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| Holman Me-109F | IMP Fw-190 A6 | Hobby Lobby P-38 | Me-262 A-1a | Misc. R/C | Contact | Links | R/C models | Home |
Specs.
Wing Span = 61"
Fiberglass Fuselage, built up wing and tail, retracts and flaps.The decision to build this Bf109 has taken a very long time. The 109 has been on my list of "planes to build" for a while now, but I've had trouble selecting the right size kit. I did indeed want to build from a kit, as the time to cut out all the parts from a plan seemed a little too time consuming. The SMI kit from Bob Holman is a little sparse, compared to some kits. If I read from the catalog right, all I get is a fiberglass fuselage, cowl, canopy, and wing ribs (maybe laser cut). From past experience, I like the fiberglass fuselage concept, but I find building foam wings (after adding the mounts for retracts, cutting flaps and ailerons etc.) to take just as long as building up a wing from balsa. I also think I can build a lighter wing from balsa. I guess we shall soon see. I called the Holman kit sparse, and I don't want to make that statement sound derogatory. The price is very much in line with what is included. In fact, I often end up purchasing additional wood for "complete" kits anyway, so this kit is more than attractive to me.
Test number one for all kits that I purchase from "specialty" scale manufacturers is delivery. I've bought kits from Dave Platt, Innovative Model Products, and Century Jet Models to name a few. I've never received any kit in what I consider a reasonable time. I have in fact waited months for delivery of kits that were suppose to be "off the shelf". In some cases, the delay was justifiable (I think the Platt kit I ordered was still in development, but I couldn't wait). This would normally not bother me, if only the manufacturer would be honest about delivery. If it is going to take 2-3 months, fine, just let me know. If the delivery is going to be delayed past what was "quoted" fine, call me and let me know. To state that a kit can be put out the door "by Monday" and then not ship it for weeks or months is very unreasonable. I often wonder how they stay in business. If I dwell on this for a moment (while waiting for the kit to arrive), Kit manufacturers are not the only ones doing this. If I order an accessory item like an electronic gear sequencer , I often find myself waiting weeks for these "off the shelf" parts as well. As for the Bob Holman kit, It was supposed to ship on April 27th. It's now May 5 and I still have not seen it. If I allow for 5-7 days for shipping from the west coast I should see it very soon. I'll keep this page updated on all the aspects of this project (delivery, quality, completeness, accuracy, etc. Look for another update when the kit arrives.
Well the day has finally arrived, May 11. I checked the ship date on the box (a very large box) and it was shipped on May 7th. Lets see, that's about 11 days after the promised ship date. On the plus side, it was only one week later that I anticipated, so I guess I have to say that Bob Holman has passed test number one. If I compare this response to what I have experienced with other speciality kit manufactures then I must say that Bob Holman is an order of magnitude better !
Now let's review what was in this large box. First inspection ... lots of paper packing material. <digs through paper> Hummm, lots and lots of paper packing material. This box was bigger than the box from IMP that housed a larger scale Fw190 complete kit ! (Bob Holman is obviously re-using an old shipping box here ... recycling ... this is NOT a compliant. I'm just having fun here). Ok, I pull out a nice glass fuselage and start the examination. The glass work is very nice, smooth, no details (panel lines, rivets) are molded in and these will have to be added by me. Again this is not a compliant, it's what I expected. I didn't see a lot of pinholes and the seam will need just a little cleanup. Over all I'd rate the glass work as at least average. For me to rate it above average, it would need to include the panel lines and rivet details, plus perhaps have the gel coat "primer" that I see some kits have. Of course, I'd also expect to spend quite a bit more for this. I found the cowl (fiberglass) and Spinner (spun aluminum) to be of equal quality. Now, where are the wing ribs. <searches through the remaining bits of paper> Can't find them anywhere. The fuselage had some newspaper tucked inside, I wonder ... yep, there it is. Bob neatly tucked the wing ribs inside some newspaper and then placed them inside the fuselage for protection. Bob also included another set of plans, showing the fiberglass fuselage rather than the built up version. That's it, pretty basic. No instructions or anything. It is assumed that the builder already has some experience with this type of construction.
My tough questions and some answers. Number one, I want this plane to be an every day flyer. Nothing special or difficult to handle. I want to take it to the field, bolt on the wing, fill it with the proper fluids and fly. To me, this means no inverted engine (sooner or later you have to turn over the plane to get it started), also an exposed or partially exposed engine (for cooling) and simple radio installation. For scale purposes, I want retracts and flaps . I also want the plane to be light so it's fun to fly. Can I do all this ?? Well, my engine choices right now go between the OS .61FX and Supertiger .61. I may be leaning toward the OS, from past good experience and from a writeup in R/C Reports. I believe the Supertiger is a good engine too. Retracts will be spring air. I've used Rhom air for a long time, and I'm comfortable with them. I'm also comfortable with Century Jet and Robart, but I don't like the cost. I may just pull a set of Rhom air's out of one of my planes and reuse them. That, or buy a new set of spring air. I've never owned a set of spring air but I like what I've heard and I'd like to try a set. Lord knows I've made more than one belly landing because the gear won't come down (this is not the fault of the gear, it's my maintenance and installations, bottom line).
The flaps are an issue to me. I really like them, and I think they will help for landing, even though this is a small model. I want to keep the weight and complexity down and to do this right I need to have 6 separate flap surfaces. The 109F (and later models) had regular outboard flaps AND radiator cooling doors that also act with the flaps. To fully reproduce these would be too complex. To just implement the flaps and lower cooling door/flap would be OK (I've seen competition models do this), but I need to think this through and see if I can do it all. I'll never fully reproduce this, but I might have something pretty close, imitating the flap motion but not the radiator door action. Now, let's call the local hobby shop and see what engines he has on his shelf.
Ok, just got back from the Hobby Shop, with a brand new OS.61FX. I guess the engine choice has been made ! I'll break it in this summer, then get a little air time on it with an old TF P-47D.7/8/98
Yesterday I finally got the old TF P-47 to the point that I could break-in the OS.61, or at least start it. Right now, with one tank of gas through it, I can't say enough good things about this engine. It started on the first flip, and has continued to do so for each running (total of four 5 minute runs). An awesome engine. More than enough power, it seams, and not too loud with a Bisson muffler. I'll be flying the P-47 with this engine, for fun and to get some run time on the engine. Next year this engine will be used on the Bf109. For those interested, my starting procedure is to open the throttle and choke the engine. Pull the propeller through 3 times, close the throttle to idle, heat the plug and flip it.
8/27/98
I've had the OS.61 flying in the P-47 for the past few weeks and it's proving to be a great engine. I've put about a gallon of fuel through it and it's running great. I took the plane to a "local" scale rally in Hamburg NY and had a riot with it. No doubt that this engine will work well in the 109. In fact I may buy another one so I can keep flying the P-47 too. I picked up some balsa wood today for the 109 and I've started making a space for it on the building table. It would be nice to have the wing framed up before the leaves hit the ground this fall, but with my schedule ... you never know.
10/7/98
I've pretty much put an end to the 1998 flying season. I know it's still early, but I really only get to fly Tuesday evenings and by the time I get out of work, drive to the field and assemble the plane ... well the sun's getting low and it's sometimes hard to see what the plane's doing. Excuses, excuses ! Justification is a wonderful tool. The good news is the P-47 will be available nest year when it comes time to "knock the dust off the sticks". Also, the OS .61FX continued to run very well. I'm quite happy with that purchase. I stumbled across an interesting web site today. The Virtual Hangar has a great writeup on building and flying a 1/7 scale Do335. I'm going to try to follow this format with my 109 project. Now all I have to do is clear out enough room on the web server to put up the pictures. My progress on the 109 is currently slow because I'm trying to complete a new wing for the Fw190. It's ALMOST ready to cover. Just a little more work on the underside of the wing, where it meets the fuselage. Why do I need a new wing ? Well, I'll tell you, but only if you're interested. If you're reading this and want to know, send me an e-mail. Just say "Kevin, why are you building a new wing for the 190?" This way, I'll know that somewhere out there, someone is actually reading this stuff.
12/9/98
Been awhile. I hope to really start into this project over the Christmas Hollidays. If I can get my wife a digital camera for Christmas then I COULD get some nice pictures up here, showing the progress. Might add some inspiration. The 190 wing is progressing, and I'm starting to cover it with light weight glass and CA. Goes on fast, and I like the results. I really want to get started on the 109 !
1/4/99
Finally, it's started. Over the Holidays I cleaned up enough area to get started on the wing of the 109. It's so nice to be building a built up wing, rather than a foam wing again. The quality of the pre-cut ribs is very good, and I've got them framed up on the lower spar. I need to cut a trailing edge piece before I glue them in place. I needed to shim one of the spars to get the proper alignment with the ribs. Oh, the ribs have tabs on the leading and trailing edge, to guarantee alignment, a nice touch. Speaking of nice touches, I need to tell you about the plane my Father is building. It's a 1/5 scale P-39 from Pipeno plans (hope I spelled that right). I'll try to get some pictures of it here soon. It's all framed up and 60% covered in litho plate. When finished, it will be completely covered in litho plate (except for the ailerons, elevator, and rudder, which are silked). It's really looking good. The litho plate is thin pieces of aluminum, which are used in the printing process (we got them from the local newspaper). Weight should be in the 22-25 Lb area (looks to be on target so far) and power is from a Moki 1.8. Later I'll speak some on this power plant, it's awesome.
3/24/99
Oh my, it's been awhile again. Not much on the 109 to report, but the retracts will be in soon, and then I can finish off the wings. On the Fw190 replacement wing, lots of progress. It's now in the priming/painting stage, and should be complete by the first week of April. That's what's the real holdup on the 109, I have to finish off the 190 wing so I can make room. The finishing of the 190 wing, using light weight glass cloth and CA glue works very well for me. It's fast, light, fills quickly, all the things you like. It's probably not as strong as using epoxy or polyester resin, but I still like it better.
4/21/99
Well I've finally started getting into the 109. I've gotten most of the left wing panel framing ready to go. I measured and cut the leading and trailing edge pieces (for both wing panels). I also finally ordered and received a nice set of spring-air retracts. These appear to be very nice units, sturdy, and not too heavy. Armed with these, I've been able to finish any modifications to the wing ribs where the retracts will mount. This area I've started reinforcing with some carbon fiber mat where I feel necessary. It's moving along nicely now, and I try to spend at least 20 minutes a day on it.
4/29/99
Construction goes well. The left wing panel is off the building board and I'll soon be starting on the right panel. Most of the construction has gone well. I've had a bit of trouble with one of the wing ribs. W3 I think. It's the rib that is in the center of the landing gear support rails. For some reason the holes for the LG support rails were off, and I had to open them way up. Probably should have just made a new one. I may have marked the opening s wrong, and I'll double check the ones for the right wing panel. Other than that, it goes well, and looks good. The geometry for the LG looks good which means that Brian Taylor did his homework well! I've decided to go with the flaps per plan. That is, I'll have the outboard flaps and the bottom of the radiator door/flap operational. I will NOT do the top of the radiator. Just too much monkeying around for little gain.
10/21/99
Well, work has resumed on the 109, after a full summer off. I've been delayed by the usual flying season, plus I've picked up an electric slow flyer. For a die hard WWII nut, it's quite different, and very refreshing. I hope to fly it all winter (some in the gym). Let's see, the 109 ... I've started on the left wing panel, and I hope to have it off the board in a couple of weeks. My wife got a digital camera for her birthday, so I'll post a couple of pictures here soon.
02/14/00
Work has progressed on the 109, but I've not been updating this page much. Hope to improve that. For progress, I've framed both halves of the wing, and the bottoms are sheeted. One little issue I found here was that the bottom of the wings have a compound curve to them, making it hard to sheet in one big piece. I finally sheeted in 2 pieces (for each wing half). One interesting construction technique I used on one wing half. I coated the appropriate areas with elmers glue and once dry I joined them using a hot iron. Worked really well too! The ailerons and outboard flaps are about finished and with luck I'll have the wing complete in about a month. If that happens, and I can pump out the tail quickly, I may even start finishing before the flying season starts.
04/03/00
Finished all the ailerons and flaps, including the inner radiator flaps. Linkages are in place and final connections are almost complete. I'm struggling with the need to install the radiator/inner flap before finishing the wing, or after. It looks like I need to have all linkages in place before sheeting the top wing, which means that I need to have the radiators installed. I was hoping that I could finish the wing BEFORE installing the radiator (that would make it easier to finish). Just for the heck of it, I glasses the radiators, and they turned out great (so maybe this will not be such a big problem). It's my first attempt at glassing with Z-Poxy. I've used other polyester resins before, but was not satisfied with the results (probably an issue with the user, not the product). I've had great results by using glass cloth with CyA glue, but it's not quite as rugged as polyester or epoxy resin. So far, Z-Poxy is working well. A trend I hope continues. I think I'll finish the flaps (4), radiators, and ailerons, get everything hooked up (linkages) then sheet the wing top and finish the wing. In the mean time, I've made templates for the horizontal stabilizer, rudder, and elevator so I can start on them while the resin cures.
04/24/00
Things are moving along well. I've completed the horizontal stabilizer halves and they just need to be joined. All the tail feather are cut out, needing to be sanded. All the mechanics for the flaps and ailerons have been tested and they look good. The flaps really look good when they come down. I'll glass the flaps and ailerons now, along with playing with the tail feather. Soon I'll have to cut into that nice glass fuselage for the horizontal stab and tail wheel.
05/01/00
Ailerons and Flaps have been glassed. This project has quickly moved to the stage where all the components are there, they just need to be "put together and finished". For example, the horizontal stabilizer is built on 2 halves (top and bottom). They are built and just need to be joined and finished. Same with the rudder and elevator. I'll continue with this as I complete the wing assembly. That is the one true building part that remains, installing the flaps and ailerons so I can sheet the top of the wing. I've also entered into a conversation with robart to get a set of robostruts with the proper axle angle.
06/01/00
I've been side tracked and lost my momentum. Actually, I was out of town for a week and that is what killed the momentum. I have joined all the tail feathers (including the horizontal stab) together and they can now be finish sanded and mated to the fuselage. I've also entered into conversation with Robart to see if they will produce for me a set of robostruts with the proper strut/axle angle. Once I have the proper struts I can mount the landing gear and complete the wing.
08/22/00
Been busy with summer stuff, but work is picking up. I've opened up the fin to accept the horizontal stabilizer, which was a lot easier than I expected. Dremel motor tools are a wonderful thing. The elevator and rudder are 80% sanded, and the elevator halves have been joined with a piece of hard pine. The firewall has been cut out as well. I've not gone with Robart to supply the struts. They could not commit to a due date for the modified struts. My past experience has been that any time a major manufacturer will not commit to a date, then you will be forever waiting. The is not meant to be a negative comment about Robart. They mass produce some excellent products (of which I own a few). They make there money that way and any special order has to be "worked in". They were very responsive to my requests, I just decided not to go that route. A company called Eurokit (nice catalog for free, lots of goodies) makes what appears to be a nice, inexpensive line of struts. I'm trying to order a pair now. My thinking is that I can modify these to the proper angles myself. I'll keep you posted. Next steps in planning surround getting the Fuselage to accept the tail (and control linkages) and tail wheel (fixed, steerable). Wing construction is now on the back burner. There is just still so much to do, and I can only sneak away for about 30 minutes a day, if at all.
09/05/00
Let's see, I've built up the wing tips as well as tips for the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. I will probably continue to work on getting the horizontal stab/elevator completed and installed, as well as the vertical fin/rudder. Tail wheel is also an "open area". I want something light, and I'm not going to retract it. I've got a nice wheel, but I need the steering mechanics. I've ordered the struts from Eurokit and I'll let you know how all that works out. On a whim, I also ordered a "decal" kit, which allows you to print your own decals on a printer. I'll do a test there and let you know about that as well. They're called Super-cal.What I don't like is the fact that they are only 5 1/2 x 8 inch sheets. Too small for some of my 1/5 scale birds, but worth a try.
09/12/00
Started doing some work on the tail wheel. Hopefully it will work out OK. As I stated before, I don't want to do a retractable tail wheel. Not enough benefit for the work, besides it seems a lot of Me109s didn't have retractable tail wheels. I was going to make my own steerable assembly. Either that, or just install a robart retractable unit (the plastic ones) but not hook up the retract arm. Well, I happened to remember a set of 1/2a retracts by Robart (which I seem to recall that they are again available). Mine are some of the originals from way back. Well, the steerable nose wheel retract mechanism looked about right for a tail wheel. I fashioned a bulkhead, attached the mechanics and finito. What I like about this arrangement is that I don't need to use steering cables (monofiliment fish line) for the steering. I can use a more solid, single connection. Also, at a later date if I decide I want to make it retract, it's all there. It's coming along nicely, and should be done this week.
9/18/00
At some point last week I realized that before I could (should) install the tail wheel and bulkhead, I needed to finish installing the tail feathers (horizontal stabilizer and elevator, as well as the rudder post). So the tail wheel and bulkhead is ready, but it's been put aside. I've been sanding the horizontal tail surfaces, getting them ready. They are close now. I built an elevator horn out of some brass stock and a piece of 2-56 threaded rod. A bit more sanding and I'll glass them and install. The glass thing .... well I think it's going to be easier to at least get an initial coat of resin and the cloth on the horizontal surfaces PRIOR to installation. I can give the second coat of resin after installation.
The Eurokit struts arrived today (that makes it about 3 weeks for delivery, not too bad). It's just what I wanted. They are a simpler unit, compared to robostruts. They have no scissors, just a set screw that slides in a slot with about 1/2 inch of movement. The axle is just a bolt, so I can remove the bolt, rotate the strut 90 degrees and drill and tap a new axle location, with the proper angle. I had to do something similar for the struts on the IMP Fw190 (and they cost $110.00). This is a much better option for a non-competition plane.
Another milestone approaches. I noticed today that the plane is almost ready to be set up. You know, that point where all the sub-assemblies are there and you can set the plane up to see what it looks like. Well, I can probably do that this week. When I do I'll take a picture of it and publish it here !!
9/19/00
OK, Here's a picture.10/02/00
The horizontal stab has been glassed and attached to the Fuselage. A little final sanding on the elevator and rudder and they will be glassed and ready for installation. I haven't decided weither to install them before or after painting. I also need to get the push rods ready. It looks like I'll have room to install them through the tail wheel opening, but I want everything checked out before I install the tail wheel bulkhead. It seems that almost every day I get a little done, and I'm finally feeling like I can get this project done this winter (and flying next spring). One thing I can't forget is to reinforce the wing where the wing bolts pass through. It's a simple thing, but I don't want to over look it. I laid out a few layers of glass for wheel covers, so now really nothing stands in the way of finishing the wing. The time is fast approaching where I'll pull the OS .61Fx out of the P-47 so I can get the firewall installed. I think I'll try to fit at least a 14 oz. tank in this, if not 16. The 12 oz. tank in the P-47 is just a bit too small.
10/10/00
A minor setback. I finally pulled the OS .61 out of the TF P-47 this weekend. It became very clear that this engine would NOT fit between the firewall and the spinner. I needed to move the firewall back. I pulled out the motor mounts and the two muffler options that I have and quickly found out that the motor needs to move back about 1 1/2 inch. Ouch! I just can't do that easily, so I thought of another option. On my Fathers 1/4 scale P-47 he used a "box" to move the motor forward. Well, why can't I use a "box" to move a motor back. I'll cut a hold in the firewall and mount a recessed box in it. The motor mounts will bolt to the back of the box. Looked good on paper, and I drew out the parts on some 1/4 inch ply and had my Father cut them out. Got to keep these retired guys busy somehow. Besides, his jig saw is larger than mine. Mine would never have "cut it". So those pieces are ready and I'll be working on that for the next few days. It also might allow for some interesting muffler options with this recessed box.
All the tail surfaces are glassed and ready to be hinged. I'm working on the push rods too. This leaves the engine, wing skin (top) and tips, final retract alignment, and cockpit. Oh, I also put together what I hope to be a good rendition of the air intake and trop. filter.
10/27/00
Still lots of things happening, and lots yet to do. I've been playing with the "box" for the engine mounting. I wanted to make sure I had everything aligned right before gluing it in place. I think I've got it right, so I'll probably "bite the bullet" this weekend and glue it in. I also attached a pair of rails to the bottom of the box so I can strap a 16oz. fuel tank in place. Gives me just the right height for the tank. I also made a shelf to go above the tank, as a place to store the battery and receiver. I've made 2 bulkheads, one to strengthen the rear "wing bolt" hold down and one to just strengthen the mid-rear fuselage area. It will also serve as an attachment point for the flex cable running to the tiller arm on the tail wheel.
I've go the retract area all set now, and everything looks good there so now I can sheet the top of the wing. Funny, the wing was the first thing started and it will be one of the last things finished. The Eurokit struts and spring air retracts look like they'll be a good combination. I also did some experimenting with some thin sheet plastic to manufacture the exhaust stacks. The test piece went together fast and looks good, but repeating that 11 more times will become tedious. I'm trying to figure out how best to imitate the canopy framework. I'm thinking of using metal tape and then painting it. That would allow a little chipping to be done, for weathering. I could also just paint the framework, but I hate all the taping (to protect the clear parts). If I use metal tape I could then paint the frame (tape) by hand. Still thinking about it.
11/08/00
Finally, the top of the wing is sheeted. Looks pretty good too. I did leave an opening at the trailing edge of the wing, over the radiator/flap area. Once the wing leading edge is sanded (and the wing tips... they're installed as well) I can glass the bottom of the wing, install the radiator/flap, sheet the top of the wing in that area, then glass the top of the wing. Sounds like a plan...
Currently, the big task is sanding, lots of sanding. I've got the wing tips pretty well roughed in, so now I'll work over the leading edge. I've got all the fuselage bulkheads ready and they can be installed as I get tired of sanding. Maybe in another week or so I'll post another picture.
11/17/00
Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd do another quick update. I've glued the wing halves together and the tips are about 90% sanded. It looks like a real wing now! I found one problem just before joining the wings. The way I installed the flap bellcranks makes it so that the push rods have to go to opposite sides of the servo arm (so the left wing flap push rod goes to one side of the servo arm and the right wing flap push rod goes to the other side of the servo). Unfortunately, I ran the both push rods to the same side of the servo. Wish I'd caught this before I sheeted the top of the wing. I fixed the push rod paths, but it wasn't as pretty as I'd like. I don't know how I missed this detail. The fit of the wing to the fuselage saddle (and fillet) is not too bad. I've got a pretty large gap near the wing LE and I'm trying to figure out the best way to "cover" it.
Just a little more sanding on the wing tips and I'll glass the bottom of the wing. Oh, I've also got to add some "filler" strips where the flaps and ailerons meet the wing. Nothing major, it's more cosmetic on the ailerons. Perhaps next week I can put up another picture on the plane set up on the gear.
11/27/00
I notice that the last two entries I said that I'd try to have a new picture up. Well, I'm close but not enough to warrant a picture yet. I have had it set up on the gear, but I really need the wing bolted on to do it any justice. To that end, I've got the wing hold down mounts ready to glue into the fuselage, so it shouldn't be too much longer. I've installed the additional fuselage formers (one 1/2 way between the wing TE and the tail wheel, and another one at the wing TE, where one of the wing hold down mounts will be glued). I cut the fuselage formers from the plans, but they were not an exact fit. My guess is that the glass fuselage is a bit different than the built-up plans show. Either the fuselage that the plug was formed from was slightly different, or when the two halves were join, they were "off" slightly (the fuselage appears to be a bit "larger"). Not a big deal either way. Somehow I also installed the retract rails differently (comparing the angles between the two wing halves). It's easily fixed by simply shimming the leading mount on one side. In the future, I should insure that the landing gear mount (wing ribs with holes for the mounting rails) are cut out and are the same before I install them in the wing. I think on this wing I cut out a set of ribs (and doublers) for one wing half and installed them before cutting the other set. Silly really. I've also been playing with the flaps some more, to make sure that all is ready when the time comes to mount them to the bottom of the wing. I'm pretty pleased with what I see so far. I've got a single servo to move the flaps (all 4) and it's got 90-some in/oz. of torque. I think that should be enough.
12/3/00
The wing has been mated to the Fuselage (and looks pretty good). I'm using (4) 10x32 nylon bolts to keep everything in place.I'm working on the fillet where the LE of the wing meets the underside of the fuselage. Once that's done, I can glass the bottom of the wing. When it's convenient, I'll take that picture I've been talking about.
12/18/00
The bottom of the wing has been glassed, and looks good. I'll install the radiators and flaps next, then glass the top. All surfaces still need a 2nd coat of resin, but that should go smoothly. I'll probably concentrate on the wing for now, using the cowl work as "filler" when the resin is drying. I also still need to do some "touch up" work on the fuselage. Removing the seem and getting ready for the canopy. With a little luck, over the Christmas break I can finish a lot of this. It seems to be taking about 30 minutes to "glass" one wing panel. Just applying the second coat of resin should only take about 20 minutes per panel.
01/02/01
I was able to get a little work done over the holidays. The flaps and radiators are all mounted and connected. I did a lot of thinking, testing, and playing around with various ideas on how best to connect the pushrods to a servo for the flaps. I finally installed a separate bellcrank at the servo to operate the pushrods. It allows me better adjustment on overall movement for the flaps, and is just a nice way to make the connection. I'm now comfortable finishing the top wing sheeting (over the flap connections) and then I can glass the top of the wing. I've also made a cutout on the cowl for the engine head to stick through.
01/08/01
Well, the top of the wing is now fully sheeted. I've very happy that I waited until the flaps were installed. Looking at it now, I'd have a very hard time hooking up the radiator flaps once the top of the wing is sheeted. I've also started working on the cowl mount (added the mounting blocks). A little sanding on the wing and it will be glassed. I intend to take the plane to our next club meeting (2 weeks). At that time, I'll take another picture of it for display here. I also intend to make a list of "if I could do it over" items for this project, once it's completed. I don't expect the list to be too long. Basically, it's a nice "kit" (semi-kit really). There are just a few things that I'd do a little differently, like the whole flap area. I think I'd bury a servo in each side of the wing for the flaps. It could be hidden under the radiator itself and would ease the hookup considerable.
01/17/01
Finally I have that picture included. Doesn't show the plane in the best way, but it was done rather quickly. The top of the wing has been glassed and I've done a lot of tinkering with the cowl (attachment points and fit). What remains ... I've got to apply a second coat of resin to the wing and horizontal stabilizer. The fuselage "joint" seem (where the two halves are joined) needs to be sanded. Some additional work on the cowl and then I think I can start priming. I'm planning on using Chevron paints throughout. I've also been toying a lot with the engine mounting box. I must admit that it looks like I really lucked out here. I've got a nice fit between the cowl and the spinner, and the alignment looks good. I either did a better job up front (measuring) than I thought, or I really got lucky. I'm guessing lucky 8^) So, the engine "box" also needs to be glued into position. I should take a picture of that before I get much further to show what that is all about.
01/25/01
The engine box has been installed. I've also been able to apply the second "flow coat" of resin on the top of the wing and the top of the horizontal stabilizer. Right now it looks good, and that job went a bit faster than I expected. The Fuselage still needs a bit of work removing the seam and some thought put into the cockpit/canopy area.
02/01/01
All "flow coats" of resin are now done on all surfaces. I've also done a lot of seam sanding on the fuselage. My paint has been received (Chevron Perfect Paint). I couldn't get any spray cans of Chevron Primer, and I'm waiting to see if I can get some from Tower. What remains is to "fill" and sand the entire plane, then prime and paint. For filler, I'm going to use "Model Magic". I've had success with it in the past, and it's quite light. I generally put a "dab" of the stuff down (say, on the wing) then spray it with some water and spread it out. Thinned like that, it goes a long way and fills fast. If you're interested, I weighed it the other day. Complete airframe, ready for filling, with the engine and retracts weighs 6 Lbs. That's a bit heaver than I hoped. If I'm careful, I can still bring it in at 8 Lbs or less. I was hoping for the mid 7s. All that remains is Radio and finish basically, but I'm not a light finisher.
03/01/01
Updates are coming a bit slower now. Time crunch at work. I do have the wing ready for primer. My filling technique was a little different this time. I spray the wing with a little water, then put a daub of filler down. I then spread the filler out with a paper towel. Seems to work quite nicely. In the past, I'd just squeegee the filler out, but with the watered down filler, it gets pretty messy. This new style seems to work much better. Using a sponge might even be better still. If you think of someone taping a sheet-rock wall, and they use a sponge to remove the excess tape filler, well, this is almost the reverse of that. I'm putting filler ON instead of taking it off. The sponge (or paper towel) spreads the filler out, and keeps you from building up too much of a layer of filler.
03/07/01
The fuselage is now in pretty good shape. The seam has been sanded smooth, and all that remains is a little filler work. I've got to decide how to do the canopy and get going on the primer. I'm going to Toledo for the weak signals expo. I might be able to get a second canopy there from Bob Holman (and cut that up to use as "framework"). I might also get some spray cans of primer from Chevron. For some reason, I can't get any from Tower. This is not a show stopper (of course), but I'd like to use it if I can get it. Some little details remain as well, like the exhaust. This is another item that I might find at Toledo (or a reasonable substitute).
03/26/01
Finally gave up on getting any Chevron spray primer. I purchased a can of Krylon primer. Tested it on the wing, and it appears to be ok. The bottom of the wing has one good coat of primer on it. It's showing a little "pin hole" with my glass job. I'll fill those and sand the primer (mostly all of it should come off) and see how it looks. Most of the fuselage work is complete (sanding and filling the seam). I've put together a shopping list for my trip to Toledo (expo) next week. Looking forward to that.
04/10/01
Had a nice trip to Toledo for the Expo. Went on Friday, and it was plenty crowded, I'd hate to see it on Saturday. I picked up a HiTec Eclipse 7 channel, which I will use to guide the 109. Looks like a very nice unit. I was a bit disappointed at Toledo. There were a lot of things I hoped to see, but didn't. No manufacturers of "dry transfers" (like ProMark and Aeroloft) were there, and I didn't see an electric powered Me262 (If I did, I'd have bought it!!!). A couple of other manufacturers were absent, but overall it's still a nice way to spend a Friday. I also picked up two more of Dave Platts Videos about scale Detailing. As for my 109. The wing is primed and only needs a little more work (filling and sanding) to be ready to paint. Maybe an hours work (which may take me a week to get in). The Fuselage is ready for primer as well.
04/26/01
Here is where I'm at. Our club took part in a local mall show last weekend. I took the Me109, even though it was not finished. I intended to take some photos of it, but forgot all about it. It is all in primer now, and I'm going to do just a bit more sanding and then call it "close enough". It isn't perfect, but it's good enough for it's intended purpose. I've been fooling around with the exhaust stacks and the supercharger intake, getting them ready as well. I still need to figure out if I'll mount the canopy before or after painting. It's getting close.
05/10/01
Many distractions starting up now, and I'm so close to finishing this project that it isn't funny. I've tinkered with the exhausts, and they are ready to be installed. At least the part that can be painted with the fuselage can be installed. So can the supercharger intake. I'll start by painted some white on the areas that will be white, then move on with the desert camo from there.
05/15/01
Finally started painting yesterday (rain be dammed). My thought is .... start with the white areas (wing tips, nose, fuselage band, where the cross will be located on the wings/fuselage). I'm regaining a familiarity with my spray gun. First couple of minutes were not so good. I got way too much paint on (maybe the mix was a bit off as well). Things settled down after a while. I'm not sure how it will look. It's too difficult to judge coverage with such little paint applied. I know I'll have to steel wool the white areas before I go any further. Any areas that need touching up can be done later. Felt good just to be painting.
05/24/01
I've now attached all the control surfaces. Next step will be to tape off the areas that I want to remain "White" and the spray the bottom of the plane. Keep your fingers crossed that I actuall get this done before June 1.
06/05/01
Another small snag. I think I've mentioned this before ..... I need to get the cockpit done (not much there) and the canopy mounted before I finish-paint the fuselage. I've been working on it a little,and I think I've got a game plan going. In the mean time, I'll finish the wing off. I've e-mailed Pro-Mark to see if they will supply the markings (and avoid a little paint). Let's see if they answer their e-mail.
06/22/01
A little something cool. I've been delaying painting so I could tape off the insignias. Well, just for the heck of it, I sent an e-mail to two different companies, Pro-Mark Graphics and Kirby's Kustom Graphics. I've worked with Pro-Mark before, on my Fw190, and they do outstanding work. Especially if you really want some "heavy duty" custom dry transfers. I've only talked to Kirby's at Toledo, but they were very nice. They do vinyl graphics. Pro-Mark got back to me within two days with an estimate, very professionally broken down. The cost for 4 German "crosses" for the wings and 2 for the fuselage was just shy of $200.00. May seem outrageous to some, but believe me it's very good work. Kirby's got back to me in about 4 days, with the cost of $20.00 (plus shipping). Well, how can you turn that down, even if it's just for a test? So I said, "OK", and gave them my address and phone number. No more was heard for about 10 days, and I was just about to call them when I received a package in the mail. You guessed it, it was the graphics. That is great service for $24.00. I'll let you know how they turn out, but for something NOT contest caliber, how can you turn it down. Perhaps .... perhaps it IS even contest caliber. I'll let you know.
07/02/01
Just to be honest, it looks like I will be delaying work on this project for the next month or so. I'm going to concentrate on getting my Fathers P-39 up, which will occupy most of my (little) spare time. I will update this page as I get back into the Me109.
10/02/01
Finally back into it. Sorry for the delay. I've picked back up at the old trouble spot ... do I do the cockpit/canopy now or after I finish painting. Perhaps I've already talked about this earlier (How do I expect someone else to read this if I don't?). Anyway... I did a little experiment yesterday and cut some strips from some metal tape and applied that to the outside of the canopy, so it looks like framework. Well, it looks pretty good. In fact, so far it looks great. I can now finish off the cockpit area, glue on the canopy and mask off the clear areas. Then the metal tape will be painted with the rest of the plane and hopefully look like real metal framework (I can even weather it). The only catch that I can see is that the inside of the framework looks like .... well, like metal tape. My hope is that the metal will just reflect the colors of the inside of the cockpit. Right now ... sitting on the primed fuselage, it looks cool. <Fingers crossed>. I'll keep you posted. I've got some .005 ABS sheet painted to use for the floor of the cockpit, so I'll glue that in, put in the lucky pilot and instrument panel, then glue on the canopy.
11/03/01
Is there any more exciting stage of the building process than when you start painting? I'm falling in love with Chevron Perfect Paint. I think I only used about 3 oz. to cover the bottom of the plane (two coats). I should have some new pictures up next week, once I have the desert tan on.
11/05/01
So, right now the bottom has been painted, and I've got two very light coats on the top. The top needs a light sanding and then a third coat. I think I had the mix a little thick and got a few rough spots. The bottom only took two coats, which is really good for me. In all I think I used 1/2 of a can of paint (I think they are 8 oz. cans). I thinned it about 15%. So far, so good.
11/15/01
Minor set backs. When I pealed off some of the tape, it pulled off the base coat of white (in some places). Not too bad, I've been able to "fix" the wing tips and fuselage. The cowl, after two attempts, was taken back to ground zero. It just wasn't worth the aggravation. I needed to cut a few more holes in it anyway, for the carb. and exhaust so now that that's done, I'll prime it again and add paint. The markings are going on pretty well. The cross markings go on pretty easy, although I goofed up one of them too. I've got a replacement coming soon. The vinyl graphics seem to trap a little air under them, but I've not tried to hard to remove it (the air). I'd highly recommend them for applications where you know the base to be very smooth (like a pattern ship, or sport flyer). Where you might have any "inconsistencies" you will have a "blemish". I'm not all that worried about it personally. However, for a scale contest machine, I like the dry transfers better. I also created my first decal yesterday, and I'll try to place that on today if at all possible. It looks good on the paper <G>. I'll also post more pictures soon, as it's starting to look pretty good.
11/18/01
A quick picture. Still lots to do, but it's the first time I've had it together since starting the painting process. You can see that the cowl still needs to be repainted. Also the trop filter is WIP, the exhaust stacks are missing, a few marking details and overall weathering. The canopy is still masked off as well. However, I couldn't resist the picture.
12/05/01
The picture above does not do this bird justice. It distorts the nose pretty badly. I'll try to get a better picture up soon. All major painting is complete. I finished the cowl off with krylon primer, white, and then Chevron for the camo. I've added the exhaust stacks on the starboard side and painted in the oil cooler opening. All that really remains is to add the exhaust stacks on the port side, add a couple more decals and then it's time to finish the radio installation.
12/18/01
On the exterior, all that remains is a little shading on the ailerons and elevator, then some cheveron dead flat clear. Once that's completed, I'll move on to finish the radio installation. Here are some more pictures. Sorry for the background clutter. I'll update the table below ( "issues table") as things move along. I actually think that building another one of these scaled up to about a 72" wingspan would be nice.
01/02/02
The fuselage is complete, or at least as complete as these things ever get. I've finished "shading" the rudder and elevator and I've given the whole fuselage a coat of chevron "dead flat clear". Once that was dry I removed the mask from the canopy. It turned out pertty good. There were a few places where it appears that I didn't get a good coat of the stuff on (and so a little paint remained), but overall, I recommend it. Now I'm on to shading the ailerons and clear coating the wing. I'll prpbably continue to tinker a bit with other things as well. For example, I think my trop filter is too small (diameter), and needs to be fixed.
01/08/02
Just an updated picture for now. Future updates may be slower now, because there is not much remaining to do. Most of what remains is the radio. The chart below will be updated, and I'll also give out flight info. when the time comes ! Thanks for reading.
07/28/02
Flight Results. Finally got the radio installation complete and took her over to the field. The first flight was actually a bit "Mixed". The takeoff run required a LOT of right rudder, and I had to dial in a lot of right trim once in the air. Other than that, it was pretty nice. I backed off on the elevator a bit (duel rates), flew it around for a few minutes, then landed with no issues. I did not use the flaps or retracts on the first flight. For the second flight I put some right thrust in the engine, re-centered the aileron servo (keeping the aileron trim) and put the elevator back to high rate. Second flight was nice. The plane trimmed out well this time. Retracted the gear for a few circuits and it really looked nice! Flaps showed no real trim requirements, so I used them for the landing. The flaps did help slow it down, and added lift (imo). Just before touchdown the right wing dropped, but I was able to pick it back up and land. Third flight configuration, same as the second. Rolls to the left and right were performed (rolls better to the left). It really looks good in the air. It also has a neat whistle when going by, which I attribute to the hole in the cowl for the carb. The landing the right wing dropped again, without the graceful recovery. No real damage, but it's a disturbing trend. I think the flaps are letting me slow down more, and I'm either too heavy on the elevator, or I'm tail heavy (or both). Remember, the first flight I landed on low rate for the elevator. My next flight will test this somewhat. I'll reduce the elevator throw and see how it goes. I'll also have some nose weight ready, just in case.
08/06/02
Flight ResultsII. Here is what I've found. I took the plane to a Scale Rally in Hamburg NY (had a great time. You should try to attend !!!) and got in another flight. Took off with the elevator on high rate, NP. During the flight I switched to low rate on the elevator and that is where I left it. The landing was no problem. I used a long flat approach to touchdown on the mains. Everything was smooth. That was my only flight because I lost my tailwheel steering and didn't want to mess around without that for another flight. I also reviewed some video that my cousin took of the second flight. Never underestimate the power of video <G>. It showed that the elevator was very sensitive all through the final approach. So, using low rates seems to cure the problem. In the future I will still so some flight testing, to see if it might be tail heavy. For now, it's acceptable, but worth testing.to be continued ???
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Partial list of kit "issues" and/or things to do different next time: Possible solutions Cowl fit (seems a bit large) I believe the fit is a bit off. Not sure how to fix it. Cowl shape seems off. Almost like it's a Emil cowl placed on a Franz. I've found 3 views that support this shape, and some that do not. go figure. Glass fuselage "size", "shape" compared to built-up plans Not an issue Flap actuation (one servo in each wing, bury under radiator) If I ever build another one, I'll do this. Distance from firewall to spinner (small area for todays engine). I suggest building the all wood version of this kit (if the accessories are still available) vs. the glass fuse. There is not that much gained by going with the glass fuse, and I think it will be lighter. Will the retracts be able to move completely into the wing, or will they "hang" a bit Not an issue
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