Zenith F3B

Hanger flying

2010-05-05T22:10:00.000+01:00

Here she is balanced and ready just need a polish and final programing of the tx. All up it is 2.3kg, not bad for a 3.3m span.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Keel and how to sand the TE balsa cores?

2010-04-12T20:45:00.000+01:00

Following a good practice day with the zenith on Saturday team zenith is back on it!;

I molded a keel last, here it is in place on the fuz with balast tube also in place.

Also playing around with how to sand the TE cores for neil's next plane. What do you think of this neil. Need a little work but you should get the idea from the photos. This will not mean much to those who have not yet moulded there own, but for those that have it makes a tough job a easy task.

didn't have no balsa for trials but I think this bit of 32th ply show the results rather well. Feather edges made easy :0).

Hope to join you all in a thermal soon.

F3b zenith. Thechalster

Chalster's New Toy

2010-02-14T15:07:00.002Z

This weekend was time to join together 'The Chalster's' new model, the pictures below are some before during and after the joining.

Again on this the servos are moulded in the wings.

Once out of the mould and cleaned up, there was only 1g difference between the left and right hand wings at 722g and 723g each. The tailplane was a little heavier than last time at 92g but this could be down to the disser cloth and thicker paint, next time will will aim for 80g!

Both Mike's new model and my model are at the same stage after this weekend and just need horns and fus prep.

Looking forward to flying it now!

Getting Jiggy

2010-02-14T15:03:00.003Z

A little time effort and thought and what a great result!

The jig was created to allow easy and accurate cutting of slot on top surface and scoring for the hinge line on the bottom side.

Stage 2 Complete

2010-01-13T19:59:00.002Z

Below shows the completion of stage 2, one of the photos shows the moulds still with all the peel ply in the wings, as this pulls though the excess resin it is very important that great care is taken when removing it as you can easily pull the wings out of the moulds. The technique is to pull back on the cloth at 180 degrees, keeping the pull as close to the surface as possible as shown below.

The advantage of the peel ply is that it not only pulls through the excess resin away from the wing saving weight, when removed it leaves a rough wax free surface to bond to, ensuring that when joining the two mould halves together there will be a good bonding surface.

The next stage now is to cut the shear webs and prepare the servos and wiring loom.

All being well the tailplane should go together on Sunday, more then.

All the best, Harry.

F3B

'The Chalsters' Model Taking Shape

2010-01-11T20:57:00.003Z

Sunday at 8.00am and back in the work shop, with the moulds out of the vacuum bags we prepare the wings by sanding down the balsa sandwich so we can get a nice join.

At this stage we will put in the UHM UD carbon spars, carbon reinforcements, peel ply for the hinges and the inner layer of 25g glass cloth. The moulds are then put back in the vacuum bags and oven to be cured for another 24 hours at 26 degrees Celsius ready for the next stage to join together.

All for now.

Harry

F3B

More of today

2010-01-09T22:37:00.002Z

Saturday's 3 stoogies, The Chalster on meths, Mr Jon Whittle on Mica and Harry on it.

A long hard day in the Zenith Factory but great results, this is the first time we have used disser tissue on the tailplane, fingers crossed for a good result.

Second stage tomorrow and more updates then.

All for now.

Harry, Chalster & Jon.
F3B

Another Day, Another New Model

2010-01-09T22:29:00.002Z

Another full day at the Northant's Zenith Factory.

Good to have another pair of hands on the job, many thanks to Jon Whittle!!

Mike - please look a little more interested...

Could it be sub 2.2KG??

2010-01-07T20:48:00.004Z

All the components on the scales excluding nose counter weights and keel, I think we will be close to the 2.2kg mark which is a significant saving on the last model.

We are due to make another model this coming weekend, we will keep updating.

Thanks for now.

Harry

F3B

Getting lighter!!

2010-01-07T20:44:00.003Z

We are getting there!!

No bad for consistency, only 1g difference between each wing panel.

All the servos and wiring harness have been moulded into the wings ready, this will reduce the disruption of airflow on the under side and make finishing the model easier.

Another new model

2010-01-07T20:39:00.003Z

Some images below of before de-moulding and finished wings with flashing removed...very nice!

F3B

One in the oven!

2010-01-06T12:39:00.002Z

The wings were joined together yesterday complete with the servos moulded in.

Currently undergoing post cure and should be de-moulded tomorrow, when I will update with some photos.

All for now.

F3B

Update

2009-12-30T10:23:00.002Z

Christmas is now over and I have successfully defeated the dreaded man flu so it's all systems go!

Back in the workshop today to prepare ready for joining the wings together, either later tonight or tomorrow.

Updates to follow.

F3B.

More Tailplane Pictures

2009-12-13T11:13:00.002Z

Just a few more pictures of the tailplane as requested, there is still a little tidying up to do at the tips and edges but is good so far.

This is a great result and a 10% weight saving on the last one.

Good Tailplane!!

2009-12-12T22:11:00.003Z

A good result and probably the best tailplane yet, the weight is the lightest so far without any detriment to the strength, the major weight saving has been both the paint and epoxy.

The yellow paint is very opaque so it will be interesting to see the wings when they are joined next week.

I should receive delivery of the new disser tissue next Wednesday so a test tailplane will be made over the Christmas break before the next whole model is laid up.

Any comments welcome please?

Harry.

Foam core joiner

2009-12-12T10:13:00.001Z

Just taken another joiner out of the mould. Much lighther than the one which still has the silicone still stuck in it. This one has roachel core and weighs 70g.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One In The Oven!

2009-12-11T19:37:00.003Z

I managed to join the tailplane this evening, thanks for the nuts Mikey!

As you can see from the photos below the dry spars weigh just 10g, these were wet out and then dabbed with blue roll to take off all the excess resin. A small bead of epoxy/cotton flock/micro balloon mix was piped around the edges.

Should be ready to open the moulds tomorrow, update to follow.... right now I'm going out to collect a Chinese banquet and bottle of the good stuff with the lovely Mrs H.

Take care for now.

New joiner and fus layup results

2009-12-08T22:33:00.001Z

Good news all parts are keepers. Slight problem getting silicone cores out of joiner, they broke off about 10mm in from the end so they will be staying in this one, this is a shame because the moulding is the best joiner I have made yet.

The fus has come out well although still some cosmetic issues around the wing seat. New lay up idea to increase hoop strength has worked really well, not too easy to see on the photo but you can just make out the band of additional twill weave cloth. In the flesh I am please to say it looks "well Trick"
Harry all I need now is a set of wings and a tailplane.

Hope all out there are enjoying the read, feed back it welcome and if anyone can give me any pointers on how to make hollow joiner I would be great full.

iPhone test

2009-12-07T19:01:00.000Z

The oven is on and coming up to temp. Bladder pressure is good and will be increase to 100psi when resin starts to gel at 120 C and more importantly I have learnt how to attach photos to blogs from my iPhone

Another weekend another fus

2009-12-06T20:36:00.002Z

Just finished putting a fus, joiner box, ballast tube, nose cone and joiner in the oven at the High Peak Zenith factory. Tried something new on the joiner, use two silicone strips as the internal cores instead of the usual foam, I hope to remove these after curing to leave hollows. Also tried a slightly different layup of the fus around the wing seat and added some more hoop strength go the fus behind the wing, if nothing else it will certainly look different. Hope to turn the oven on tomorrow night so I should have parts to look at on Tuesday. Sorry no photos didn't get around to that today.

Pre Joining Work

2009-12-06T18:39:00.002Z

Pre joining work is completed on the tailplane, they would have gone together today but frustratingly I have ran out of M3 captive nuts.......AAAHHHHH!

Not all bad news, this small set back has given me the head start on the pre joining work of the wings, all the shear webs are ready and lined up with the new joiner boxes. My new servos arrived Saturday morning courtesy of Phoenix models, I only ordered them at 4pm on Friday, fantastic service and at only £32.50 each this is a saving of about £5 against other suppliers, they are also getting a stock of Schulze receivers so this will be a one stop shop for me!

The servos are being moulded into the wing to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the bottom wing surface as there will be no taped hatch. This will also decrease the amount of finishing work when the model is de-mouded, good news! We will eventually go the RDS route but for now we just want to get some models together for the 2010 season.

Anyway......I will order the M3 captive nuts tomorrow and will update soon.

Take take for now, Harry.

Weekend @ The Zenith Factory 3

2009-11-30T19:21:00.004Z

Thumbs up baby!................a great result!

Firstly the new vac bags and pump were amazing and all worked perfectly without fault, the oven was also reliable as ever.

Many thanks to the lovely Mrs Harrison who helped out this evening getting all the moulds out of the oven and bags.

This should be a light one! After looking at the resin scores over the period of the weekend and the two build stages, they look something like this...

Resin/Hardener weighed out = 786g
Resin/Hardener left over from mixes = 194g
Resin/Hardener absorbed in rollers = 177g

Therefore total weight of resin/Hardener used in model = 415g

I will be ordering servos this week ready to mould into the wing when joining together, hopefully the tailplane's will be joined this week and the wings the following week, then it's ready for the next one!

Weekend @ The Zenith Factory 2

2009-11-30T19:11:00.002Z

Tonight the moulds came out of the oven and bags after the second stage on Sunday. The UHM unidirectional carbon spars laid in, 93g carbon reinforcement and the inside layer of 25g glass cloth. A sheet of peel ply was placed on top of the moulds to soak any excess resin and prepare the surfaces ready for joining together, as when you peel it off (very carefully) when it comes out of the bags it leaves a rough wax free surface to ensure a good bond when joining together.

Also my new fus showing off the colour of my new model.

Weekend @ The Zenith Factory 1

2009-11-30T19:04:00.003Z

'Big up you all'...............The Chalster looking decidedly pleased as all the bags are sealed by the new vac pump and bags, now ready for the oven.

Also below after the first stage, painted with one outer layer of 25g glass cloth followed by a second layer of 93g carbon cloth at 45 degrees and then the balsa skins.

The bottom picture gives you an indication of how much or little carbon goes into the spars, this UHM unidirectional carbon is 3m by 0.244m and this is all used up!

Progress update

2009-11-28T18:38:00.003Z

Neil & Mike Just finished for the day in the Northampton Zenith factory. First stage of new wing and tailplane complete, outer skins 25g glass 90g carbon and 1.5mm balsa core now in the vac bag and heating up in the oven. Started at 8:30 finished at 18:00 with no break thanks to the support team (thanks katie) keeping us supplied with tea and bacon butties. Tomorrows jobs are to sand down balsa cores in situ and lay up spar caps and inner 25g glass.

Looking good so far for a light build fingers crossed.

Fus production

2009-11-23T21:21:00.003Z

Well following a disapionting result from last weekends oven run. I have just opened up the moulds from the last bake and I am happy to say it is the best fus yet! Light strong, as always there is areas for improvement but this is a keeper. Looks like we are on for a sub 2.5kg build.

This my first post from the iPhone hope it works.

Less Hassle Vacuum System

2009-11-22T17:51:00.003Z

Welcome Back!

After 3 to 4 months of redesigning the workshop to maximise the floor space, building new tables and work benches the new Northant's 'Zenith Factory' is back open ready for business!

I have made a new vacuum pump from an old fridge freezer which is silent running so leaks in the bag can be identified easier, this was trialed this evening with fantastic results.

The moulds sit on the bench on top of a polythene sheet, the breather cloth is then draped over the moulds. Mastic sealant is then piped around the edges of the polythene sheet, this will act as the adhesive and seal for the top layer of vacuum bagging material from R&G.

The air inlet nipple is fixed to the centre of the top vacuum sheet, the whole part of the top bag is then rolled onto a long hollow tube. Starting at one end the top sheet is rolled off, this allows for the perfect alignment with the sealant and a great seal as the top sheet is less likely to 'double over'.

Once in place all that is needed is to press the two surfaces together at the seems, connect the vacuum pump and hey presto!

2009-11-17T19:26:00.003Z

I was trying to make things easy and after a couple of attempts she works well !

I will set my router up on bench to do them on mass.

I am now getting on with the skins

Still working on SPAR but will keep you posted

Crasher

Test Fly

2009-08-10T09:53:00.003+01:00

At last the day of reckoning, the inaugural test flight at The Wetlands UK, some 10 flights later and the model seems like it has a lot of potential.
Although this the first model is heavy it showed great promise in the light conditions, we are now back on track with this project after a delay. The next one will be in the moulds by the end of next week, so keep watching this space.

See you at the Nationals?

Mike Challinor and The mighty Zenith

Me, 'Harry' with the Zenith.

New Wings

2009-04-19T21:02:00.002+01:00

New Wings

2009-04-19T20:59:00.001+01:00

New Wings

2009-04-19T20:57:00.002+01:00

Joining Together

2009-04-19T20:56:00.002+01:00

Joined!

2009-04-18T17:51:00.001+01:00

At last the moulds have been closed, they are in the oven and will be ready for de-moulding tomorrow.

Shear Webs & Pre Joining

2009-04-09T22:18:00.003+01:00

All shear webs are now cut to size, pictures below detail the stages leading up to completion. Also detail of control surface actuation this should all be internal and future models will have servos moulded in. at the wing joining stage.
All ready for joining together tomorrow.

Leauge 1

2009-04-06T20:18:00.004+01:00

Pictures from the first league event at Upton Upon Severn, UK.

Progress Update

2009-03-26T19:12:00.002Z

Shear webs have been laid up and under pressure and internal carbon horns in press.

All the excess flashing trimmed from the mould ready to be joined and fuselage alignment pins installed.

Just need to cut the shear webs to size when cured and she is finally ready to go together...update soon.

The Ultimate Aerotow

2009-03-25T09:06:00.000Z

Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAdIkB5rbgo

Words Of Wisdom by Randy Spencer

2009-03-24T21:00:00.002Z

For many people the ultimate goal in learning a new task, whether in your job or in your hobby, is to be better than the next person and to reach the pinnacle of success. This success can be in the form of more pay, plaques for your alls, winning the Nats or the World Championships.
How do you reach this level of success? For me, success has been the result of two specific actions. The first, and probably most important thing that I could pass along, is PRACTICE. As with any sport, hobby or task the more you perform the better you get. Fly your model as much as you can. Fly it in the calm mornings, the sunny afternoons, the cloudy, windy days. Get to know your model and what it will do given different flying conditions. There is no substitute for "stick time". If you know the performance envelope of your model, you will be able to make it perform better than others with "super ship" who do not have the same familiarity with their models as you do. I have seen people with Paragons beat people with Falcons simply because they flew nothing but the Paragon, and they flew it all the time.
The second thing I have found to be important to me is to try and do the best that you can on each flight you make. Always strive for the best performance possible from your model and yourself. I found when I tried to "beat" another pilot in a contest, I really ended up hurting myself. I would concentrate so intently on what he was doing I got out of synch with myself and my model. Use the other pilots as guides. Where do they go? What do they do with the conditions they are in? Where is, or isn't, the air? Let them indicate but not dominate your decision making. Use your own skills to attack the task, not the other pilot. When the task becomes the focus of your flight, you end up flying against the conditions. If you have been practicing as much as you can, you should be able to master the task and be successful in the contest. -- Randy Spencer

rolling a fat one

2009-03-23T20:42:00.003Z

Just demouled the latest fus, as expected it is not good because there was a hole in the bladder so the pressure could not be maintained during the cure. However on the bright side the new method of making a pre rolled blank before placing the material in the mould worked really well. This means there is only one seam in the moulding making it stronger and lighter. This one came out at 165g ( how does the compare to other model rear fus, comments please?) . Think I will now scrap the bladder and make a new one.

Photos new template shape of prepeg sheet and pre rolled blank before curing

Shear Webs

2009-03-22T09:19:00.002Z

The balsa and my new saw ready for the construction of the shear webs for the main spar and the shear web forward of the hinge line.

The plan is cut into smaller pieces and glue all together end grain of course, then using a template which is currently be constructed, run them through the saw and job done!

Spars and inner laminate completed

2009-03-21T19:26:00.002Z

290 UD carbon for the spars, 93g carbon reinforcing for the wing root /joiner box and servos, then two layers of 25g glass on the inside.

Back in the workshop

2009-03-21T19:23:00.002Z

The Chalster at the speed comp, Wetlands, UK.

More Materials

2009-03-09T21:25:00.002Z

R & G order came in record time as usual, 290g UD carbon for spars and epoxy pigment to add colour for knuckle hinges.

Tailplane #2

2009-03-06T19:29:00.004Z

Tailplane number two out of the moulds, we are starting to perfect the technique, this a few grams heavier but is considerably stronger, has stiffer elevators, better depth of colour and a perfect surface finish, a reasonable trade off for the extra couple of grams?
Strapped to the all carbon pre-preg fuselage you get the impression of what it will finally look like.

The UD carbon arrives next week from R&G Composites for the wing spars so the wing lay up can be finished.
I am now the proud owner of a DEWALT band saw so the shear webs for the spars can be made with ease.

Watch this space for more updates next week.

Happy landings, Harry.

Material for next fus

2009-02-28T20:50:00.002Z

Picked up some material today before going flying. 300g Carbon UD pre preg 30% resin. Next fus will have one layer of this full lenght along with a inner and outer layer of 50g glass and some 300g woven from the front to just behind the wing.

Zlog Alti meter

2009-02-28T20:46:00.002Z

First trip out with the Zlog alti meter, still getting used to setting this up, so there are not many results and the peak of the launch. looks wrong. I am going to change the config for the next session. Here a graph to look at, still not high enough!

Practice Session

2009-02-28T20:25:00.003Z

Just returned from a bit of time on the field.
Weather was overcast, wind speed 5m/s falling to 2.5m/s.
Difficult to get good flying shots with my basic camera. But a good one of crasher from this better side doing what he does best :o)

Weekend

2009-02-23T08:52:00.002Z

Once the carbon cloth is in the mould the balsa cores are added, then it's ready for bagging and curing in the oven. The spars and inside layer of cloth are added in the next stage, watch this space!

Two full days of hard graft and another 17 hours in my log book.

Weekend

2009-02-23T08:43:00.002Z

The carbon cloth is wet out on a sheet of polythene, then another sheet of polythene is put on top, this is then rolled with a large soft roller to remove air pockets creating a pre-preg like material. The templates can then be placed on top without sticking to the wet cloth, the cloth is then cut with a roller blade.

Once cut to shape the material can be easily handled with distortion and can be placed perfectly up against the leading edge, then peel off the bottom layer, roller into the mould then pull back the top layer, simple.

Weekend

2009-02-23T08:41:00.001Z

Weekend

2009-02-23T08:36:00.003Z

Painting of the moulds takes one person about 3-4 hours excluding masking up, the spray gun set up is configured for max air (4bar) and minimum paint, this prevents fish eye on the mould surface when the paint comes in contact.

2009-02-17T18:50:00.002Z

Hi Guys Just thoght i would show you what your up against

She fly's very very well and distance turns are excellent and speed is fastest model i have ever flown and as for duration Crahser strikes again

Wings

2009-02-15T22:31:00.004Z

This weekend coming 'The Collier' is coming down, 21 & 22 will see the moulding of the first wing.

Construction will be 25g glass cloth, 93g carbon (@ 45 degrees), 1mm balsa sandwich and an inner layer of 25g glass cloth. Pictures and updates will be posted on progress.

2009-02-15T20:05:00.002Z

Hi Neil
This looks very good, Congrates on doing this and hitting below the target weight, How much lighter do you think you can go.
I need to come down and get my L plates on and get with it
a true inspiration nice one
PS my colours are All white with Red tips The Charlster can weight his turn he's had one all ready!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers Crasher

Great Result

2009-02-13T20:10:00.003Z

Great result, here is the first real tailplane, not bad for a few evenings work!

At first it feels reasonably strong and only weighing 89g, quite pleasing for only the second one made.

2009-02-13T19:10:00.001Z

Hi Guys
Finally sust how to do this
Crasher is in the building
cheers

Tailplane Joined

2009-02-12T07:06:00.002Z

Tailpane moulds were joined together last night, here are a few images of the progress.

Should be ready to de-mould on Friday........fingers crossed this is the one!

Tailplane

2009-02-11T09:10:00.002Z

Another tailplane in the moulds last night, the new spraying technique showed no signs of fish eye......a perfect result. The sticky back plastic for masking was easy to use and produced some great straight edges, if anyone can comment on what they use to get the perfect lines on the model then please let us know?

I should all being well get this joined together tonight, so watch out for photos.

See you soon, Harry.

Snakes

2009-02-10T21:26:00.001Z

Harry,

just found this

http://www.cti-habe.de/en/index.php?id=konfektion

Need to get some and come up with a way of moulding them into the Fus.

WElcome to all from RCGroups

2009-02-10T20:03:00.002Z

Team Just put this on Rc groups so expect some new followers No rude stuff from now on the world is watching :0).

Thought some of you may be interested in our Blog. It is about the latest journey through project zenith 3b1.

This project was started way back in 2003 when the first design work was carried out; back then the design was cutting edge. The first prototype was flown 18.06.05. The model was unique in its construction as it was the first F3B model to made from Pre preg material as opposed to wet lay up. I did fly this same model at the F3B WC in Finland that same year, unfourtunitly I experience problems with flutter during the launch resulting in the end of the prototype. Following this further experiments were carried out making part using Pre preg techniques but no other complete model were made or flown due to lack of enthusiasm and I realised it was too much work for one man, plus I had other way to spend my free time, so I never realised what the full potential of the design was or what could have been.

That it until now…. With a little (a lot from Harry) help from my friends the project is well and truly up and running again, using a combination of pre preg and conventional wet lay up constructions methods. If you would like to follow on the journey and may be help us along the way then visit our Blog to see the latest progress.

Race Machine Construction

2009-02-08T10:49:00.002Z

I have been trying to get an idea of what materials the competition use during construction, take a look at this Race M which uses Herex as the sandwich material and laminated glass/herex in the main spar.

http://www.etair.no/tech.html

The Real Deal

2009-02-07T17:44:00.005Z

Hey guys, I don't know if you have seen my latest glider? Well here she is below in all her splendid glory before I flew her for the first time last April, a few hours of great soaring in that powerful sky before the rain came.....not bad for a first outing!

She is a Lak 12, open class 20.5m with full span flaps, glide 48:1 isn't she beautiful....

Click on the photos for the full Monty!

The clubs' ASK21 and Duo Discus in the background, when the weather gets good we will book the Duo and go do some cross country for the day......bring it on.

Food For Thought

2009-02-04T21:41:00.001Z

Check out this link to Martin Webershock's 'how to mould'

http://www.f3zone.be/content/articles/rep_articlesuk_9/galerie/index.html

joiner box

2009-02-03T21:52:00.001Z

Just wrapped another joiner box, ready for baking tomorrow. Should be ready for pick up on friday night, fingers crossed :0).

Launch setting

2009-02-03T21:44:00.002Z

Read this

http://home.earthlink.net/~djndan/Articles/Analyzing%20Martin%20Weberschock.pd

Makes a lot of sense and put some science into launch settings. Currently working on this theory with “My Precious” and it is working so far, giving reliable high launches.

Input Please......

2009-02-02T21:08:00.002Z

Hey guys, please help me out and add stuff to this blog, I get a bit bored of reading my own stuff all the time.

Launching & Model Set Up

2009-01-30T23:26:00.001Z

I have discovered the link below about launching and model set up, Joe Wurts and Darrel Perkins both contribute......quite interesting.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652375

PAINT!!!

2009-01-30T21:14:00.002Z

Well....what can I say, I have trawled the Internet trying to find a definite solution to laying up on the cured paint, there seems to many solutions but also many failures. I took the decision to remove the paint from the moulds and start again with the new painting technique to be sure of a perfect finish, after all everything else has been done to exacting detail.
I thought I was going to get up to my elbows in thinners and sticky paint residue, but after picking at the tip I found that the paint was lifting out the mould so with a careful pull it came out the mould in one piece. Well...............that release agent works very well.
On the positive side it gave me the perfect opportunity to weigh exactly the amount of paint that goes on to the wing/tailplane............very interesting.

I have ordered an air fed paint mask which should be here next week, this 2 pack paint can kill you! When it arrives I will start again..............although one step back we have made ten steps forward.

More Weekend Progress

2009-01-27T21:14:00.002Z

What a busy weekend I have worked it out to be Friday night 5 hours, Saturday 16 hours and Sunday 7 hours..........
It was great to have company and Andy and I really got stuck in for a marathon session, there was plenty of beer to drink and lots of hard work. Although we did not get the cloth in the moulds we are 90% there, we seriously forgot/underestimated the time it takes to spray the moulds. Never mind, we did not cut any corners and are confident this will be a great model.
The new release wax is a delight to work with and is super efficient, so much so that we had a little complication spraying the moulds, we encountered the dreaded 'fish eye', this was overcome by reducing the paint output and increasing the air but since Sunday I have been doing some digging around on the world wide web and found the following link which also advises to change the spray pattern from circular to fan at a reduced air pressure, allowing the thinners to evaporate before hitting the mould surface resulting in a thinner/dryer layer of paint and the chemical in the thinning agent not attacking the release wax.....
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767075
I now aim to get the tailplane laid up by the weekend with the wings probably next week.

Servo Horns

2009-01-27T21:09:00.003Z

Inspired by project Spline Andy and I managed to make these to be moulded into the flaps and ailerons before joining together. Very cool.
There is enough for about 10 models here!

Weekend Progress

2009-01-24T15:49:00.004Z

Progress so far this weekend, we will be ready for an early start tomorrow morning to make the first one in wet lay up.
The wing moulds have taken a lot of work but well worth the effort!

on a more possitive note

2009-01-15T19:20:00.004Z

Fus came out well alittle heavy but well useable

2009-01-15T19:17:00.000Z

Almost :-(

2009-01-15T15:14:00.004Z

Almost... but not quite there......

The results are very disappointing, I know there was plenty of pressure in the vac bags...there seems to be some sort of lacquer mark in the finish I think this may be down to the release wax. Previously we have not heated the moulds, this looks like it has made a big difference to it's properties, me thinks a new release wax is needed. Also I have a question mark over the paint? It seems to have stayed a little soft in places, this could be due to the release wax?

The positive side is it came out the mould with very little effort and the dowel pegs for the captive nuts released very easily, it is well over engineered, this tailplane is as Strong as most wings, I think Mikes suggestion of only one shear web in front of the hinge line would be better also to use only 0.5mm balsa and only one outside layer of 25g glass cloth. This beast weighs a massive 125g a little on the heavy side, but if you need a ramp for under car inspection look no further....

Back to the thinking stage!

Joined Together

2009-01-13T20:02:00.003Z

What a difference a couple of hours make, the moulds are now joined, they seem to go together no problem, good job I know what I'm doing!

In the oven at 30 degrees for 24 hours then I will post cure them at 50 degrees for 10 hours so according to my watch they will be ready for de-moulding on Thursday night........not a bad turn around hey - less than a week to make a tailplane a week if you finish it with all the trimmings.

New Tailplane....

2009-01-12T20:09:00.002Z

Just a couple of photos of the new tailplane, it's now all ready with flashing trimmed, pins and captive nuts installed, straws cut to size and socks ready. This should go together tomorrow night and de-moulded on Thursday.......watch this space.

Fault?

2009-01-12T20:03:00.004Z

Hey Mike, I am starting to get all the bits together to be ready for laying up the wings, I noticed that there seems to be a machining fault with one of the end blocks. Please see photo below.

I don't know if it's best that we leave it, as it will be a protrusion on the wing that can be sanded down or I can fill with epoxy & flocks and shape to profile.....what do you think??

Paint!

2009-01-12T19:58:00.002Z

Here's a little something I noticed earlier, when I purchased the paint it was obvious that one was heavier than the other, given the same volume.

Below shows that the white paint is nearly 400g heavier!

Monday Evening

2009-01-12T19:21:00.003Z

Hey guys, the latest from here.....I have taken the moulds out the oven and prepared them for joining tomorrow night, they look great so far for this stage so this looks like a keeper, call it a spare for stock?

I took a few pictures but there are errors when I try to upload them so I will try again later.

Here we ago again!

2009-01-11T20:53:00.005Z

Hey guys hope all is well.

In the oven is the new tailplane, so in 24 hours it will be ready to join together, the bags sealed perfectly this time, so lots of confidence this one will be the perfect test before the big one.

I weighed the top and bottom skins of the last tailplane and it weighed in at 80g, I know there is the weight of the resin, micro balloons and cotton flock to add but I have managed to reduce the weight of the current tailplane in the oven as the number of carbon tows in the spar has been reduced as the previous example was far too strong.

Andy is due to come visit for the weekend 24/25th Jan so two pairs of hands will see the first complete Zenith in the moulds! At last we are there......2009 watch out there is something in the air...is it a bird...is it a plane, hell no it's a god dam super plane!!

Peace out homies!

PS.. The home brew beer is now ready and tastes great, the last hydrometer reading measures it at 6.1%, the perfect accompaniment if not the main ingredient to a successful workshop session.

And then there was more

2009-01-09T20:17:00.003Z

some photos of my oven showing heating element, fan, insulation blanket and digital temp controls. Oven is good for 200 degrees c, and is big enough for all the moulds. Also photos of Joiner, joiner boxes and ballast tube which were all made last weekend.

Keep up the good work Harry. You don't have to sleep ing the workshop but it helps :o).

Bladder moulding

2009-01-09T20:02:00.003Z

Had a few questions about badder moulding so heres a couple of photos showing the bladder and the finish I get. I am using pre preg material and ther is no gel coat or paint used to get this finish. The pre preg is cured in a oven at 120 degrees C for one hour, the bladders are pumped up to 100 PSI.

Tailplanes

2009-01-08T19:36:00.003Z

Due to a loss of pressure and the tailplanes being in the oven for about 4 hours at 30 degrees I suspected that there would be some problems.
However where it has worked the results are very encouraging, and the surface finish is pleasing.

Another will be in the mould Saturday
morning.

Tuesday Night

2009-01-06T19:17:00.001Z

The oven has now been turned up to 50 degrees on the timer for 10 hours to post cure the resin, so should click off at 4.00am tomorrow morning. All being well I should laminate the balsa shear webs tomorrow ready for joining the moulds together on Thursday.

Almost there, lots of important lessons learnt and variations on techniques, almost ready for the big one!

Until soon, C YA!

Monday Night

2009-01-05T22:14:00.001Z

Yo smooth muthers, how's it hanging.

Check out me progress....

Peace ...out!

Tailplanes

2009-01-05T16:03:00.001Z

Just some more pictures of progress so far...

I'm back boys!

2009-01-05T15:19:00.001Z

Hey you all!

Hope all is well.

I'm now back in the land of the living after being struck down by the dreaded man flu.

Friday night and Saturday saw me trying to make for lost time, I will be back in tonight putting in the spars and the inside layer of 25g glass cloth.

The new way of vac bagging will never be used again, it took 1.5 hours to make and seal the bags as they kept leaking. In the end I used the old butyl bags which proved again to be perfect.

Demoulding fus and bits

2009-01-02T20:07:00.000Z

After a oven bake at gas mark 4 I demoulded the parts today.
Joiner first This looks perfect and lighter than other I have made and is still very strong.

Joiner boxes very good

Nose cone the best I have ever made, surface finish is excellent.

Fus is a little disapointing as the over lap seem has missed in two places but it is very strong and useable withy a little work to the seem line. Have learnt a lot about my new oven and have some thought about some new ideas for the fus moulding

All in all very positive and I am happy but still have to perfect the rear fus moulding.

Sorry no photos I can not find the camera, will post some as soon as I find the dam thing.

Harry Any news on the Tail Plane?

The Crack

2008-12-31T18:54:00.000Z

What no crasher! To busy flying? He needs all the practice he can get if he doesn't want his arse whooped by the mighty Chalster AGAIN!!!!

Fus Moulding and other bits

2008-12-31T14:49:00.000Z

Had a spare day so started work on a Fus, ballast tube, joiner boxes and joiner. As you can see from the photos there is a number of diffent mould part required to make these parts. parts will be moulded in the new oven at approx 150 degrees C for one hour. All Part made from pre peg. Trying a new layup for the fus using large amount of UD.

2008-12-19T12:46:00.000Z

Harry

Is that 45 degree bias UD carbon I see? and if so what is it for.

Oven looks the dogs... Just the job. Who gave you that Idea?....

Make sure it all says FUN and I will look forward to seeing the results soon.

Up to temperature and off we go!

2008-12-17T16:03:00.000Z

Last night I added the internal fans to the oven, they were wired to run continuously and made a massive difference, the oven got to temperature much quicker and stayed there for longer when the lights went off.
The oven was tested at 30 degrees then ramped up to 50 degrees, which took no effort really, there is plenty of room for higher temperatures for the future if needed.
Perfect!!!.... the plan is to make a tailplane this weekend to test every process, as some of the building techniques are slightly different to before. Check all the equipment at each stage is functioning as it should, then head down and get on with knocking some of these beauties out!!

R&G is here

2008-12-14T20:42:00.000Z

The last awaited delivery from R&G is finally here!!

At Last We Are Ready!!

2008-12-14T20:14:00.000Z

At last the oven is now ready, first tried and a steady increase in temperature from 14 degrees C to 25 degrees in about 20 minutes.

2008-12-03T19:38:00.000Z

here some photos from back in the day when i had some free time......... You know you want one.

Progress

2008-11-26T12:37:00.000Z

Hey Guys, 95g Carbon cloth has landed from Carbon Vertrieb, Beautiful
:-)
Balsa is great too =p

Update

2008-11-23T19:00:00.000Z

Hey Guys - hope all is well.

Just a little update, spent the whole day getting ready for the light box/oven of which the materials should arrive tomorrow followed by a trip out to Maplin. The working table has been re-sized to 2444 x 1900mm so the light box can fit perfectly over the the top with the moulds laid out width ways.
I've taken the stick switches off my MC24 and replaced them with two conventional 3 position switches, so it's back to flying with the thumbs!
That's all for now, word out!

New Vacuum System

2008-11-19T18:44:00.000Z

GREAT NEWS.... the new way of vacuum bagging has successfully completed its trial and first time too. Plastics sheet folded around the mould and sealed with sealant, non silicone of course!

Once connected to the vacuum pump it achieved full vacuum, there was a very slight leak but this was due to my efforts when joining the bag together.

Materials Are Arriving :-)

2008-11-19T16:59:00.000Z

Good news, the materials are starting to arrive, I took delivery of the balsa today. Fantastic quality all light and cut from the same block so very consistent, would highly recommend Balsa Cabin to anyone, fast efficient personable service.

Just waiting for the R&G order and the carbon cloth from Carbon-Vertrieb.

That's all for now.