Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Anything with a propeller
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

bluejets wrote: 19 Aug 2021, 03:32 I tend to back up the formers with triangle section, especially the front where the engine bolts onto.
Funny you say that, the next job done was to install the firewall doubler and triangular corners...

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All clamped in place for the epoxy to set.

I've manufactured the fuel tank bay hatch, and sanded to shape...

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Cloths pegs, very handy.
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Has a nice fit, hatch will be held on with a rubber band as on Don's orignal build.

And fitted the hinges in the tailplane using the Dubro hinge slotter...

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Have to make a new fin and rudder next.
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

Progress so far.........

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Had issues cutting hingr slots in 3mm balsa for the fin and rudder, ended up laminating to 3.5mm with hing pockets cut into the inner 0.5mm lamination.

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With all the hinges fitted and a basic sanded finish on the tail surfaces, they are glued together ready for assemblt to the fuselage.

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Tail fitted, glued and squared to the fuse, now ready for the servos.

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I don't have any inbetween servos, so I have to go with a set of new standards for rudder and elevator, throttle servo will be a good mini.

Pushrods and top clading are in the next post.
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

The pushrods could not have come out better, 4mm carbon fibre tube and a couple of Dubro 2/56 rods, Zed bends at the servos and quick links the other ends, and the pushrods are straight, no bends or kinks from the servos to the control horns.

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Everything is going together perfectly, and a neat setup too.

The elevator exit is free and none binding at full deflection up and down, I have also wet the balsa around the exit with thin CA to strengthen the edges of the exit hole, and will do the same for the rudder exit too. The rudder hits the elevator at full up, so I will take 3 or 4mm off the bottom rear of the rudder, the rudder is about 4mm lower at the bottom because of an earlier mistake I made, so releaving the bottom of the rudder will bring it back close to the orignal size.


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There is almost no play in the drive from the servo arm to the control horn, and what there is you can't see.

The rudder has a little over 45 degrees throw each way, better to much than not enough, end points and expo will adjust to whats needed.

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Closed in the fuse, wings are next.

Two new switch harnesses arrived in the post today, haven't used one for 10 years, been flying electric for that long.

The bits and peices left to do on the fuselage are, mount the switch harness, make exits for the receiver antennas, glue and pin the hinges, fit hold down dowels for the hatch cover, mount the throttle servo and run the pushrods for both the throttle and nose gear, fit the nose leg and mount the engine. After all that is done, prepare, finish and paint the fuse.................... listing what needs to be done to finish the fuse, I've realised I have done the easy part already. I hate finishing, I'm not good at it.

Anyway, I start the wings this weekend.
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

Wings are built, I went with a different construction method than the original plan build, an open frame with just the upper D-box sheeted and ply dihedral braces....

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Hollowed out the tips as well.

The Coachman is starting to look like an aeroplane.

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I've started mounting the hardware, engine mount and steerable nose gear, I will have to make mods to the nose leg mount.
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

Nose leg is fitted and conected to the rudder servo, engine mount is set on two ply rings, extre 4mm forward that double as the top bearing for the nose leg. I mounted the throttle servo and ran the wire and tube to the throttle.

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You can see the nose leg retainer in the centre of the engine mount.

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The throttle wire exit in just the right place.

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Throttle servo in place and nose gear steering conected.

Now there is a little sanding prep, pin the hinges and a little CA surface toughening where the switch passes through the fuse and where the control horns mount.

With lockdown finished, I can now go out and buy dope and paint for finishing, odd bits like fuel tank, wheel collars and whatever I need to get the Coachman in the air.

Dave
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

DOPE, The last time I purchased a can of dope I paid $15AU for 1lt, (I put the empty can out, and it still had the price tag on it), I called my LHS for price and availability :o $40AU for 1lt, and it gets more expensive the less you buy, I looked around via the web and found that my LHS was the cheapest in the city.

I asked this question on RCG, is there a cheaper alternative to dope? I only need to seal balsa, no tissue, no covering of any sort, just balsa needs to be sealed ready for painting.

Your suggestions will be considered.

Many Thanks,

Dave
Cheers,

Dave
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

I finally finished the Coachman, one solid colour, yellow and a little blue trim with custom decals

Hope to maiden this Sunday.

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Attachments
Coachman.jpg
rc1.jpg
Cheers,

Dave
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PaulJ
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by PaulJ »

Very smart!....... How did you do the lettering on the wing?

Paul
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iflylilplanes
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by iflylilplanes »

PaulJ wrote: 21 Jan 2022, 08:56 Very smart!....... How did you do the lettering on the wing?
Paul,
I created the "Royal Coachman" in Word, found a font I thought would fit the name of the model, then took the file to a company that makes signs for the labeling of commercial vans, trucks and the like, they used a CNC vinyl cutter, told them how big and where you want the component's of the decal to be positioned (the designed by Don section).

The fine ends on the letters can be a little cantankerous, but it took me about 10 minutes to peel the backing off with the help of a #11 blade and 1 minute to apply the sticker. My MAAA/FAI number is made the same and complies with size regs, the club badge is from my club, you get a new batch every year when you pay your fees.
Cheers,

Dave
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PaulJ
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Re: Don Dewey's Royal Coachman Build.

Post by PaulJ »

Many thanks, it looks great !

Paul
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