Starting a new build - images soon...

[heywooood]

I seem to have been bitten by the bug...anyone else go through long periods without any inclination
to build a model, then suddenly needing to have a new project on the bench in an assembly line of production?
Images soon I guess - if there is interest

[backyardbalsapilot]

I, for one, would love to see your new build. What model will it be?

BTW, I really enjoyed watching your Piper Cherokee build.

[cliffm]

this time of the year , below zero weather,with 30mph breezes, the interest is readily available to a lot of us northerly type folks, currently redoing my 52" comet chief that met the ground in a not so gentle landing. Build away, we like pictures too!!!

[heywooood]

well - I completely forgot that its winter in most of this hemisphere...of course its building season lol - but in So Cal the weather in winter is typically not much different from the rest of the year.
That said - we are getting a little rain this past week or so. Thanks for the gentle reminder, Cliff.
The project this time is the Kit #302 Cessna 170 - I'm a sucker for the civilian vintage prop planes I guess.
The scope will be the same as the Cherokee - an interior of sorts and a few other little details. It will also be a display model using the balsa in-fill method.
I hope to post a few pics tomorrow. Glad you liked the Cherokee thread, backyardbalsapilot - thank you for your appreciation.

[backyardbalsapilot]

I have a Cessna 170 build somewhere on this forum. It was a lot of fun to build, not so much to cover and paint(I learned some valuable lessons involving ezdope and Krylon spray paint).

[Chris A.]

In 1958 I gave my Dad a Guillows WWI Neuiport 28 that was built but never covered or assembled. The fuselage was then crushed in a box when we closed up the house, but I set it all aside. Now I've sourced a short kit from England and will build the new fuselage, use the completed rudder and horizontal stabilizer, cover it and complete the 57 year old model. Long overdue.

[David Lewis]

For a flying model, I recommend changing the landing gear design on the Cessna 170 #302 to a traditional hat section made out of .032 inch dia. steel wire. The stock landing gear is too fragile.

[backyardbalsapilot]

David Lewis,

I think for a display model the stock landing gear is fine. However, the tail wheel is simply a butt joint that has a tendency to break. If I were to build the kit for flying, I would probably re-enforce the tai wheel with wire.

Also, the included wheels from the last couple of Guillow's kits I got were pretty crappy. See my Cessna 170 build thread.

[heywooood]

All are helpful suggestions...I was thinking of doing the main gear as one piece just to make certain of the symmetry.
The tailwheel suggestion is solid too. Thanks guys

[backyardbalsapilot]

That's the point of the tailwheel suggestion... to be solid...

[heywooood]

[heywooood]

So I decided to go with the plans on the main landing gear and make two seprate wire supports. Since the model is for display only, the wire included in the kit was too short to make a single piece support, and since I'm too lazy to run out and buy a longer piece of wire....
I will be reinforcing the tail wheel as suggested however.
The one small change I made to the mains was to recess the wire into the balsa struts..I will also sandwich it in there with a piece of 1/32" thick balsa and then sand the strut to the proper oval cross section and scale thickness.
The result should be strong enough to last on a display model.

[heywooood]

I like these Guillow laser cut kits. The quality of the balsa in the two I have acquired so far has been very good.
The only small sqwawk I have is the strip stock. They always consist of varying widths with one or two being uselessly thin.
I generally keep balsa strip stock that I buy separately on hand to use instead of the kit supplied stuff but it would be nice if they could consider bringing the quality up to match the overall improvements of the laser cut parts.
For the price though, these kits are very very good.
One other small point - I thought there would be a prop spinner included with the cowling but no - and no wheel pants either. I am thinking of buying the Cessna 150 vacuform sheet just for the spinner but the $10.00 min purchase is stopping me. This plane needs a spinner - every reference photo I have found has the spinner on the prop.

[Chris A.]

To source uniform 1/16th square strips, I suggest you buy a balsa strip cutter and cut your own out of select 1/16 sheet stock. As a bonus, you know the quality of the wood, and you know each stip will have the same stiffness/flexibility characteristics. You also need a good cutting board, sharp #11 blades and I use a piece of aluminum bar stock for a guide to make sure I'm cutting strainght strips. I've also used the technique to cut very thin strips for laminating leading edges. Works great for curved leading and trailing edges.

[heywooood]

Great suggestion, I didnt know one could buy a strip cutting tool.
I'm going to look into that