wellsprop Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Hi all, How many times have I heard that phrase "Turn, Time, Talk, Task"? My (incredibly patient) flying instructor would repeat these words every time I passed over a turning point on a navigation exercise... Following on from my 1/32 Schleicher K8b build, I've decided to stay with the balsa scratchbuilding and make the aircraft which probably means the most to me... The venerable Piper Pa28-161, specifically G-ELUE, affectionately known as "Gluey". Why the Pa28 and why G-ELUE? G-ELUE was the first plane I solo'd in and the first plane I landed at an airfield different to the one I learnt at. So despite the Pa28 being a fairly unremarkable aircraft, with limited performance and handling, it's got a place in my heart. Now to the build, but first, I apologise for the awful out of focus photos - I didn't realise my phone camera wasn't focused. The build started with getting hold of an electronic copy of the Pa28-161 Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) to use the three view drawing as the plans. These were scaled to 1/32 and printed, fortunately the Pa28 is has a fairly simple/basic construction - both the side and top elevations of the fuselage are a very similar symmetric aerofoil shape and the corners are slightly rounded (in other words it's a reasonably aerodynamic rectangle). The airframe has been constructed using ribs and stringers, just as the real Pa28 is - I've added the cabin floor as I'm going to scratchbuild the cabin and create a plunge molded canopy. More to follow! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted December 22, 2019 Author Share Posted December 22, 2019 Work done this morning, I've split the wing into two sections, the inboard (straight) and outboard (tapered) section. Each section will be made from 5 ribs, which will have the upper and lower surfaces glued to them. I didn't bother using a spar during my previous glider build, I don't think I'll bother with one this time either. Seen above are the measured dimensions from the 1/32 plans, however, I've had to shrink the ribs by another 2mm to account for the thickness of the skin. The Pa28 uses a NACA 65(2)-415 aerofoil, I pulled one off airfoil tools and scaled it. And a word of warning, for those expecting an excellent, well planned, detailed, accurate build.... sorry to disappoint, basically I'm just making it up as I go along an hopefully it will look ok-ish at the end! Cheers! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 I'm in for the ride. I learned to fly on the Cherokee at Blackpool airport thanks to the RAF's flying scholarship. Not long after Top Gun came out, to me it was a Tomcat 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 24 minutes ago, wellsprop said: , basically I'm just making it up as I go along an hopefully it will look ok-ish at the end! A sound philosophy indeed. I've bashed many bits of Balsa over the years, with a view to making it all fly, but I've not tried making a scale model with it Often thought about it though, so this will prove interesting 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted December 22, 2019 Author Share Posted December 22, 2019 So, I was unhappy with the cabin floor, it wasn't curved enough - so I built another. I also realised that the fuselage section width at the fore and aft of the cockpit was a bit too small (I build it all undersize anyway as it's skinned with 1/32" balsa, but due to being undersize I've skinned just the cabin fuselage sides with 1/16" balsa. I've also used milliput to make the engine cowl. I had initially intended to make the forward cowl from laminated balsa, filed to size. I tried to drill out the air intakes, but the balsa split. Instead.... I've made a "male" "plug" to create a "female" mold from milliput. Once this is dry, I'll use the "female" mold to make the final part, molded from milliput. I used some cling film to stop it sticking. I have no idea if it will work, but it looks like it's turned out alright. Just need to wait for it to dry overnight and I might be able to do a bit more once I'm home from work. Cheers 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Making it up as you go along, redoing the stuff you aren’t happy with all combined with a non-perfectionist outlook. This project is destined for success! 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Good start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickthebrief Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Your experience of learning to fly brings back happy memories - it was G-OBFC for me - at Bournemouth flying club. Often referred to as "Fox Charles" or less flatteringly as "the thunder slug" it lacked some of the performance of the flying club's other PA-28s, but it had the most comfortable seats and best instruments. Sadly I think it was written off after overshooting the runway somewhere - it might have been Henstridge... I've often thought there is a market for a decent injection moulded PA28 with the tapered wing. I like the start you have made and will follow your progress - good luck with the rest of the build. Cheers, Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted January 10, 2020 Author Share Posted January 10, 2020 It's been a couple weeks! I didn't have any glue or balsa and no time for modelling over xmas, however I've now stocked up again. I've filed out the air intakes and landing light hole on the front cowl, it still needs some work and the sides need to be built up a little again I've skinned the rear of the fuselage, added milliput and filed back to get the rough shape, it looks ok Above you can see the cowl needing another round of sanding. And heres the wings work in progress... Both upper and lower skins have been cut out, now I need to cut out each rib and glue it all together - easy? I've also cut out the horizontal and vertical stabilisers, these will be made from 3 pieces of (approx) 1/32" balsa, glued together than sanded into an approximate aerofoil. More to follow! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cngaero Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 Can I take a seat on this one please? You've done a superb job with this project so far and I'll be following this with great interest. I too have a vested interest in the faithful little Cherokee, having learned to fly in one at Newcastle. If my memory serves me right, I've got three Cherokees and three Warriors in my logbook. My favourite?, a lovely little lady called G-BAWK. Whisky-Kilo took me aloft on my first solo and delivered me back to earth safely. She was a real Lady. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 So, a little more work... Here, I have added the wing ribs to the lower skin, the upper skin then gets glued on top. And here are both wings together with the leading and trailing edges sanded smooth I'm going to milliput the joins (which should add a little more strength) before sanding the upper and lower surfaces smooth. It's getting somewhere towards being a model plane 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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