Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[Guest]

this blog is totally fascinating, keep up the good work, i find it very enlightening plus being a 'youngster' in the grand scheme i love the pictures and reference which is all before my time !

keep up the good work

[wonwinglo]

*** Thanks Guy,it is a part of our history that will never be forgotton,the old flyers and aircrew are fast declining,it would be lovely to hear what happened to some of these people in the photographs ? perhaps one or two will read these notes and it will bring back memories,I suppose we sometimes think of the glamour but it was a serious business involving young men who risked everything for their country.

this blog is totally fascinating, keep up the good work, i find it very enlightening plus being a 'youngster' in the grand scheme i love the pictures and reference which is all before my time !keep up the good work

[Guest]

Barry what a great treat to share your fathers life and his experiences I wish i had known mty father half as well. he to was a lanc pilot in the war but alas i never really took the time to learn about him like you did your father. Strange thing is this biog sort of helps me make up for it thank you from me and all the family who have gotten an emense amount of enjoyment and wonder in reading your fathers story. We all cant wait for yours !!!!!!!!

[wonwinglo]

***Nigel the pleasure is all mine,you are quite right this is a kind of therapy for others as well and it is great sharing my story with you all,I only said to my wife today that what my father went through represents thousands of others in the very same situation,I was very fortunate in that I managed to save these simple pieces of paper that show us how he lived,so the story is representative of the way of life of many at that time.It gives me immense pride in knowing that what he went through was not wasted and above all forgotton,at least know it will be seen over a period of time by many people and serve as a reminded of those troubled times.

I am merely capable of having the tools required to convey that message.

Barry what a great treat to share your fathers life and his experiences I wish i had known mty father half as well. he to was a lanc pilot in the war but alas i never really took the time to learn about him like you did your father. Strange thing is this biog sort of helps me make up for it thank you from me and all the family who have gotten an emense amount of enjoyment and wonder in reading your fathers story. We all cant wait for yours !!!!!!!!

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building from plans.

Building Scale models from plans



Many people interested in building scale models just do not know where to start their project,today we have more plans available than ever before and the world is your oyster,if you have a favourite model that there is no kit available then dont worry because with a little careful planning that dream machine can become a possibility,with a little guidance and patience the task can be simplified greatly.

We will start by looking at a basic three view drawing of a famous aeroplane,here is a superb plan for the original Wright biplane,many thousands of models have been built over the years for this subject and I bet that every one was built totally different in the builders approach to his subject,at first the subject looks daunting but when broken down into manageable sections it becomes much easier,anyway lets take a look at the plan first-



So take a careful look and begin by half closing your eyes,this has the effect of cutting out the tedious detail,not that we do not want to use that detail but much later,the main thing now is to think how we are going to tackle our subject,which materials to use,how to start construction,will the model be made to fly and if so what compromises will need to be made ? these are all questions to be satisfied by you,the model maker !

Now lets take a look at how my own completed model looked when finished and we can compare the plan with my finished model.



Well here she is,difficult to believe that once she was just a dream on a piece of paper,here you have a simplified small flying model of the Wright Flyer,just enough for the eye to take in,and above all enough detail to satisfy the purist,and yes she does fly ! and very well to,but we will go into that later right now we are concerned with the design and how to reproduce it as a model subject.

It is fair to say that a large proportion of this model consists of open structure,the full size used spruce and ash for its longerons,struts and wings,these were covered in a fabric material which was doped up taught to seal the structure and make it airtight,the wooden parts were beautifully varnished and the fittings were mostly hand made metal parts which were all bolted to the woodwork to hold the whole thing together,our model has balsa strips to reproduce the longerons and lightweight jap tissue to represent the fabric covering material,they just look the same in our little miniature and thats the secret to the success of the model.

Before we move on lets take a look at another view of the same model here-



This view shows to good effect the highly simplified fuselage longerons,the foreplane,struts made from barbecue spears and the basic cotton rigging,to attain the slightly bleached effect of the original fabric the tissue was tinted with ordinary tea ! yes a coat of tea makes an ideal antique effect,just brew up,allow to cool and paint onto the tissue.

The very basic seat and engine detail are just made from scrap balsa and then clear doped to seal them,the lower longerons are made from strips of basswood to give a bit of spring to the structure,as can be seen the foreplanes take the brunt of the force should they be struck but are deceptively strong.

Here is a view from underneath-



As can be seen here the wings have a convex undercamber to them,the covering needs to be stuck down before it is doped up,to do this I used one of those Pritstick glue pens,by gently blowing on the tissue after applying the adhesive the tissue is teased into place two rib bays at a time,working slowly and patiently you get the desired results,the rigging is thin cotton applied with tiny blobs of cynoacrylate adhesive,surprising how much extra strength this gives.

Now here is a picture that shows two models of the same aeroplane built in two entirely different ways,the end results are the same in that we have two practical flying models,one much simpler than the other





Wright Biplane replica at the 100 years of flight celebrations Kittyhawk,North Carolina.

So you get the idea ? build simply and dont overload the subject,just like a painting let the eyes fill in the gaps but the overall effect is the most important part of the end product.

Now we can take a look at some more model subjects to see how they can be tackled in detail,bearing in mind the need to retain practicality and combine the feel of the subject,lets do a walkround of some models-



Here is the bare bones for a Ryan NYP,the aeroplane that Lindbergh flew the Atlantic in single handed,this machine has been a firm favourite with me for years and I have built several different versions over that time,I have to be honest and say that every one has been a real headache to get to fly properly,the problem is the small fin and the distinct lack of any dihedral,here I have added some dihedral but after flight tests the fin had to be enlarged considerably to aid stability,another fix could possibly be to have faired in between the struts with clear sheet.

Even a radio controlled version would not fly properly but I am not going to give up !

Note how the tail surfaces are made in two pieces and hinged with soft metal ( Guinness cans are ideal material ) hic..! and see how strong the undercarriage is made up,you need to watch the weight as the wire parts weigh in very heavy.

I can still improve on this model next time round,its all about compromise,then experiment and pick the best points for your next project.

Here is the Ryan NYP all covered and ready to go,although the radial engine looks great it is a lot of parasitic drag but we have to live with such things if we want the model to be scale.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building from plans-Part 2

Building from plans-Part 2

This is the way that I like to make my tail surfaces,first a basic planform is cut from one thirty second sheet balsa,then strips of similar thickness balsa are glued chordwise with a thicker leading edge spar,once dry the whole lot is carefully sanded to airfoil shape,no need to put lightening holes into the structure as it will only weaken a very strong anti warp structure.

Sand to as thin as you dare without sacrificing strength.

Note the paperclip stiffener where the elevators come together,bend the clip over,press into the balsa and flood with cyno thin to lock into place,works every time.



Wings are made as light and strong as possible,wingtips are best made from two laminations of balsa strip which is wound damp around a thick card former,when dry glue together with thinned PVA glue,use gussets where the wings meet the fuselage,always leave the structure overnight on the building board so there will be less chance of any warps setting in,build as warp free as possible.



Here is a view of how those wingtips are made up,for the former here I have used balsa but anything will do such as foamboard or thick box card.



Any amount of scale detail can be made from balsa block,pick the nice soft material that is nice and light,for this I use those bargain balsa packs which provides good balsa for this type of model.

Here we have a basic cowling and some wheel spats which have been laminated up.



Traditional fuselage structure made on a simple keel,the half formers are added on one side when pinned down to the plan,then the stringers are added one side,the half keel is lifted from the plan and the other side is completed in the same way,the wing attachment stubs will be faired in later with scrap balsa.



Here the spatted undercarriage has been added,note the gap at the rear to allow for a little movement,unlike the full size machine which springs downwards the action is cantilever on our models.



Partly covered wings on the Curtiss Seagull,once the struts are added the rest of the covering can take place,the wing struts are offered through the tissue covering and glued into place,this system works very well,always work slowly and neatly,then clear your bench ready for the next stage.



Looking good as the wings have been assembled,note the canopy which was built up from scrap clear sheet from christmas toiletries boxes,hoard such material for your model building,it costs nothing ! trim around the canopy is just Bond writing paper glued with thinned PVA adhesive.



Remember if the way that you build something works well,then use it on all of your models,above all lets hear how you tackled the problem here.

Always work slowly and carefully,take a real pride in your work,the end result will be well worth the effort.

[Guest]

barry this is amazing thanks a lot

there is so much information that i have learnt a lot of things thank you for everything mate

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building from plans-Part 4

People often ask how the models fly in such a stable manner ? there is a simple and basic secret that involves just a little bit of extra care when building your model and it is shown below,if you follow this rule,your model is built nice and light,and the centre of gravity is in the correct place then she will fly,these are the three basic laws of building and flying any small scale models.

Here is the way to build in stability with your models,incorporate some washout into the wingtips,here you can see the ailerons which are made to move for trimming purposes,the idea is to make the root stall before the wingtip does thus avoiding the dreaded wingtip drop and stall in.

The photograph shows one wingtip layed on top of the other just to demonstrate the simple process of building in washout,this system is not unique to models either as many full sized aircraft use a different section at the wing root from the wingtip,but is still surprising how many modellers ignore this,do so at your peril if you want your model to fly properly.



All of my wing ribs are made in this way,pin together enough balsa blanks together,on the outside are plywood pattern ribs,now take the whole lot and sand the wood to shape,in the case of tapered ribs as here you automatically get the correct shapes ready plotted for you,when you split the rib blanks you are rewarded with a nice clean set of ribs,you can never attain this accuracy or finish with singly cut ribs.

Here also is a close up of the way described earlier on building tail surfaces.



Whether tapered ribs or a single shape throughout,the principle is the same,use ply masters pinned either side of the blanks,take your razor plane and shave the whole lot together,finish by sanding with a block,split and admire the best ribs you will ever make.Dont worry about the slight bevel on the tapered ribs,this is of no consequence to this small scale.

This is how to make cockpit canopies,firstly make a pattern from block balsa,then cut the hole in the ply female half slightly oversize,staple a sheet of clear plastic sheet ( cosmetic boxes again ) over the hole and hold it several inches over a gas flame or electric fire,when the plastic begins to soften plunge the former into the hole,a little pracise makes perfect and you are rewarded with nice clean canopies,give it a try.



Just releasing the former from the moulded canopy,pause a minute as the plastic hardens,trim to shape with curved nail scissors.



Here we have a simple knock off wing structure-small magnets glued with cyno into the wood,this is the finest knock off structure that I have yet to find,only problem is that Maplins have stopped stocking these wonderful magents,if anyone knows a source then I would like to know please ?



Miniature radio is mounted with four small screws,in this case the radio is on a module with servos,receiver,speed controller etc all fixed to a balsa board,he idea was to change from model to model with standard rails in each model.



Simplified balsa fuselage sides laid down on the building board,always make sure the formers are perfectly vertical.



Home designed plan for a model of the Lippisch P-10 with simplified structure,at the rear is the prop blank all ready for carving.



More on the Lippisch in the next installment.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building from plans-Part 3.

Simple all sheet tail structures that do not warp are made like this,use a small piece of hard balsa for the insert and soft for the tail which must be made as light as possible,note the let in cross grained balsa inserts are cut in situ,simple bandage hinges work fine on small models,you can also sew button thread hinges criss-crossing either side of the fin/rudder etc.Control surface horns can be easily fabricated from ply scrap cut to shape,and epoxied into slots in the control surfaces.



Lightweight but simple structure is the key to success,even this sheet tail is very light and weighs grams,select your wood,buy a small set of jewellers scales they are indispensable,model is all ready for covering with lightweight Jap tissue which is shrunk up with thinned PVA adhesive,this is tougher than dope and does not warp as badly,pin down any frail parts placing plastic sheet between the parts and your flat workbench.



Chrislea Ace with small electric motor neatly faired into the cowling,nose leg is suspended on rubber band swinging arm essential with a tri-cycle undercarriage,cowling is two laminations of 1=32nd sheet balsa stuck together with double sided tape,very strong indeed and it holds the grain together as well.No need to drill holes in wing ribs,just use thinner lighter balsa and add scale spacing,for added strength you can run thread between ribs ( use a needle to pierce holes ) and tack in situ with thin cyno.

Nose blocks are made from Gelutong or Basswood which have a brass bush inserted which is locked into place with cyno,use thrust bearings for best performance,tiny beads will do for very small flying models.



Completed Lippisch P-10 which has been painted with Acrylic artists paint thinned down well.

Full size machime was never built but projected in the desperate climate of the final days of WW.II and my colourscheme follows a 'what if' theme.Note the washout built into the elevons essential if the model has any chances of flying.Formers were literally drawn up and plotted as I went along,drawing templates onto card for future reference or making a plan later.Small experimental designs like this are real fun and cost little to build,you will learn a lot about trimming for larger projects of the same design.



Bristol Beaufighter made mostly from thirty second sheet balsa cross grained and laminated as required,plan was done by W.R.Jones and published in wartime 'Aeromodeller' magazine.



Nose block is hollowed out,cowl rims are laminated balsa with one single piece of coloured paper for strength and denotes where to sand up to,wing tongues are lightply,wings swing backwards in a sudden jolt,cockpits are moulded as instructions above from cosmetic box plastic,ideal.Once covered in lightweight tissue the structure is immensely strong.

[Guest]

Really amazes me the quality of work you have, everthing looks square smooth well painted n finished

Martin

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building from plans-Part 5.

Underside of the Beaufighter showing a removeable panel to gain access to the rubber motors which come at an angle via curtain wire drives,the rod is a knitting needle which locks the two motors together,the system proved quite popular in the early days of building twin engined designs,set up properly it works.

Cowling aft pieces are pieces of white foam covered with tissue treated with thinned PVA glue,at the time I had no blue foam which would have been easier to carve.The hard balsa bearers take the strain of the rubber motors under tension.Lightness with strength is the secret to success of these small scale models,building is a challenge,experimenting all of the time to get the best.



Gloster Gladiator under construction,note the engine detail achieved with balsa dowel that has been run through an engineers thread cutting die,then cut in half to represent the engine cylinders.



Another view of the Gloster Gladiator built from J.D.Mc Hards plans.



Hand carved mahagony wooden propeller on my Heston Phoenix,structure is covered in Lightspan a lot stronger than tissue but difficult to apply around compound structures.

Nose arrangement was for test flying as continual thrustline adjustments need to be made,the final milliput infill is then blended into the nose and painted.Note the freewheeling device made from piano wire at the front of the propeller,when the rubber motor unwinds the prop does not stop dead and act as a brake,instead a small amount of thrust is generated from the free-wheeling propeller.



Not all models are pristine,here my well flown model of the De Havilland Hornet Moth biplane.



Underside of the Hornet Moth showing the press-stud arrangement which holds the rearward undercarriage strut in place.Small dowels hold the wings,not the best idea,better to have small stub dowels which are sprung into place with elastic bands going through tubes,sufficent to hold the wings in place.

Propeller and lightweight wheels in this case are standard commercial items.Undercarriage legs are bound with writing paper rolled around the piano wire and locked with a touch of cyno.

Sheet the nose areas as you will need ballast anyway so why not use it usefully instead of having just dead weight ?



Small Curtiss Jenny biplane,note the carved wooden engine louvres,hand carved balsa prop with simple 'spring washer' free-wheel,note the large amount of downthrust required to stop the model power stalling common on biplanes ( model pivots around the axis of the centre of gravity ).



Here is the whole model,note how the shirring elastic rigging wires have slackened off after storage,simple pilot is carved from balsa.



Tail of the Curtiss Jenny showing the lightening holes cut out into the tailplane structure,not something I normally do as the strength to weight loss ratio is just not worth the effort,better to sand off excess to save weight and paint with watercolour artists paints.



Jenny underside showing the undercambered wing section essential for slow steady flight on these little biplane models.



Experimental KP.02 engine installation in a weary Blackburn Blackburn used as a test bed.

The propellers slot into the hub and are locked with the central screw.



Beautiful tail shape on the Heston Phoenix,note the small locking pieces of wood used after final trimming of this model,also note the monocoque 1=32nd scale balsa fuselage construction.

Motor hook has a small piece of celluloid to take the stress of the motor peg,small hole on the top rear is to assist stabbing the rubber ! small pin is a temporary lock for the vertical surfaces until final trim is arrived at.



Some retired time expired airframes all ready for placing into the museum.

Shown are a patched up Vultee Vanguard and behind a Miles Magister with a B-17 Bomber behind those.



More 'Wrinklies' awaiting retirement into the museum,a Lockheed Saturn airliner,Albatross D.V and a Howard Hughes Racer behind,the little blue and yellow aeroplane is the Phantom Mite a replica made of my first ever control line model ! after a lot of flying models are retired.

[Guest]

Barry,

If the answer can be found elsewhere I apologise but can you please explain "Washout" in laymans terms.

[wonwinglo]

Crops up on a regular basis this Richard-

Washout is a term whereby the wingtip at the trailing edge of the wing is reflexed upwards,the reason for this is as a wing without the reflex 'stalls' the aircraft will drop a wing,with the washout incorporated as the angle of attack on the wings is increased ( ie as the leading edge of the wing is tilted upwards ) the wing is forced to stall at the root of the wing first ( ie the centre section trailing edge ) thus stopping a wing drop at a critical point,in effect it cushions the stall because the angle of attack at the root trailing edge is less than the wingtip.

I need to do a drawing of this to illustrate the point.

Even large aircraft have this feature, however it is difficult to see visually because the designer makes a gradual change in the wing section along the chord of the wing,next time you see a light aircraft then look along the wing from the wingtip,it is quite pronounced.

Most importantly when an aircraft lands it is at the point of the stall during the flareout,so the last thing that is desired is a wing drop at this critical moment.

[Guest]

Thanks Barry,

I need to go over it a few times though!

[wonwinglo]

Try this Richard-



Effects of wing with and without any washout built in.