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RAF FE8, Scaleplanes 1:72 vac


Brandy

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/8/2020 at 6:27 PM, pheonix said:

This looks excellent Ian. I still think that of all the pushers I have made, this is this fiddliest by a long way as it is so small.

 

P

It is certainly the most fiddly model I have built so far!

 

On 9/8/2020 at 8:50 PM, bigbadbadge said:

This is a cracking build and very informative , I will use as inspiration to build my first pusher and Vacform as I have done neither before. 

Thanks 

Chris 

Thanks Chris. Go ahead and jump in, there's no substitute for practice!

 

On 9/9/2020 at 2:12 AM, TheBaron said:

Its plain to see just how intense the concentration and dedication to getting this rigging   'right' has been and the results are just stunning Ian.

Bravura work. 👏

Thanks Tony, the job goes on....

 

Progress has been very slow of late, mostly because I really don't enjoy this part of the build, but also because I  have been short of available time. So here is a quick update.

The tail boom rigging is done and the touching up has also been completed. That left me with this...

 

50379856017_f4cbf6eefd_z.jpg

 

50379676026_3ae144fe3b_z.jpg

 

50378979598_ec2eff06e7_z.jpg

 

The next step is to rig the tail control surfaces, and since I had already attached the lines to the nacelle, I simply had to pull them out from their hiding place and attach them.

 

If only!

 

After a lot of swearing and adjusting I managed to get them separated and in the correct order to attach them without having them crossing each other. They were then CAd to the pulleys on the lower wings.

 

50379856142_a260019648_z.jpg

 

The ends were taped to the cutting mat to stop them getting tangled again. Problem there is that masking tape doesn't hold this stuff very well!

 

I also managed to pull out one of the port wing flying wires. I have no idea how as I wasn't working in that area, but I have still to figure out how to reattach it. I may have to remove it and replace it with wire but that is still open to options.

 

50379855987_0994c53430_z.jpg

 

Finally, after much swearing, I managed to get the upper elevator control horns and wires attached. I'm still not sure about the left side and may remove it and do it again. We'll see how I feel later!

 

50379675801_a2cf40eba4_z.jpg

 

I still can't for the life of me figure out why PE makers make the control horns as separate parts for upper and lower instead of one piece so I could just cut a slot in the elevator/rudder/aileron and slide it into place. It would be so much stronger and so much easier to fit and align! I may well make my own along those lines in future since the first part to come adrift is always a control horn.

 

Anyway, that's where I am now. Rudder and lower elevator still to do providing I don't break any more wires off!

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

Ian

 

 

 

 

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23 minutes ago, Brandy said:

still can't for the life of me figure out why PE makers make the control horns as separate parts for upper and lower instead of one piece so I could just cut a slot in the elevator/rudder/aileron and slide it into place. It would be so much stronger and so much easier to fit and align!

Totally agree, would make things sooo much easier.   I usually score a small line with the tip of the hobby knife  but drawing the blunt side toward you then the pe stands nicely in the shallow slot.  Apologies if teaching you to such eggs  you are obviously a far more experienced and better modeller than I and probably do something like that already. 

It does look great, fantastic work .  Shame about the flying wire too . 

I can't belive how small the fuselage gondola is when compared to the size of your hand.  I checked over mine the other day and was surprised how small it was,  the model that is honest.  It was cold, don't judge me.

 

Chris 

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1 hour ago, Brandy said:

I still can't for the life of me figure out why PE makers make the control horns as separate parts for upper and lower instead of one piece so I could just cut a slot in the elevator/rudder/aileron and slide it into place. It would be so much stronger and so much easier to fit and align!

 

Would it surprise you if I told you that AMG have done just that with the control horns on the Audax?

 

Great work Ian

 

 

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2nd picture down on that last update shows us all we need to know Ian; rigging as ritual. The care and particularity shine forth.

 

1 hour ago, Brandy said:

I still can't for the life of me figure out why PE makers make the control horns as separate parts for upper and lower instead of one piece so I could just cut a slot in the elevator/rudder/aileron and slide it into place. It would be so much stronger and so much easier to fit and align! I

Flatlanders.

They cannot conceive of a third dimension...

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I bought a jeweler’s metal scissor and nowadays cut my own horns as one-piece up-and-down affairs, using beer can or PE fret leftovers as material. Unless the horns have an intricate shape this works fine I think. But yes, when I’m paying for PE it would indeed be nice to be sparefd of this job.

 

Splendid job by way, I’ve been silently following along. 

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I told you that this one is a right fiddle!!!

 

Excellent rigging Ian - even more so as it is so small. Personally I would go for the wire option for the broken thread - I think that your patience has had enough testing for now!

 

P

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What can I say that others have not. Simply magnificent. Makes me feel quite cowardly when fearing a resumption of work on the Gamecock, stalled for many reasons, not least being it will need to be rigged.

 

Great stuff Ian.

 

Terry

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/24/2020 at 11:55 PM, TheBaron said:

2nd picture down on that last update shows us all we need to know Ian; rigging as ritual. The care and particularity shine forth.

 

Flatlanders.

They cannot conceive of a third dimension...

Ah, the Belgians and Dutch you mean! But the Belgians have Trappist beers and the Dutch have cafes that help them conceive of many extra dimensions! Just ask @corsaircorp

 

On 9/25/2020 at 1:51 AM, CedB said:

Amazing rigging Ian - great stuff :)

 

Thanks Ced!

 

On 9/25/2020 at 2:04 AM, Torbjorn said:

I bought a jeweler’s metal scissor and nowadays cut my own horns as one-piece up-and-down affairs, using beer can or PE fret leftovers as material. Unless the horns have an intricate shape this works fine I think. But yes, when I’m paying for PE it would indeed be nice to be sparefd of this job.

 

Splendid job by way, I’ve been silently following along. 

Good idea there Torbjorn!

 

On 9/25/2020 at 2:45 AM, pheonix said:

I told you that this one is a right fiddle!!!

 

Excellent rigging Ian - even more so as it is so small. Personally I would go for the wire option for the broken thread - I think that your patience has had enough testing for now!

 

P

You did, and I went with the wire. See below.

 

On 9/25/2020 at 2:18 PM, Hamden said:

 

Absolutely stunning work on the rigging.

 

         Roger

Cheers Roger!

 

On 9/25/2020 at 3:02 PM, Terry1954 said:

What can I say that others have not. Simply magnificent. Makes me feel quite cowardly when fearing a resumption of work on the Gamecock, stalled for many reasons, not least being it will need to be rigged.

 

Great stuff Ian.

 

Terry

Go on Terry, dig that Gamecock out. It won't finish itself, and your rigging skills won't improve if you don't do it!

 

On 9/25/2020 at 3:55 PM, AdrianMF said:

It's only when you see the GIGANTIC fingers next to the model that you appreciate the scale. Terrific!

 

Regards,

Adrian

Yes, those huge fingers don't help with some of this! Thanks Adrian!

 

Another small update as I have to keep forcing myself back onto this one. I finally got the tail control lines all fitted.

 

50449750003_05a46592c3_z.jpg

 

and then got them trimmed up I only knocked one off while trimming, I was pretty pleased with that, and it went back on again without any problems as at least it had the forethought to come loose before I'd trimmed the end off the wire!

 

50449749873_8198533419_z.jpg

 

However, I did manage to cut one of the upper tail bracing wires while trimming, so more repair work. At least this one is simple to get to!

 

Next up was that flying wire I tried to reattach the loose end but it wasn't going to work so I trimmed it off and cut a length of 0.066mm nickel-chrome wire to replace it. It's almost exactly the same diameter as the fishing line so the only difference is the slight sheen to it, plus the fact that I can't tension it. It's not perfect but it will do!

 

50450617197_9416efc767_z.jpg

 

While I had the wire out, I also added the cross bracing under the rear of the nacelle, and then attached the engine air intake and elevator control horns.

 

50450448526_91a0612972_z.jpg

 

I now need to sit and make 8 tiny pulleys for the aileron control lines. Needless to say, I'm not going to do that now.

 

Beer time.

 

Stay safe all, and thanks for looking in!

 

Ian

 

 

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Starting with the FE 8 as a first pusher is not a good idea - it gives the completely wrong impression to modellers of what they are truly like. In fact they are great fun to build and exciting to look at - all that is except the FE 8!

 

You are making a super job of this Ian - keep it up and then pull out the Gunbus - a much better pusher!

 

P

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 10/11/2020 at 8:09 PM, bigbadbadge said:

Amazing stuff Ian , great recovery on the damaged flying wire and the control wires and pulleys look fantastic.   

Great work 

Chris 

Thanks Chris!

 

On 10/11/2020 at 8:18 PM, pheonix said:

Starting with the FE 8 as a first pusher is not a good idea - it gives the completely wrong impression to modellers of what they are truly like. In fact they are great fun to build and exciting to look at - all that is except the FE 8!

 

You are making a super job of this Ian - keep it up and then pull out the Gunbus - a much better pusher!

 

P

Now he tells me....sounds like a good idea thought!

 

On 10/11/2020 at 10:16 PM, Jonners said:

!!!!!!

 

Now then, Ian, make sure that you do what those nice people in the white coats tell you, and don't make a fuss about taking your medicine...

 

Bonkers, but in a nice way!

Jon

Yessir! Chocks away, tally ho and a spiffing good time for all. 

What? Oh, ok Doc.

 

On 10/12/2020 at 12:46 PM, CedB said:

Flippin' 'eck Ian, more wires?!!

 

Looking amazing, even with the zoomed pictures - impressive! :) 

Cheers Ced!

 

On 10/12/2020 at 2:40 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Gordon Bennett!

 

Amazing,

Thanks Crisp, much appreciated!

 

 

I have not been idle. Despite the lack of updates there has been progress, it's just been very slow. Here then is a summary of that progress.

 

When we last visited, I was getting psyched up to make lots of tiny pulleys. They are 1mm discs punched out of 0.25mm plastic rod, drilled, and mounted on 0.4mm aluminium rod.

I needed 8 so I made 8

 

50574868673_26b881f495_z.jpg

 

Silly me, I should know better by now. 4 fitted on the underside and 1 left! The other 3 are watching me from somewhere not far away and sniggering to each other.

 

I also added 4 control horns while I was at it so I wouldn't have to wait for them to dry when I came to fit the wires. Of course that train of thought is only relevant if I don't didn't knock some off later anyway!

 

Which left me with this x2

 

50574868528_9c21e0b95d_z.jpg

 

Then it was time to add more wire! I had decided on a plan of action previously. There are double linkages on the ailerons with the lines joined just inboard of the inboard pulley, so I had decided to add the first line all the way to the outer attachment, then tie another line on for the inner attachment. The biggest problem was simply getting the line to sit on the edge of the .25mm discs so I could glue it in place. Eventually the outer lines were done.

 

50575741067_2d44b4d0b7_z.jpg

 

Then when those were good and dry I tied on the inner ones and added a spot of CA to the knot to keep it from sliding.

 

50574868158_fd2e01e590_z.jpg

 

Getting the lines attached to the control horns has always been a pig of a job. For some reason this time around I suddenly had an idea. I snipped off a short piece of plastic rod of the same size as the horns and cut a slot in one side with a micro saw. I then simply slipped this in under the wire, just behind the control horn, with the wire in the slot, then slid it across until the wire was resting against the side of the horn at exactly the right height. A drop of CA was added while I held the wire taut - easy to do as it was resting on the little plastic block, et voila!

 

50574868133_a251cc283d_z.jpg

 

To avoid pulling it off when tensioning the rear end, I used a piece of .25 x 1.5mm strip for the same purpose. Slipped under the wire just behind the horn it meant I wasn't pulling down on the CA joint while tensioning it. 

 

50574868263_4f4c1381bd_z.jpg

 

It worked! The underside rigging is finished with the exception of the landing gear and elevator control horns (both of which, needless to say, have been knocked off!)

 

The landing gear has also been added.

 

50574868033_5ef66c34c8_z.jpg

 

50575603331_dd1404fd85_z.jpg

 

It needs a little tweaking to straighten it up, and while I was attempting that, I loosened the left strut between the booms again. :angry:

 

I have managed to get it and the associated rigging back in place and am now leaving it well alone. I may remove the landing gear again to tweak the angle slightly but that will wait. 

To sum up, I am now on the home straight. I need to fix the undercarriage, do the aileron rigging on the top side, including adding the pulleys and control horns, then finish and add the engine. Then it's a quick touch up around the cockpit and add the Lewis gun, and she's finished!

 

Stay safe, and thanks for looking in!

 

 

Ian

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Brilliant work Ian, incredible attention to detail :) 

 

Proud of myself for not commenting on your attempts to avoid pulling it… gaah, nearly messed it up! :wicked:

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/7/2020 at 3:59 PM, CedB said:

Brilliant work Ian, incredible attention to detail :) 

 

Proud of myself for not commenting on your attempts to avoid pulling it… gaah, nearly messed it up! :wicked:

Thanks Ced!.......So near, yet so far. ;)

 

On 11/7/2020 at 4:12 PM, Hamden said:

 

Very nice attention to detail as always, FE looks superb and the end is in sight

 

  Stay safe           Roger

Thanks Roger, getting there!

 

On 11/7/2020 at 10:14 PM, pheonix said:

As usual your patience is really paying off. This is a super model of the type - it will certainly be setting the standard for others to follow.

Cheers P! It's certainly been a fun project, and I've learnt a lot.

 

On 11/8/2020 at 12:14 AM, hendie said:

Pah... easy peasy. Now, if you were doing an F2b then....

 

 

Joking aside Ian, that is some fantastic riggery you're doing there

B) Thanks Alan, much appreciated!

 

On 11/8/2020 at 12:39 AM, bigbadbadge said:

Wow oh wow  great work,  looks flipping fantastic. 

Chris

Cheers Chris!

 

 

Another small one today. Update Ced, update!

 

My silver marker has dried up so I've ordered another one. No point trying to finish the rigging until that gets here as I can't see it! So progress over the last couple of days has been in two directions:

 

Firstly the landing gear was removed, straightened, and refitted. She looks much better with both wing tips at the same level!

The second area of work was to finish off the ridiculously small and detailed engine I added the rocker arms and then the  push rods from steel wire. The prop got CAd onto it and it now awaits finishing of the rest as I will fit it once all the rigging as done and wheels have been fitted. The main reason is that I can hold it by picking it up with my thumb and index finger holding the nacelle. I won't be able to do that with the engine in place which only leaves the wing tips as areas to hold without breaking anything. Did I mention she's a tad fragile and very busy with rigging?

 

Anyway,

 

Here's the engine.

 

50632889451_781da4f7ee_z.jpg

 

50632143373_9ed8e2029f_z.jpg

 

50632143298_80ae0c03bd_z.jpg

 

Thanks for looking in. Hopefully the next update will have the rigging completed

 

Stay safe!

 

Ian

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