For the past few months, I have been working on an ELECTRIC take apart Ringmaster designed by Eric Rule of RSM and after several test builds, prototypes and test flights, the model is very close to a release date. I have done a build for you to take a look at that shows how the plane is constructed.  I have started with the fuselage and will build the tail and wing next.  

We will give you a choice of several ways to order.  You may order just the kit or the model built by me and ready to be covered.  The .25 electric system will be offered as plug and play (completely programmed) and read y to be installed.  I am also in the process of developing a carrying case for the plane that will store the wing, fuselage and tail feathers.

I plan to make this build thread as complete and explanatory as I can.  Also I know pricing is a question and Eric and I are working on these and they will posted as soon as we finalize them.  All I can tell you at this point that the price will be very affordable.  This is a great way to enter the electric phase of Control Line Flying if you have not already done so.

Here are some pictures:  This will be a fairly long build thread because of the amount of pictures..

Mike

Next step in building the fuselage:


This set of pictures shows the beginning of the lamination of the cores.  Laminate the center core to one of the outside cores and use the 1/8 square holes to line up each piece of the core.
Notice that I use white glue (Elmers)  the dot pattern I use prevents the piece from having a tendency to warp.  It works..a little tip I picked up from Tom Morris who only uses Elmers in the construction of his ships.

The fuselage build progresses:

This series of pictures shows a close up of the balsa and ply nose doublers, components of the canopy and the glue applied to the ply skin.

The completed UPPER fuselage:

Here you will see the laminated canopy with the tab that slips into the canopy slot on top of fuselage and the completed upper fuselage .

What kind of weights are those blue things?

I'm enjoying this thread... Love the Ringmaster!!
Very cool Mike, great building!
Even simple models look really good when built nicely.

Is there going to be a video of it flying??
I'm very interested in this model/powerplant.

Marcus

Glenn and Marcus

Thank you for the nice compliment.

Marcus I have not thought about doing a video but it is not beyond the realm of doing one.  Right now we are just getting everything done so we can get it in your guys hands.

Glenn this will be really reasonable with the electrics included.  Eric and I want to offer a package for folks like you who are just now putting their toe in the water with electrics.  Believe me Glenn, I have a lot to learn about them too.  What we are going to do is offer a basic package of the kit and all the electric components included that have been pre programmed and just a plug and play system.

You can build the kit, install the electrics (we even have pictures on how to do that), push a button, walk to your handle and 45 seconds the motor starts to turn and you fly and at the end of the flight the motor will slow down in RPMs and then pick back up and you have time to get into position for landing.  Believe me, If I can do this, anyone can...

I am also working on a nice carrying case for it so you can take it to the field broken down and in the case and put together at the field.   

Yall stay with the thread because there is more to come and how the wing slips in is very interesting....

Mike

Thanks again for the reply Mike, I'll be going out and buying me some Elmers!  I much prefer water clean up products anyways!   And keep going with the great build thread.  Very interesting.

This last series of pictures will finish up the construction of the fuselage.  I have laid out the fuselage to show how the bottom saddle slips into the the top fuselage and secures the wing in place.  Remember that the bottom saddle piece will be glued to the bottom of the wing in the center.  The wing will have a center plywood rib with a tab that projects upward from the wing and slips into the slot of the top part of the fuselage.  The wing is then secured by two 4/40 bolts.  You can see the holes in the fuselage for the bolts.

This concludes the series on the fuselage.  Next I will illustrate the construction of the stabilizer and the Rudder (Vertical Fin)

Building the tail:
 The pictures pretty well show this without much commentary.

NOTE ABOUT HINGING.  THE WAY I WOULD HINGE THIS WOULD BE TO TAKE A 1 1/2" WIDE PIECE OF WHITE RIBBON AND LAY BETWEEN THE TWO PIECES OF THE STAB USING 1/2 THE WIDTH OF THE RIBBON AND WEIGHTING DOWN THE TWO PIECES AND THEN REPEATING THIS PROCESS WITH THE TWO ELEVATOR PIECES.  THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUOUS HING RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE STAB WITH NO GAPS;  MAKE SURE YOU BEVEL THE LEAD EDGE OF THE STAB AND ELEVATOR BEFORE YOU DO THIS SO THE TWO PIECES WILL MOVE FREELY AND NOT BIND.  ALSO RUN A WHITE WAX CRAYON DOWN THE CENTER OF THE RIBBON.

I DO NOT SHOW THIS METHOD IN THIS THREAD BUT IT IS A FAST AND EFFICIENT WAY TO HINGE THE TWO PIECES.

Thanks for the pics of the stab/elevator.   Explains the methodology behind Tom's gluing method.   

Final pictures of Tail installation

More wing components:

My back has really been hurting me the last few days so I have not been at the bench. I will try and get this building thread finished as quick as I can because I am going in for more back surgery on April 17th. 

Thanks for your patience...

Mike

Building the wing:

This wing has been designed to be easily built on any flat and level surface.  You do not need a jig.  The first thing I do is glue the two spar pieces together and cut it to length.  I then lay it on the plan and mark the spar locations..  Then slid your spars onto the spar starting with the center 1/8" Plywood rib and work out toward the outboard ends of the wing placing the ribs on the marks you have made on the spar.  

Once this is done you can add the 1/16th slotted leading edge piece.  Using a 4 foot straight edge, place the two pieces up against the straight edge and glue the two pieces together in the center.  When this glue joint is dry, stand it up on edge and start installing the ribs by mating the slots in the ribs to the slots in the leading edge piece.  Use the rib guide for the three center ribs including the 1/8" thick center rib.  DO NOT GLUE THE NUMBER ONE RIBS TO EACH SIDE OF THE PLYWOOD CENTER RIB UNTIL YOU HAVE THESE THREE RIBS IN PLACE.  Make sure the center three ribs are straight up and down and then glue them into place. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PLyWOOD RIB BE STRAIGHT AND SQUARE. Remove the slotted rib guide.  You can now glue the number 1 ribs to each side of the center Plywood rib.  Do not glue anywhere else on the wing yet because you want to get the wing square before you do this.  Take a small triangle or square and square the ribs up on the marks you made on the spar.  

Find the 1/4" thick trailing edge pieces and taper them to the rear on both sides.  Lay them aside for now.

Take the 1/8 Pieces that make up the top leading edge, the bottom leading edge piece and the front leading edge piece and join them in the middle, place against a straight edge and glue together.  You can glue these pieces in any order you please but what I usually do is glue in the front piece of the leading edge, then the bottom and then the top.  That is my personal preference.

Now get your two pieces of slotted trailing edges that you previously tapered.

 Take the 1/4" inboard trailing edge piece and fit the rear of the ribs into the slots.  Do the outboard leading edge the same way.

Make sure everything is in alignment and square up the ends of the wing and glue in place.  Make sure all ribs are 90 degrees to the building surface and not slanted or tilted and glue all ribs in place.

Install the bellcrank according to the plan and sheet the 3 center ribs of the wing top and bottom.  Apply the wing tips..

Here are some pictures to help you along the way.

More wing construction photos:

Assembly Cont.

Last set of Assembly Photos:

There has been no finish sanding done at all on the model yet and there are tweaks in fit that I need to make here and there.  But basically this is it folks.

I hope you have enjoyed the thread and please get in touch with me if you would like to order a kit or a kit and the electric power system to go with it.  Those prices are in "WINGS ON STRINGS" in the Vendors Corner Section.

MIke

I am going to try and finish it before my surgery Bill.  I am kind of fighting the clock on that.  Thanks for the kind words.  I will give you a call again soon.

Mike

Hi Floyd

That question would be better directed to Eric Rule of RSM.  He is the person who came up with the idea and designed it.  I am doing the prototype build and test flying only.


Thanks

Mike

With a carrying case this is viable for those of us that have families and not much room even with a Chevy van.   With a wife, 5 grandkids and a daughter, did not have room for a plane when I went to Florida to see one of my other daughters and family.   Last year, had to rent a trailer just so I could attend the VSC.   I like the effort that Eric and Mike have put forward on this project.   Almost forgot Andy on this also.

Hard to imagine not having room for a glued-together RM.

Gosh Floyd you seem obsessed with nobody wanting a take apart Ringmaster so I gave Eric a call today at VSC and voiced your concerns.

Mike

Yeah, I seen the pic of Eric at VSC just before I was going to order some mufflers from him.  Decided I would wait til later and give him a chance to rest up from the long trip home.    Anyway showed the wife the pictures of the Take Apart Ringmaster with electric power and she just shook her head.   Guess I will have to figure out a way to get it done without her finding out until too late.

A couple of more