Planking

[mauryd824]

have the impression from threads here that planking is a good way to achieve smooth look on wings and fuselage of scale models.

Is there a tutorial or a thread here on how to do it?

If not can someone furnish some suggestions re glues, bending, etc?

[dirk gently]

Use super light balsa. Cut a piece that fits tightly into the opening in the fuselage (better strat a bit oversize and sand until it fits). No bending is required. Just use thick enough balsa, then just sand the excess off. A good example is here:
http://www.coxengineforum.com/t819-kim- ... -has-begun

[NcGunny]

Use a wood glue like Elmers when glueing. CA is rough sanding and you will take a chance of oversanding and cause a indent. I go the other route while planking. I get rid of all my heavy weight junk balsa on planking,I dont mind the extra effort it takes. I dont personally work in the same area of the plane until its all planked, I'll do a few spots then move to a new area...etc. Also be sure to clean up any extra glue you might have squeeze out..it will only have to be sanded later on. Later you can try to use Duco thinned to 50/50 with acetone to plank,or Sig-Ment thinned 60/40 with acetone.

[heywooood]

I work in runs along each stringer - this way you can measure at the widest width of the run, cut a long strip from your balsa sheet, then just cut to length for each opening as you go along the run. This also maximizes your yeild from the balsa sheet.
Using white glue is best but be careful not to let your balsa filler piece to fall below the stringer and former level, or you will have extra work after all your planking is in place.

[davidchoate]

I just learned and did My 1st planking. I infilled for a long time. It's ok, andfor adding strength to areas.It does not require compensating all over for added thickness. And Guillows includes instruction on it.So I did that, and got good at it. I get Fly RC magazine. They have an incredible builder. He does not just assemble a kit. He takes it. Modifies the plan to his needs, and teaches You and explains hows and whys. He is doing a B-17.Originally very similar to a Guillows type design, but is sheeting the entire thing.,And more. Its been like 20 issues long, and its not assembled Yet. But He showed how to add and subtract thicknesses, and show how to overcome inherent problems to Gus like Me who never did it. The hardest part I had was getting the wing to seat perfect.But I have a problem with all Guillows Low mounted wings. It never matches the diheddral. I just cut out the center one after I make the dowels, and bolts holes. The center keel saddle is the closest best one to go by, but servos have to go in. So after fitting. I remove it. But any way. I can not stand reading about ARF flight test. But I guess thats what people want cause there used to be nothing but "build" articles. Before Lipos,and foam. And the B-17 is like kindof each part is a kit itself. But He has done Smaller rubber to RC stuff. It is worth the $19 a year. And For My 1st sheeting. I'm happy. Its a 400 FW-190. Beautiful shaped fuselage. tissue over stringers alone does not reveal The full potential of beautiful form. I cant believe how bendable balsa gets if You soak it a while.And Elmers wood lue. I never used it as much, but when You have to sand. Its worth the patience. I'm still trying all ways of holding shapes tight while drying. Rubber bands, or pieces of rubber motor wrapped and tied is less likely to crack a supporting 1/16" stringer than stretching and looping like a newspaper. Clothes pins are good at ends, but dont let the gle core the wooden clothes pin forever to th plane. move it every so ofen. And You can reverse clothes pins to make a "flatter " clamp. Plastic, and or strong spring clamps mark and crush wet balsa easily. Trust Me.

[Iplank]

"I'm still trying all ways of holding shapes tight while drying. "

Ace bandage wraps for the fuse work for me. Weights work on the wings.

[woundedbear]

Has anybody ever tried Covering with 1/32 inch thick contest balsa, you know like a real monocoque, or stressed skin construction, if you like ? I plan on doing this when I build a design of my own. Of course I have a lot to learn before I do anything like that. I have 1 400 series P-51 in the works,"I purchased two 400 series P-51s have not done any modifying to the second one ". I have the Fuselage , Horizontal Stabilizer Elevator assemblies, and Vertical Stabilizer Rudder Assemblies all framed up. This airplane has been a learning build. So I've made some mistakes with the first one, but this is how I learn, by doing. The wing is going to be extremely modified, when I finish it up it's going to be left bare boned and given to my grand nephew to hang in his room. To my way of thinking you just buy yourself a lot of 1/32th inch x 3 inch x 36 inch A grain contest balsa. Wet it down and glue it to your frame,"this operation will take a lot of push pins", but if done right. First of all the frames will have to be perfect and, sanded as smooth as a baby's bottom, for it to work.

[davidchoate]

I have used 1/32 and its fine. I would stay aqway from pinning the wet sheeting. I had poor results. The Ace bandage sounds like it would be the best method. Why did'nt I think of that. Thanx. I try to leave some open areas in My planking to save weight. If done right, You can't even tell.

[David Lewis]

For a given strength, monocoque stressed skin structures weigh more than a non-stressed skin-covered framework. Monocoque is used on a high speed airplane where the aerodynamic load on the skin is high (e.g. P-51), or to reduce manufacturing cost (e.g. Cessna 172).

[davidchoate]

What is monocoque?

[David Lewis]

It describes a thin shell where the skin carries structural loads. In stick and tissue, on the other hand, the tissue may add a small amount of torsional stiffness but no compressive or tensile strength. If you plank a Guillow's style model, I suppose it would be semi-monocoque because you have keel, ribs, stringers and formers.

If you are going to plank a model, you might consider as a final step adding panel lines and rivets, or tinting some of the panels a slightly different color in order to break up the monotony and add eye appeal.

[RocketRobin]

For a full monocoque fuse you'd have to plank it, then cut out all of the guts inside.

Cheers!
Rocket

[davidchoate]

thanks for the knowledge