solentlife

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/de-havil...balsa-kit.html



Does anyone have a link to any forum thread on building this model ? I have searched but cannot find any. I believe its from same factory as the Laser Cut J3 Cub kit ... Ele .....

Nigel

buzzltyr

Nigel, here are two I found:
This one is the larger of the two, and has a lot of material that Tim Hooper created for an article for a magazine (RCM+E I think):
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...Moth-Balsa-kit

Here is a second build thread:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...0#post35820915

I believe Tim's article has been published for a while, but I think most of the "warts" he found with the kit can be seen in the thread on RCG.

Mark

solentlife

Yep have the links from an RCG post as well ....

Tim's article in RCM&E is unfortunately very disjointed as it is mixed in with other builds and information. I receive RCM&E each month. I need to get a couple of back issues to complete the Tiggy set. He broke the build story up into bits and pieces, posting them in a general build series.

Cheers
Nigel

solentlife

One idea he showed was to add riblets to the wings ... the kit leaves large areas behind the LE unsupported ... so out with my Fruit Box's ... dismantle them to get the thin sheet ply ... scan the kit ribs ... cut back to riblets .... import to laser cutter ....









I cannot imagine cutting out that lot !! about 70 of them !! Laser machine ripped through in no time at all ...

Nigel

park

Nice!

solentlife

So I go out and buy a new 'board' to build this baby on ... (all my others are covered in the usual rubbish we pile on them and never sort !!)



Now its interesting as I have followed various other forums and threads on building this model and they all start differently !!

One starts by adding formers to the side sheets ...

Another puts formers together and adds the bridging arches ....

Another starts by building a former box and motor box before anything else !!

Me ? As you see above ... I lay the fuselage base down along a drawn C/L on the board and then start adding the formers etc. ...



While doing this of course the motor box is setting up ... clamped so it is all squared ..



I've decided to go for the E-Power version ... a 4250 motor is on its way from China ! I reckon to use 5S in it .... (its what I have in my battery inventory !)

Ok ... carrying on ...



So endeth first day while the PU glue sets up.

Interesting to note that the files section of HK have the wrong manual ... I tried uploading but my file was too big ... so I split into two files ... waiting HK to vet and show. Manual must have been re-written I reckon ...

Nigel

solentlife

I have to say that A35 / P3 / P4 etc had me confused ..... but I think I worked it out eventually ...

I have to say that the Lite-Ply used in this is not so good ... boy is it brittle ... and veneers crack of it at slightest touch. I think its lucky this model has some slab to the sides etc. - because if it was like many of the skeletal models today - it would not last long !

Nigel

solentlife

I am of the opinion that the kit was designed, cut for slotting together and then zapping with CA.

Something that I do not like. CA creates hard joints like steel and stress at the end of the CA part.

Parts are not interlocking as well as I would hope, a few such as the doubled Undercarraige plates needed trimming to let fuselage sides set in.







PU glue setting up overnight - then pick up putting more formers in and get fuselage sides in final.

Nigel

solentlife

WOW ... over 800 views and no comments !! What am I doing wrong ??

Cheers
Nigel

solentlife

One thing I do before glueing up ... scan the pieces that make motor boxes etc.

We all have those mishaps and having proper scans of the pieces allows to recreate the box etc. if ever needs repair.

That couple of minutes to scan saves all that frustration later.

Nigel

riverrat

Mr Luther!

Looking good & I am subscribed!

Regards
Jimmy

Stevephoon

Hi Nigel, Just found your thread. I haven't had much time for posting or even reading this winter. I also scan in parts so I'll have templates later. At some point something will be needed. Your additional half ribs look really good. I've wondered about the Hobby King kits. Are the instructions any good? Any of the parts need any rework?

Steve

solentlife

Tim - who wrote articles in a UK Mag ... RCM&E ... showed he'd inserted leading edge riblets to improve the look and avoid sag ... so I copied this.

Are HK kits any good ? The Laser kits are ELERC kits - so not HK actually. I built the Piper Cub and it slotted together well ...

Instructions are based on photographs / pictures. Literally no text at all ... so if you are a first timer ... forget it. BUT if you know what goes into a plane ... then sit back study and all comes to those who use the 'brain cells' !!

Nothing needs rework basically if you want a flying model. If you want scale - then some parts such as struts and wheels need examining.

I'm loving building this TM actually with all its niggly bits ...

Nigel

solentlife

Soldier on ...









6S battery seems to fit ok ....



Nigel

solentlife

Before anyone asks .... yes that is a UK Union Flag draped over the rail you see ....

Ready for the 'glorious day' !!

Nigel

solentlife

OK things have moved on since last post .. but unusually for me ... slowly !!

Actually work is getting in the way of my hobby !!

Right where were we ?

Day 5 ...



Day 7 start on tail parts ... and blow me down I find various more parts in twos !!





I know some have made bad comments about these tail parts in their builds - but they slot together beautifully once you figure out which goes where and Zap in place with CA ... double up with decent glue and done !!

Here's the extra spars that you don't use !!



Very nice ... BUT the elevator slot in the rudder is nowhere enough to allow full movement of rudder / elevator and needs seriously enlarging.



The Top decks are in half sheets .. so they cover one side and then you cover other with centreline join. To get the curvature I soak the balsa in warm water for about 10 minutes. Wipe of water and then carefully fold into place and clamp. Let it dry so it takes on the curve.



Tail parts covered and waiting to be fitted ...



Top deck in place ... tail being glued with my metal brackets weighing her down and keeping all vertical ...



My usual pull pull CF Fishing trace ... ready to do the rudder ...



I have a large servo arm - one of the double 180 degree jobs as a crank bolted on a ply platform about halfway down fuselage. That will be hooked by metal control rod to servo under the rear cockpit. The 180 degree crank has the pull pull cables of it back to the rudder.



cables exiting over top ...



Nigel

solentlife

Battery will enter via the forward cockpit into this depron box and then a strip of velcro to hold it in ...



Nigel

solentlife

Dashboard .... printed then pasted to 3mm Depron card ...



Rear cockpit dash and pilot will be fixed ... front cockpit will be on removable tray to allow battery in / out.

Nigel

solentlife

Slow build - too much work on to dedicate more time to it ...

Have to admit that making a few mistakes and also finding some parts barely sized to fit !!

The wing ... I forgot to angle the root rib for the sweep back ... and then of course later when I wanted to fit the trailing edge and rear spar - soon found out !!

Anyway fixed and also with the extra riblets fitted ...



OK ... the windscreens .... after finishing a box of Mini Chocolate Eclairs .... I thought - why not !!



Traced out and cut ... marked up ... slots in fuselage .... jobs a blinder !!





Once fuselage covered ... find the slots and glue in place.

I've got a new supply of draft excluder that will provide the cockpit surround .... its like two soft tubes of rubber fixed together parallel .... I just separate the two and then slit one lengthwise and then fit to balsa edge.

The cabane struts ............ I see that screws hold them to fuselage - I've decided to use self-tappers - easier than trying to use nuts and bolts. But the tops into the fuel tank part ? Glued or screwed ?
I'm thinking to use epoxy into the slots and then I can adjust to get level ... epoxy I reckon should hold ...

The centre fuel tank made and covered with cabanes epoxied in ...





Door draft excluder applied as cockpit edge trim ... and windscreens epoxied via tabs to fuselage ...





Personal GB-NCL applied ....



Nigel

riverrat

Nice!

Regards
Jimmy

solentlife

Occupants !!

Man is from my 3D printer and girl is Hobby King ...


Nigel

Panther

Don't know how I missed this build. My apologies Nigel.. Looking great and I do like the Red/Silver for nostalgic reasons.

solentlife

I think if I built this again ... I would modify the front section top to allow a hatch to slide the LiPo in.

At present it will go in via the front cockpit .. so the girl must be removable.

Both Pilots are on depron plates with velcro to rails inside fuselage. So I can 'peel' them out if necessary to get at servos / lipo etc.

Given that many people find they need to add nose weight to balance ... this could be a candidate for permanent LiFe installation instead ?

Would need to set up a 5S LiFe pack of about 3000 to 4000mAh...

Nigel

solentlife

I don't believe it ... talk about idiot !!

With the wings built in halves .. I went and built TWO LEFT wing bottom panels !! YES !! Honest !

Given the probable cost of getting Elerc to send me just the wing parts .. I ordered a second full kit from HK ... total including delivery less than 10 days 100 Euros.

I have a 61 Glow I can fit to the second one ... so I have both electric and fuel jobs.

Nigel

Panther

LOL Nigel. Don't feel bad but you can feel P****d off.
I did that once and I haven't done it again since.