french newbie in a beaver !

[xbarrioz]

hello from France
my name is Xavier, i'm 40, and i've been making plastic model for years, but i recently discovered the pleasure of building a balsa kit !

I bought this Guillow Beaver and so far so good !!
some pictures to show my work in progress

I have one question about the rubber.
If I have well understood, i make one loop with the rubber, but then in the plane, 1 or 2 loop(s) ?
it's a bit confused in my mind
thank you for your answer

[Wildpig]

Hi Xavier,
Glad you picked a Laser Cut kit for a first model. They go together much easier than the old die-cut.

The number of rubber loops in the model depends on the size of the loop and the distance from the propeller hook to the motor peg in the fuselage.

If the motor peg to hook distance is 12 inches (just for example) then the single loop rubber, should be about 16 inches long. Thats just a basic rule. If your rubber loop is really long, say 24 or 30 inches, then you would double it (fold it over) to put in the model.

Usually on the plans there is a drawing or explanation of this. It's there on the older kits. I haven't built the new Beaver, Porter, or Extra.

[kittyfritters]

Xavier,

The Beaver has flown well on 2 loops of 1/8" (Approximately 3 mm) flat, F.A.I. Tan2, sport rubber, that are 1-1/3 times the hook to peg length. It has also flown well on 1 loop of 3/16" (Approximately 5 mm) rubber of the same type. The best performance I have had with it was using a loop of 1/8" together with a loop of 3/16" at the same time. Be sure that you lubricate the rubber well. The 1/8"rubber can easily take 1000 turns. The 3/16" will take about 750 turns.

The grey rubber in the kit is not the same as F.A.I rubber. It has too much torque when first wound, and can only take a few hundred turns the first time it is wound without breaking the model. After it has been wound and unwound about 4 times it stretches and it's torque and power characteristics become acceptable (not great but acceptable) for about 12 to 16 more uses before it wears out.

Hope this helps.

Looking at the first picture made me wonder how one of my cats had traveled to France. I have one that could be your cat's twin. He has a wonderful personality and has been a joy to us for 17 years.

Be well,

Howard

[xbarrioz]

Hope this helps.

of course !!!
thanks to both of you for your kind explanations

I will try to prepare the grey rubber (lubricating, wound, unwoud several times) before installing it in the fuselage.
but where can I easily find FAI rubber ?
thanks

[kittyfritters]

but where can I easily find FAI rubber ?
thanks

Xavier,

You might ask members of a local model airplane club where they are getting it. I know that there are modelers in Europe using it.

You can also order it directly. I went to the FAI Model Supply web site http://domino-35.prominic.net/A55C2D/fai.nsf and found the following note on their home page.

"We are in France for the FAI free flight world championships from July 28 to August 13, 2013. We will fill your order the week we return."

From what I understand FAI Model Supply is the exclusive supplier of the Tan Sport rubber and Tan Super Sport rubber. Oddly enough, from what I have been told, they have it made by a rubber compounding company somewhere in Europe.

Howard

[xbarrioz]

thank you. I will try to find a club around me, but it seems to be a very confidential hobby here in France.
otherwise, I will contact FAI model supply...

[Mfezi]

thank you. I will try to find a club around me, but it seems to be a very confidential hobby here in France.
otherwise, I will contact FAI model supply...

Hi Xavier

I have the same problem here in South Africa. Plastic models and radio control are both very popular here and you can get most kits and supplies very easily. Free-flight models, on the other hand, are not nearly as popular and as far as I know there are no local clubs that specialise in free-flight. I can buy Guillow kits quite easily here, and even some of the supplies, but more specialised items like FAI rubber, Japanese tissue, propellers (other than Guillows propellers), etc, are almost impossible to find here.

The good news is that almost all the specialist free-flight suppliers in the UK and US will ship overseas. I often buy from Peck-Polymer (A2Z Corp), who stocks all the items I mentioned as well as many other useful tools and gadgets. Their shipping is quite reasonable and even using the cheapest air-mail method, I usually receive the items in about two to three weeks. It will probably be even faster to France. I hope it is ok to post a link to an online shop - I obviously have no affiliation with them except that I have received consistent good service:
https://www.a2zcorp.us/store/
They take payment via pay-pal.

[Phugoid]

SAMS in the UK will ship to France, the shipping is likely to be less than from the US.

http://www.samsmodels.com/

Andrew

[Mfezi]

SAMS in the UK will ship to France, the shipping is likely to be less than from the US.

http://www.samsmodels.com/

Andrew

Oh yes, I've bought from them also - very good service.

[xbarrioz]

thank you for these adresses, I will have a look at these websites

[xbarrioz]

I have another question /
as you can see on my last picture, I've covered the wings with "papier de soie" (silk paper) 20g/m2
glued the edges with UHU stick and shrink with 90°alcool that I airbrushed. (there are still some defaults on the wintips )
now that i'ts done, can I let it in this state, or do I have to apply dope for strength (but in an other hand, more wejght)?


excuse my bad english but..
King Arthur: What are you then?
French Soldier: I'm French. Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king?

[kittyfritters]

I have another question /
as you can see on my last picture, I've covered the wings with "papier de soie" (silk paper) 20g/m2
glued the edges with UHU stick and shrink with 90°alcool that I airbrushed. (there are still some defaults on the wintips )
now that i'ts done, can I let it in this state, or do I have to apply dope for strength (but in an other hand, more wejght)?
...

Xavier,

You can also use a misting of spray, acrylic artists fixative as a substitute for dope. It works as well to fix the tissue although it is not as totally waterproof as dope, if not over applied is lighter, comes in a convenient spray can, dries faster, and is, for the most part, less toxic than dope. (Nitrate dope was originally produced as coffin varnish!)

In the US we use Krylon Crystal Clear #1303 regular, or #1305 UV resistant fixative. For a matte finish we use #1309. If Krylon products are not sold in France you must have equivalent products made locally. After all, France is a country of artists!

I have a question. Is the "papier de soie" what we call "silkspan" in the US? If it is the same thing it can be applied wet and pulled around the curved ends of the wing tips to avoid wrinkles. I think there are some tutorials on "wet" covering that have been posted on the forum in the past. (See the thread "Covering Round Fuselage With Domestic Tissue" by scigs30.) With a little practice, and a light touch, you can also cover "wet" with the domestic tissue supplied in the kit. When I can I use "Esaki" tissue from Japan. It is lighter and has good wet strength. The Beaver in the photo was covered with domestic tissue. In fact it is all tissue except for the engine image printed on bond paper. There is no paint on it anywhere. (Yes, I know that the exhaust stack is on the wrong side.)



Again, hope this helps.

Howard

[paul]

While searching for an Ikara 6" Indoor prop I came across samsmodels the other day
Being a Mail Order business I wasn't quite sure whether to order anything.
So being recommended here I will now certainly give them a try

Thanks very much
Paul



Shipping And Handling Shipping charges are by percentage of order value. In the UK, minimum postage is £4.50 up to order value of £40. Above £40 the charge is 10% of the order value. Note. If the value of the order is high and the weight of the package low, we very often reduce the postage charge. Conversly, if the package is very heavy or large, postage charges may be higher than 10%. We do not charge you more than it costs to post the item.
Postage to EU countries. Up to £10 is £5. Above £10 the charge is 15% of the order value OR the actual cost of postage.

To overseas countries outside the EU the cost of shipping is £6 for orders up to £10. Above £10 the cost is 20% of the order total OR the actual cost of shipping

[Phugoid]

Paul,

Try also mike Woodhouse free flight supplies.....

Andrew

[Mitch]

Hello,

I like your model...
I can confirm that the rubber in the model will work for about 12 flights. I have used the kit rubber, but now use the TAN rubber (buy separately)
As for the wrinkles... You might get the wrinkle out of the leading edge by getting your finger wet with water and softly touch the area.
As for the Wing Tips... You can do the same, but it looks like too much to smooth out. You can try wetting and see how it comes out.

I spend extra care on wingtips during covering. Sometimes I end the paper at that outer most rib. Then attach another small piece of paper and make several cuts beyond where it attaches to "relieve" the stress...

I think a picture is worth 1000 words...


If the paper you have on the model is not securely glued to that outer most rib, then I would leave it alone. If it is glued securely and the wingtips really bother you, then trim off that piece and re-apply.

My advice however is enjoy your build as it is and improve on the next build!
The most important thing is to ENJOY! Good Work! Mitch