, the last thing in the world I wanted to do was vacuum form another canopy. However, after I decided to vacuum form a new canopy, I used the old canopy as the framework on the new one.

The interior of your cockpit also looks great. I've got lots of books on the Mosquito but no color identification for the interior of the cockpit. Finishing the cockpit is about the last major step for my Mossie. THANK GOD WHEN IT'S COMPLETE.

Joe A.

Joe:

Do you have a thread on your project? There are a couple of us doing (smaller) DH-98s right now, and I know that I would like to see what your're doing.

David

Fliir:

Glad to hear you weren't foolish and took on a giant scale version of the DeHavilland model. I started building model airplanes about the same time Wilbur and Orville flew over the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk. (Just feels that way). My first EP scale model was a last minute conversion of a giant IC powered Wellington bomber.
(It flew like a rock). Since that time, I've built a succession of giant-scale, multi-engine scale models that were flown successfully. (See the archives).

I started the Mossie about 3-years ago and have used it as a learning tool. It's scratch built w/o plans. The wing, rudder and elevator assemblies all have foam cores covered with 1/16th balsa, then glassed. The fuselage is also mainly built from foam, sheeted with balsa and glassed.

There are major structural elements built from fiberglass including the fuselage section forward of the canopy, motor cowlings and the nacelles. In addition to the canopy, a large number of other miscellaneous items were also built from scratch including my own retract design. This was more an economy more then looking for a challenge.

My Mossie is powered with a pair of Mega brushless motors turning 16 x 10 props through a 3:1 belt drive. Each motor is powered by 13 each, 3,000 size, NiHM cells. The cells for each motor as well as individual ESCs are located within each motor cowling. I've atttached a photo of my Mossie taken several weeks ago.

I'm now working on scale details and at the end of the trail with the Mossie. While I took lots of photos during construction, most of the older ones were deleted from my files. A model airplane built using foam and fiberglass is no where near as beautiful as one built with a balsa structure. it's not until the very end when the swan changes from the ugly duckling.

If my method of construction hasn't turned you off, I'll be glad to answer any specific questions.

Joe A.

It's very nice!

My project is the "Rittinger Mosquito Project" thread. Rexx is building one on the other side of the pond (Afraid of balsa...)

I love your props and spinners. I am trying to achieve a scale appearance with 3 blade "scale looking" props and 2" spinners. I think it will fly but I'm going to start with APC 2-blade electics for the initial testing.

David