Hi

Bit more progress and lots of practice with the airbrushes and the LPH-80/E4.  Just need to put second set of checks on LE.  Do some inking with DVD marker pens and clear with 2K.

Getting used to LPH80 as opposed to the Harbour Freight type gun I was using.  Klasskote at 1:1:2 paint:catalyst:thinner at 14 PSI goes on very nicely indeed.  3 coats at 3 hours intervals.  No grainy, orange peel finish at all.  I defo wasn't using enough thinner in the past.  Effectivlely 50% thinner.

As ever, the masking takes forever and the spraying no time at all.  That 'tear off' brown paper that Amazon use to pack a toothbrush in a suitcase sized box comes in really useful.  I save it all and roll it up.

Sarpolus Challenger in the works too now.

Best practicing on these profile models as opposed to learning on the job with that 1/4 scale Fw190D😂.

Mike

Hi

Nearly there.  Just the fillets on the root to do.  I would  typically do it with microballoons and laminating epoxy. Any better ideas.

Mike

PS lol, yeah, a bit OTT on the 'shading' but its 'cartoon' anyway 😂

The grey locating blocks with XIT on them are they available.
Thanks

Hi

Yeah, head on over to RCME forum and you should be able to download from there.  I described the materials i used for the jig there.

https://forums.modelflying.co.uk/index.php?/topic/64933-laser-cutters-any-thoughts/&do=findComment&comment=1051388

Its essentially a posh version of TugWilsons jig here ...
http://controlline.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6631

Took a few minutes to draw them up in Fusion360 but a few hours to 3D resin print.  I would explain what XiT means but its an 'in joke'.

Cheers

Mike

Thanks.

Hi

Bit of a variation on the Pizzaz.  While i had the foam cutting gear out for an RC pattern model wing I thought I'd knock out a Pizzaz foam wing as per Roger Owens method.  Saw a couple of vids on Youtube.  Have never cut wings using this taco shell approach but worked out fine so far.

Theres more detail on the NewZealand Cl facebook group above.  I don't use facebook per se but the wife has an account for keeping in touch with cycling buddies.  Some useful info on there.

Anyhowz, regarding the lead outs on foam wings where you have adjustable leadouts.  The leadouts cross over the 'foam' spar'.  Im guessing we cut a slot out to avoid rubbing etc.  Question ... whats the usual depth of the slot to make sure no issues.  I would say 1/4" as a guess as the spar isn't really doing much once cut into.

However, happy to follow the accepted wisdom if different.

Cheers

Mike

PS templates made out of 2.5mm MDF laser cut.  The MDF came out of old picture frames the wife was throwing out.  The old 'they will come in handy one day' turned out to be true this time.  Small victories 😂

Nice to see the Challenger finally getting finished, how many years? 

Quote from: Dwayne Donnelly on September 14, 2025, 10:47:16 AM
Nice to see the Challenger finally getting finished, how many years? 

Haha ... hello Dwayne, hope all is well.

Indeed must be 5++ yrs since i started that model and you gave me some great advice on Barton forum.

I still can't fly CL worth a fig.  Been flying second models into the ground and of course work and the scamdemic  got in the way too.  Next year is the big push to fly more, if I don't get arrested and thrown in the gulag here in the UK for looking at someone the wrong way before then.

I'm going to knock out this foam wing Pizzaz fast and not go off on a tangent trying to do a nice finish.  It is expendable++.  Also looking at knocking out a couple of Teosawkis for practice models.  ive gone down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to make my CL models look half nice instead of just learning to fly half decent.

Building Freeflight and Radio models doesn't help getting these CL models off the bench either.

You building anything?

Cheers

Mike

Nice work.   I want to give the clamshell method a go sometime soon.

Quote from: Mike Quinn on September 14, 2025, 11:14:44 AM
Haha ... hello Dwayne, hope all is well.

Indeed must be 5++ yrs since i started that model and you gave me some great advice on Barton forum.

I still can't fly CL worth a fig.  Been flying second models into the ground and of course work and the scamdemic  got in the way too.  Next year is the big push to fly more, if I don't get arrested and thrown in the gulag here in the UK for looking at someone the wrong way before then.

I'm going to knock out this foam wing Pizzaz fast and not go off on a tangent trying to do a nice finish.  It is expendable++.  Also looking at knocking out a couple of Teosawkis for practice models.  ive gone down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to make my CL models look half nice instead of just learning to fly half decent.

Building Freeflight and Radio models doesn't help getting these CL models off the bench either.

You building anything?

Cheers

Mike

All is well here, glad I could help, I'm always fooling around with something, I built a Bob Hunt RD-1 a couple of 1/2a's and I scored a SIG Something Extra ready to cover for $75.00, can't beat that, I'm very interested in this clam shell wing, do you core it?
Take care
Dwayne

Nice looking model Dwayne.

Whats the electric setup you have in there?

Heres the links to the RogerOwens youtubes.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKarVNEcoM&pp=ygUVcm9nZXIgb3dlbnMgZm9hbSB3aW5n
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=giw1KncVWco&t=399s&pp=ygUVcm9nZXIgb3dlbnMgZm9hbSB3aW5n

I've yet to core them as i need to recut the tip template.  I've got some other laser cutting nonsense to do so am waiting to do it all in one go as it stinks the house out and wifey puts on a frown.

Will post some pics when cored and all that.

Cheers

Mike

Hi

Cored the wings, sheeted etc.  on with covering the fuselage and wings.  Using all the scrap film and tissue to get rid of it.  I. Not expecting this model to live long given my flying.

Just knocking it out asap while keeping it straight.

Yellow and blue ... colours of County Durham 😀

Hi

Finished my foam wing 50" Pizzaz today, wrapping the lines 😁. 

FM9 timer, 920kv motor, 2250 4S, APC 11x5.5E prop.  Comes in at a porky 48oz ready to fly including 1.5oz nose weight and 1/2oz tip weight.  Flaps are about 80% movement of elevators.

Motor set for 9960rpm and 3 mins initially.  From testing on the ground with a Wattmeter and measuring voltages and recharge current 3mins takes battery down to about 30%.

My first electric so wish me luck 😀

Mike

Its not pretty but hopefully I can get some useful practice out of it.