Jimbo

Hope to run the engine today.... Nasty weather PS Steve - I've found a battery...

Here's some more piccies for you all to deride (take the piss out of)... Pretty much done as you can see. Still got to do the main weathering on the top wing, and then refine it a bit generally. Thanks to Alan R. for painting my Pete's Pilot for me. Jobs to do as follows: install the gun on the mount make the aileron connecting rods up run the engine properly install the battery and receiver test fly... I'm thinking it needs some rigging wires, but its about a 20minute job to assemble it as it is. On my puppeteer I used some thin elastic to give the impression of the wire

hee hee - that heli makes me look like a fat bugger Chris!!!

I painted mine Oily - I think its a much better finish, despite my lack of skill with a brush! Stephen will tell you that my roundels are not very round, but i think they are more lifelike than stickers. I did use vinyls for the registration lettering. For the interplane struts, I did them by hand I'm afraid. Razor plane, followed by electric sander, followed by hand sander. I'm fitting out the cockpit now - its coming on. Mines got a Laser 100 - what about you?

I laminate the board with 12mm ply. I make the board as big as I can in the space available. My Bristol Fighter has a wing span of about 6'6" so you don't want to go much less than that if you can help it. Width, you can get away with probably 2', so you could get 2 cuts from a sheet of ply, but I tend to go with about 3' to match the counter-top. Go as big as you can really Gerard - more space is always an advantage - again, depends on your circumstances.

I use a kitchen counter-top - cheap, flat and stable, with a sheet of sacrificial ply screwed to it. I will reverse the ply when its got knackered. The problem I've always found is trying to find something that is both flat and stable, and that you can also push building pins into, hence my laminate solution - the counter gives me the flatness and rigidity, whilst the ply allows me to pin down the work. Whatever you use, you will need to make sure that when you use it, it is still flat - this will depend on your circumstances of course Edit: i would recommend NOT using MDF, as

In the end I never used it Trevor - I think it probably would have been fine, but because I used cap-head bolts, it wasn't too much trouble to to use nuts in the end. The bolts would certainly have had enough shear strength (the main load from the wing). The issue was always whether the spring would hold the cabanes tightly enough together to stop lateral movement. Blooming Biplanes - the F2B has 26 screws to do up!!!!

Lacing is almost done, as is the colour scheme... Got to get the registration marking done - i don't fancy painting it cos its so small... Anyone know someone with a vinyl cutting business??? lol Got to add some cockpit detail next, and finish the undercarriage. There's some engine detail to be done, mostly the exhausts as well... Its getting there

Chris - I hope to get it flying this summer, hopefully within a few weeks now... I'm about 1/4 way though the lacing now - wow it's a dull job I'm always surprised how big it is when its together.. The span is about 6'7" and being a bipe it does look big when put together. Hope you fellas have a good fly today

Finished covering the fuselage (after a trip to Avicraft and TJD). What dya think? Now I've got to do all that lacing along the longerons... NOT looking forward to THAT much!

No he didn't I did admit that I'd used all the light grey paint and that I didn't like it. He said if I could get it all back in the can, including the gas, then he'd swap it for the darker grey you see in the pics I'm going to try and cover the fus today... wish me luck

Things are progressing....

Yeah - my ailerons are the same. I remember worrying about the aileron leading edge caps when I put them on, and wondering why I had to trim the ribs to make them fit at the time. As the ailerons are hinged at the top surface, as soon as the hinge line dips away, the hinge wont work anyhow, so I'm not worried.

The design of the Flair ailerons in their scout series is such that the ailerons are designed to be hinged at the top surface, rather then on the centre-line of the control. This makes using another hinge type a little more tricky Nutz. I've started making my rib stitching tapes (at least the rain has been good for building) so we shall see how we got there. Does anyone have any experience with rib tapes? My PVA seems prone to making the paper wrinkle under the thread which may be ok, or may not be... I used the same method on my Tiger, but I cannot remember what I did regards the

Now here's a question.... If I am going to do rib stitching, and I am also going to hinge the ailerons with Solartex as flair suggest, which comes first? The rib stitching, or the hinge? I suspect that cos the hinge is not scale, then I should try and hide it under the stitching anyhow - what's the opinions on that then??

Right well I've covered everything but the fuselage now.... I am having a moment trying to decide whether or not to do rib stitching detail... each wing has 22 visible ribs, that's an awful lot of stitching with two wings and the top and bottom to be done as well as the stabilisers, four ailerons, two elevator halves and the rudder... This of course is on top of the fuselage stitching on the model which is going to be a job in itself. How you going Oily??

:D That's Brill FOOL! (Mr T impression)

Cos your the cheesiest?? Sorry, you'll ave to wait till the votes are in

Jimboy?

I vote for Stilton - but what do YOU think???

heh OK - well in that case, I'll try and bring some hinge types tomorrow for you to see.... £30

Excellant - if they have any Magnum 20 or 30 get Steve to put a gallon on my bill willya

Did Italians fly spits then???

OK - well you can go for many types as follows: Mylar/plastic hinge - simple, effective, inelegant. Plastic flap type pinned hinge - a bit better, careful of glue in the pin when fitting. Robart Pin Style - easier to fit, slightly less secure, safe problems with glue. Elbow Hinge - see Nutz I think that's it... Go for the pinned flap type hinges - there ya go! Cut a slot, insert hinge with glue. All done.

Well I've finally found a colour scheme in which to complete my Bristol Fighter. I was spurred on at last club night when Oily craftily got Roger to half cover his - very cheeky if you ask me So - its a race to the finish Peter!!!!! I might post some pics here as things progress, but Peter won't cause he's a complete bufoon when it comes to photos eh Pete??? :D I wonder who will take to the air first... drinks on the loser?