Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Anything with a propeller
stormer254
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stormer254 »

Brilliant, I used to fly with it quite a bit in the mid 70s!
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

Have been moderately busy with online teaching over the past couple of days, and just staying warm has been a challenge with the freezing temperatures....
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Notwithstanding the snow and other work related stuff, I managed to convert some precious balsa sheeting and block into more than a few ounces of balsa dust!

Also checked out the incidences and decalage with my new digital pitch gauge and mobile phone incidence meter app...pleased to report all zero-zero...phew!!
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Made a tank hatch and also completed the underwing fairings...
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it is starting to look like a toy aeroplane now!
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MJF
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by MJF »

Your build is coming along nicely Stuart. I agree with your sentiments regarding canopy mounting having done one on my Kwik Fli III. Ended up doing the same as yours, recessing in the fuselage and adding a fillets of epoxy and micro balloons around the base. Very strong. It sealed so well I had to drill a vent hole through the fuse under the canopy to prevent deformation in the sun. Tinting mine black did not help!

What caught my attention was your "playing with my camera". I was perusing an old copy of Model Airplane News and saw an advert for a Bonner Digimite 4 similar to the one on your top shelf. Thought it only appropriate to scan it in a send you a copy.
Great radio collection you have there. Many we do not see over here in the colonies.
BONNER DIGIMITE 4 AD MAN OCT 1966 C.pdf
I guess the $425.00 in large print was there let you know how reasonably priced it was at that time. Well at least on 27 Mc add another 20 bucks for 72!
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Mike F
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

MJF wrote: 11 Feb 2021, 20:35 Your build is coming along nicely Stuart. I agree with your sentiments regarding canopy mounting having done one on my Kwik Fli III. Ended up doing the same as yours, recessing in the fuselage and adding a fillets of epoxy and micro balloons around the base. Very strong. It sealed so well I had to drill a vent hole through the fuse under the canopy to prevent deformation in the sun. Tinting mine black did not help!

What caught my attention was your "playing with my camera". I was perusing an old copy of Model Airplane News and saw an advert for a Bonner Digimite 4 similar to the one on your top shelf. Thought it only appropriate to scan it in a send you a copy.
Great radio collection you have there. Many we do not see over here in the colonies.

BONNER DIGIMITE 4 AD MAN OCT 1966 C.pdf


Mike F
Thanks Top Tip on venting the sealed canopy, Mike :) and thanks for the Digimite advert, I ll take a pic today to see if I can recreate the advert in colour! viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1233
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

Some slowish progress since the last update with several fiddly jobs, mostly creating even more balsa dust, which fortunately the shop vac has taken care of!
One job I had kepT putting off was making the wing-fuselage fairings which I made detachable at this stage, as I cant decide whetehr to stick them on before or after covering the fuselage..any recommendations???
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I spent some time tidying up the tailcone and again was mulling over whether to leave the tail off until the fuselage sides have been covered.
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The wing has had quite a bit of sanding fortunately the 2mm carbon rods I had ordered to add to the trailing edge arrived today; so they were a cinch to bond to the trailing edge with thin cyano and really toughen this area up with very little weight penalty.
So I was able to finish sand the wings and cut out the ailerons and was pleased my pre- installed hinge slots all worked out find after cutting and bevelling the ailerons....PHEW!
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I had completed the cockpit floor and airbrushed the canopy with Tamiya clear red as the fuselage top will probably have some red there when the covering is complete...
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Shaun
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by Shaun »

Stuart - The fairings on mine were stuck on pre covering.
It would be easier covering them first but then you would see the join.

Shaun.
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

Final, obligatory driveway pics taken in the damp overcast this afternoon prior to switching the iron on!
Weight as you see it with all servos and battery is 2350g or 5lbs :D Hopefully, I can achieve my target dry weight of 5 3/4 lbs?
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

l managed to give the workshop and benches a good tidy after several weeks of chaos and mess being created with too many projects on the go simultaneously! Its amazing the stuff you find even after going out and buying replacements! :roll: :roll:

The colour scheme will be a blood and custard for those railway buffs amongst us :lol: :lol: , or in my case Ferrari red and cream Oracover based loosely on Mr Birch's original scheme.

Iron and heat gun at the ready and I started on the wing fairings and managed to get the concave rear sections of the fairings covered ok: and bonded them in place and put the rear side and lower fuselage covering on first. I wanted to get this done, so I could then get the stab covered finally aligned and bonded with epoxy into place.
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Next was to cover the stab (and luckily the second digital incidence meter that I had ordered arrived in the post this morning) and it was then a matter of jigging the model on a flat surface and, using two meter rules clamped to a fuselage centre line datum, I was able to triangulate the stab in the correct position
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and aligned horizontal and in incidence against the wing using my improvised (balsa block and T pin height gauges)
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and two incidence meters (one on the stab and on one wing tip)
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More measurement and cutting away the covering on the stab underside and it was out with the 30 minute epoxy and go have a cuppa and write this!

Well the cuppa turned into teatime and the epoxy wasn't going off!! so get the methanol out and scrape it off and get the UHU Endfest to the rescue and it is sitting there in a nice warm workshop, so hopefully a few hours and it will be glued solid!
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

After the 30 minute epoxy disaster was rescued by using UHU Endfest (24 hr Araldite), this caused a bit of a delay on progress, but seeing as I was working from back to front along the fuselage length, it was cracking on and fitting /covering the fin and fuselage strake.

Testing the alignment was ok was made using my two metre rules clamped to my fuselage datum point (see pic) Only a small amount of adjustment to the fin post was required to get vertical and longitudinal alignment spot on.
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I covered the fin and strake separately and using epoxy on the fin and aliphatic on the strake, these were allowed to dry
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Next step was to get the top and nose of the fuselage covered and this proved quite tricky as I was starting to get o the end of the available red oracover! I managed to rescue the forward nose piece as I had a bit of a schoolboy problem and allowed the curved portion to get itself stuck to itself, but as you can see it all worked out ok and just leaves the finishing off around the canopy to do now.
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I made a start on the wing underside and this has worked out fine so far!
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The end is in sight! :shock: :D
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stuart mackay
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Re: Moonglow by Mike Birch from 1968

Post by stuart mackay »

And here is the finished article!

Ready to fly 90 ounces 5 3/4 lbs
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