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Author Topic: Vector 40 kit build  (Read 2235 times)

Offline kevin king

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Vector 40 kit build
« on: January 18, 2021, 05:50:34 AM »
Ok, who has built a Brodak Vector 40 KIT that can answer a few questions? If someone could tell me the height of the rib centerline off the table it would be helpful. So far I did my best to flatten and shim the table. Then I pinned the 1/2" balsa Leveling bar to the plans and checked it with a ruler, next I shaped the wing lower spar and shimmed the tips up 1/8" off the table. Then I dropped the ribs in place on the spar. Well, if you have built this kit you know the slot in the ribs has to be opened up to fit the spar. Long story short all the center lines are OFF. Note: This is a die cut kit, not a laser cut kit.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2021, 12:22:49 AM by kevin king »

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2021, 05:58:44 AM »
 HB~>  The rib center lines from the front to back are off as much as an 1/8" on each rib. And they are off in a random matter. I hate building wings. I guess I should have checked each individual rib before I glued it. Thats why I need the center line height off the table.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2021, 11:19:45 AM by kevin king »

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2021, 01:42:18 PM »
Guess I will bust every rib off and re glue them.

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2021, 04:33:48 PM »
Motorman, the spar slots needed some sanding, to fit on to the spar. That is possibly the reason the ribs were out of alignment. So, in other words, the center line of all the ribs are off. I see no other way to fix this except breaking each rib free and aligning them one by one. Something I should have done in the beginning before gluing them all in place with CA.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2021, 02:13:12 AM by kevin king »

Offline Alan Buck

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2021, 05:06:00 PM »
Kevin you could buy a set of lazer cut ribs from brodaks
just another choice
ALAN E BUCK

Online Brett Buck

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2021, 05:50:33 PM »
Guess I will bust every rib off and re glue them.

   I can't quite get what you are describing, are the individual ribs pitched up or down relative to each other? In other words, to get it straight, you would have to force the spar out of shape?

   If so, that is not a unusual situation with die-cut kits, the spar slots usually aren't that accurate, and you usually have to shave and shim the spar slots so it lays down flat without stressing something and before doing the final gluing. The tolerance on those slots to get, say, 1/16th" worth of alignment at the TE might be .010-.015" at the slot.

    Given that, what sort of glue did you use? Ambroid or other model cement, you can easily soften with acetone and remove those that need to be adjusted. Once out, use a single-edge razor blade to shave the slot, and then shim it on the other side . Get them all to line up, then glue it.

    You might be able to get it loose with aliphatic. With cyanoacrylate, you can hypothetically get it loose with debonder, the problem is that it might not bond again with CYA due to the residue of the debonder. In that case, I would use a razor-blade (broken in half double-edge, if possible - really thin) and cut right down the bond line, vertically, to slice it loose. It will almost always wind up slicing through on the spar side of the joint, but the difference should be minimal, and you were going to either cut or shim it anyway.  Do what you need to, and put it back.

     I am a little unclear on the order of operations here, I would probably build the entire TE up with the shear web, flat on the table, then apply that to the tail of the ribs, and that will hold it straight while you glue the ribs to the spars.
   
   I would have stack-sanded the ribs with particular attention to the spar slots, TE, and LE wood, and then worried about the curved part afterward.

    Bear in mind I haven't built any kit straight from the parts and plans since 1979, so I would do it my way, not necessarily what Brodak would have done it.

    Brett

p.s. I usually glue the spars to the ribs as one of the last operations. That's also how it says to do it on the Nobler plans - after the TE, LE, LE Sheeting, etc, block it straight and then glue the D-tube spar to the ribs. There are two reasons for that, one, the one we see here, and second, if you glue the ribs to the spar first, all the spar slots are on the same side, so when your ambroid shrinks, it will pull in a bunch of dihedral as the slots close up.

    Brett
« Last Edit: January 22, 2021, 11:31:58 PM by Brett Buck »

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2021, 02:32:28 AM »
Thanks for the replies everyone. I tried to de-bond the CA joints with lacquer thinner yesterday (didn't work) and then proceeded to cut the ribs loose using  a thin razor blade as Brett suggested. Thanks for your help and suggestions. Appreciate it.
Kevin.





Offline Alan Buck

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2021, 10:49:21 AM »
acetone will dislove ca apply with a q-tip to glue joint
ALAN E BUCK

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2021, 08:45:38 PM »
So far I got 13 ribs redone, 9 left to go. I made a makeshift height gauge with a T-Pin at exactly 1" off the table. Every rib at the TE had to be shimmed up.                          Kevin.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2021, 12:36:30 AM by kevin king »

Offline TDM

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2021, 07:13:08 AM »
I had the same problem when I built my wing for the VECTOR. The obvious problem is how do you build a wing like that straight?
My solution was to lift the wing off the table and built it 2in above the table. This is what I did. I cut a few sticks about 2.5in long and accurately measure and mark the 2in position. After that you can glue the root rib and the tip rib LE and TE balsa sticks. The next step is to lift the wing up align the LE and TE and glue them to the sticks you just made so it hangs 2in above the table over the plans.
Instead of sticks you can cut right angle triangular pieces of scrap balsa too. Actually I think this option is more rigid.
I hope this makes some sense.
Come of the live chat tonight and we will sort it out for you.
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Offline Dennis Saydak

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2021, 08:34:01 AM »
Kevin, Lee Valley sells a CA debonder. I just bought a bottle and it works very well to dissolve this stuff from my fingers. Beats sanding the skin off fingers especially after the glue bottle / tip starts to leak.
Just when you think you're getting ahead in the rat race.....you find the rats just get faster! MAAC 13120L

Offline Ken Culbertson

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2021, 10:46:42 AM »
Kevin, Lee Valley sells a CA debonder. I just bought a bottle and it works very well to dissolve this stuff from my fingers. Beats sanding the skin off fingers especially after the glue bottle / tip starts to leak.

Hobby Lobby carries the kicker and debonder, however they don't carry the glue.  Sort of like a bakery that only sells fruit.

Ken
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Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2021, 04:28:21 PM »
I picked up some acetone and that helped soften the CA. Then I took a thin razor blade to free each rib loose one at a time, and then reset the center line at 1" front and back of the rib. So far so good, but, upon further inspection I noticed some other issues. Can't be on live chat because I'm at work.

Offline kevin king

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2021, 04:31:28 PM »
TDM I will go over read your reply as soon as I'm off work. Thanks too all. Appreciate your help.       Kevin.

Offline Peter Nevai

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Re: Vector 40 kit build
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2021, 04:54:43 PM »
They must have changed the kit construction at some point. Back in 2005 the wing was assembled a completely different way. I also recall it was laser cut back then.
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