(27) Fabric - Fuselage (Mike)

[planecrazzzy]

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After some though... It sounded best to wrap a small amount of fabric inside the window opening...

I did this after shrinking the main area fuselage side to 250 degrees...

I only wrapped the straight edges of the window... and cut the three radius's flush...

I'll be watching the frame while shrinking up to 350 degrees...

The frame is strong with the Lexan in it...

I'm not so sure about it without it...

If it starts to warp because of shrinking... I'll stop in that area...

Update: The Fabric was brought up to 350 degrees... The Window frame was fine

Gotta Fly...

PS The Window frame was Pre-Coated with Poly Tak.... Then MEK was used after the main area was Shrunk at 250 degrees ...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Just some pictures before it's closed up with the second side...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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The second side is on ...

Now it's time for details...
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Gotta Fly...

PS I like the middle picture... I can see the VS "off-Set"... and the HS look square...
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[planecrazzzy]

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OK... Time for the Details... I've been going over the seams... Nipping threads... using the small Iron for any loose spots...
"Fabric Patches" over things like Wing connectors... Horizontal Stabilizer Tube... and where bolts or cables go through fabric...
Also, MEK on some fabric "Puckers" from Poly tak holding the Fabric a little extra around the tube...

Layed-out the Rudder cable exits...
Actually... I was going to make covers for that area before... But I decided to wait and see what I needed...
I ended up using a Coffee container... The Plastic is kind of like the material used in inspection rings...
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Here's what I did... Pictures are worth a THOUSAND words...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS This inspection ring is in a good spot... I can reach the HS bolts... and feed the rudder cable thru the exit holes

[planecrazzzy]

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These need to be big enough for the swagging to go through...

This shows the Rough cut... I cut them bigger than the lay-out...

When I trimmed them... Notice I left the curved lip... for strength...

I coated them with poly tak , and glued on the Fabric...

The fabric will be the only thing holding these in place.
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Putting the Fabric on the plastic...

I wrapped it over the opening for a clean look...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Finishing up with these little exit scoops...
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Here's a few views...

They are wide to handle the cable loop going through them...

But they don't "Stick out" much creating more parasite drag...

This gives me ideas for the Control Tubes coming out of my Wings for the Leading Edge...
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Although... I might find something better than the Coffee container material...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS I'll just add... These plastic pieces aren't just glued on... The fabric surrounds them... they are locked in place...
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Click on any picture and zoom in...Especially the rear shot... Cables Right in the centers...
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[planecrazzzy]

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One more picture of it...
Those other pix make it look BIG...
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Looks normal from here...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS Notice I "NAILED" the exit spot for the rudder cables... Before I covered the sides...
I set up the rudder and hooked up the cables... With a straight edge and eyeball... I wrote
the measurement on paper, how high off the HS tube... and with pencil... make marks on the
fabric ( Lower Longeron ) on how long to make/ MELT the cut... It worked pretty good.
go back and look again... you'll see the marks.

[planecrazzzy]

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Next , I need to find where the hole goes for the elevator control horn to slip through the fabric...

I used the same coffee container for the plastic pieces...

When I cut these fabric reinforcing pieces... I made them to accommodate any future adjustment...

But... I only opened the hole enough for the Neutral setting for now...

(Extra hole size was needed to angle the control horn through the hole without too much force.)

I used a piece of fabric to secure the hole in place...

Later... I used another piece over it to Flare it out...

Your gonna have to click on each picture and zoom it in , in order to see any of the changes...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS I didn't cut the plastic with that Razor Blade... It's only to get an Idea of the size...
Also... On Final Assembly... I'll slip a ring over the Elevator tube that will seal the gap better...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Moving on to more Holes...
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I shined a light on the opposite side of the VS in order to see the control horns...

I'm restricted by the Rib in the VS... But the Inspection ring fit...

I figured I'd try to get away with one inspection ring to get access to bolt up the

Elevator Control Horns to the Elevator Control Rod...

Picking a side... Prop wash hits the other side...

So I'll start on this side...

I think one hole is all I need...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS My first inspection ring "circle patch" was crooked... but it's on the bottom of the fuselage...
This one turned out "Centered" on the ring better...
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[planecrazzzy]

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OK...Learning Knots from DVD and the Poly Manual...
Hmmm, I like it when someone is there to teach it...
But... I think I finally got it...
I had to cut the lacing a couple of times...
It wasn't the routing of the lacing... it was the technique of cinching it down...
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Anywho... After doing more of it... I thought I'd make a shorter needle for the Tail area...
My first 12 inch homemade needle WORKS GREAT...
So I made a 6 inch one...
Since the material is 308 Stainless Steel... I can "Curve" the material/Needle if I need to...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Finished the VS Rib Lacing...

It goes faster as you do it more...
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I'll need a curved needle when I Lace the Fuselage Stringer... So I made it instead of curving

my other 6 inch straight one... I kind of like that one...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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Stitching the Top of the Fuselage...

MAYBE.... This could be done before closing up the fuselage sides... Hmmm, That would be EASY !!!
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Too bad I didn't think about that...

OK... My homemade Curved needle needed more bending...

It turned into something that looked more like a Cork Screw...

It was a BEAR... going around my "V" stringer... But the worse part was when the stringer

crossed a Chromoly tube... I SKIPPED some that were WAY back by the Tail...

Later , I found a way to FISH the lacing across and single stitch them...

The ones close to the cabin... I climbed inside and passed the needle back through...
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Gotta Fly...
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PS The way I "Fished" the lacing .... I put the lacing in a hole.... Fed it a few inches.
Then, with a piece of .020 Safety wire...I bent a small hook /"U" at the end... (it could CLEAR a hole)
I also bent the wire to an "L" shape... I put the wire down the hole... Then rotated clockwise
and pulled... It hooked onto the Lacing... and pulled it around the stringer...
I only needed to do this at three places... But it worked great.

[planecrazzzy]

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OK... After John's suggestion... I'm putting pieces of the Polyester Twill weave between EACH Rib Lace...

Hmmm, After a while... I was putting them in so good... I couldn't tell where I ended...

So I put a pencil mark at each spot.... Then I cover it with a cut piece of material...

I've held a piece of Finishing tape over it... The lacing DOES seem to DISAPPEAR.... Cool...
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Here's a picture... Notice the pencil marks... Otherwise it's hard to tell...
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Gotta Fly...
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Click the picture... then zoom in...

[planecrazzzy]

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OK... I'm modifying the hidden Lace trick...

That was a LOT of work putting those pieces between each Lace...

and Looking at what's ahead.... Hmmmm.....

Also... The cheaper 100% Polyester Twill weave 1/2" I bought , doesn't have the adhesive on it like my old stuff...

and I'm running out of the old stuff... Just thinking about GLUING each piece between the laces...

on the VS , HS and Wings.... Sounded like a Nightmare...

I pulled a full length piece of Polyester Twill over the laces and looked at it...

So I tried it... I put down Polytak and pulled the tape , covering the strip of laces... I held it tight.

A third hand would have been handy... To run it down the length of the fabric tape...

After it dried... I coated it with Polybrush... the tape SOAKED it up...

Later , when it dried... I used the small Iron , and pressed the tape on each lace...Flattening it as much as possible...

This REALLY WORKS GOOD !!!!!!

It will save a LOT of time... it's easier... I think it's even BETTER.... Smooth , even flow...

and Bumps seem to be LESS than the little piece technique...

Here's a picture...
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This stuff is hard to see...
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Gotta Fly...
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