Stabaliser and Rudder

The stabaliser and rudder are now both fully skinned and just need a bit more sanding down. After Christmas I will be installing them into the fuselage. I have started cutting out the ribs for the wing which promises to be a long job!

The stabaliser has ended up looking almost as big as the wing on my Cambrian ME109!

Rudder and Stabaliser

The rudder and stabaliser are coming on nicely. Both have been straight forward to build, with the stabaliser been the easiest as the ribs all had tabs to maintain the correct level while building. The rudder on the other hand didn't, but due to its smaller size it was easy enogh to eye in and make sure it was vertical. Skinning of both will be finished soon and I will then fix them to the fuselarge so that I can complete the skinning of the back end. After that its the wings and the start of covering!

Starting to take shape!

More Skining on both the Zero and Bearcat

Skining Underway

This could be the last post for a few weeks judging on how long it took to add the skin shown on the photo below. Sanding and shaping every piece is a little time consuming, but on the bright side the joints so far are perfect with no gaps.

Dave's Bearcat is ahead in the skining department and is looking good.

Stringers in

Most of the stringers are now in. The most time consuming part of mondays building session was to install the pushrods for the elevator and rudder before putting the stringers in place. However both are now done and skinning can now commence!

Aileron Ideas

I have two options for the ailerons. The first is similar to my Mick Reeves spitfire, with a hinge at the top of the surface and a ball joint in the middle of the moving surface.

The second option is to do away with conventinal model hinges and to incorporate a steel rod along the entire length of the aileron attached to the wing by 1/8 ply bearers. A control horn is then soldered to the steel bar within the aileron.

Ailerons

Must admit to not being too happy about the ailerons for the model. They obviousley aren't scale but designed for functionality. I am thinking about re-designing along the lines of the Mick Reeves Spitfire I have.

Continuing the Fuselage

This week I have continued with the fuselage, cutting out the fuel tank floor and the wing saddles. The formers were all glued to the crutch ensuring that each was vertical first using a set square. Following installation of the formers a limited number of stringers were glued into place to ensure the formers stayed vertical. The wng saddles and the fuel tank floor were then glued into position. Before I install the remaining stringers I will be putting the elevator and rudder push rods in place.

The following photo is of my friend Dave's plane a Ziroli Bearcat. Slightly further ahead than mine, but then he did use a laser cut kit and it is his cellar!!

Crutch built

The crutch for the fuselarge is now built and the formers for the fuselarge are cut out. I built the crutch over the plan but with a layer of tracing paper between so that there was no glue damage to the plan.

All the formers have gone over the crutch really well and will be glued in place shortly. Once glued in place I will start adding the stringers.

Plans Arrive

I have now received the plans, a cowl, canopy, drop tank and cast resin dummy engine for my A6M5 Ziroli Zero. Let the fun begin!

A6M5 Zero