Hellcat Build Guillows #503

[goose]

I am just starting the 500 series Hellcat. The kit balsa weighs 35.6g and the stringers alone weigh 7.0g. Does this balsa weigh too much? Are there any tips for this plane that you can give me before I start building?
Thanks
Mike

[Wildpig]

"Does this dress make me look fat?"

Actually, 36 grams for the entire load of balsa sounds o.k. I think by the time you remove the individual pieces and sand a little bit, the weight will be in an acceptable range. The Hellcat model has a decent amount of wing area and makes a good flier even if a little on the heavy side. I'd build it without the landing gear or make it detachable.

[ADW 123]

I would still be very mindful of the weight on it. they usualy end up tail heavy too, so use light balsa in the back.

[goose]

"Does this dress make me look fat?"

Of course it does...

Starting the build. I started on the fuselage on my new balsa building board, and I have to say, it is much nicer to work on the balsa board than the old piece of homasote that I was previously using.

[goose]

I used a couple of pieces of basswood and two clamps to hold the formers in place until they dried.

[goose]

Looks pretty straight to me!

[goose]

Next up would be the tail feathers
.

Hellcat06.jpg

And lightening them a little bit since thI hear that this model can be tail heavy.

Hellcat07.jpg

[goose]

Next is the wing. The wing is started in three pieces, but started like it is one flat wing. Then the ends are removed before they are glued to the center section.

[goose]

To add the dihedral, the ends of the wings are held up 7/8". I searched for a while before I found out that old 3 1/2" floppies are 1/8" thick. So a stack of 7 floppies under the end of each wing did the trick of holding the wing at exactly 7/8". I new those old floppies would be good for something.

[dlazarus6660]

So....Did this build get completed?
Any pic's Flight video?

[goose]

So....Did this build get completed?
Any pic's Flight video?

Not completed yet...

I am in the covering stage, but I haven't had time to update the thread yet.
There is more to come.

Goose.

[goose]

Getting back to the build, it was a little slow the last couple of weeks.

I wanted to make removable landing gear, so that it would look like the gear was retracted when it is flying, and also so that they don't break off when it lands

I bent some extra small wire instead of using straright pins as the instructions direct. I also made groves in the balsa pieces so that the two balsa pieces would be flush, and glue together nicely. I used thick cya for this.

Hellcat13.jpg

[goose]

Then I used some scrap balsa to make pockets for the gear on the wing. I hope these pictures show the details better than I can describe them

Hellcat10.jpg

Hellcat11.jpg

[goose]

And with the gear installed.

Hellcat12.jpg

[goose]

This is the first build that I have scalloped the formers, trying to avoid that starved horse look.

Hellcat14.jpg