Upon closer inspection and the removal of some covering, the scope & scale of repair is more than first anticipated - but hey, isn't that part of the 'challenge' & ultimate satisfaction? The Senator has clearly been repaired previously, probably by at least 2 different people. There were indications that some of the repairs had also been done on the field. My biggest decisions invariably were around what to redo v's what to leave. A major consideration in my decision making was always to try and keep the Senator as original as possible while keeping the S/C & electric conversions as discrete/subtle as possible. A more practical consideration is how much tissue & dope I don't have at the moment
OK, progress so far:
The wing:
- The spars (1/16" sq.) were all broken in the centre bay, probably due to this being where the wing bands passed over the wing, combined with compressive loads from flying and/or knocks to the wing tips. The spars were straightened and reinforced with 1/16" sheet webs. Light weight transverse sheeting will be added to better distribute forces from the rubber bands to the wing ribs.
- The centre panel of the wing has a warp in it, so is strapped to a flat rigid board while repairs are underway. The 1/8" sq. L.E. had multiple repairs on one inboard panel, so it is currently being replaced.
- The 'propeller'(?) like fin has been removed, to be replaced with a new straight version which includes a rudder (of course).
- The cross pieces and associated tissue covering on top of the fuse at the wing mount have been removed to allow access to the radio installation. The top longerons have been reinforced with a 1/16" x 3/8" doubler.
- The "cabin" has been extended to the rear of the wing using 1/8"sq. longitudinal inserts backed by another 1/16" x 3/8" doubler. Thin clear plastic has then been glued on as the side cabin "windows".
- There is a bit of "the hungry horse" appearance on the fuse aft of the wing. I'll leave this as it befits the age & type of model.
- The only low KV motor I have is really too big & powerful, but I'll utilise it in the absence of anything else It does fit inside the nose just Power will be a 2 cell pack