Building season doesn't really start till tomorrow, but I jumped the gun.  I started building the wing today.  Pictures to follow along with some details on the new stunter.

It will have a foam wing this year and tricycle landing gear.  The wing area is 572 square inches.  The motor will be a Cobra 2826/12 760Kv.  

After I cut the foam, I sand the fuzz off and round the LE. The spar is made from 1/8 Lite-Ply with lightening holes.  I used some PICA-GLUIT glue I had for gluing wood to plastic (foam).  The 1/16 LE sheeting is on the LE mold and is drying.  I expect to mold the 2nd LE sheeting tomorrow.

Tuned in for the build Crist.  Your build threads are always very informational.  Thanks for the taking the extra time to document it.

Jason

Why wing mounted gear and not fuselage mounted gear on this one?

I will be using a trike gear on this one, just like last year.  A fuselage mounted trike gear just doesn't look right.

Hi Crist!

I like the fuselage look.  Kinda like the jets from the late '60s and early '70s.  It's a good look IMHO. 

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

Hey Crist, need any Sig Dope lol. How come you don't use Scorpion's anymore ??

I've got a gallon. Nobody in Iowa City or CR carry it ??

I glued in the LG blocks using 30 minute epoxy.  Then the foam was trimmed and glued in place.

I made up the wing TE.  Each TE consists of 2 pieces of 3/16 x 1/4 with 1/32 spacers to create hinge slots.  I use medium CA to assemble these against a wax paper protected straight edge.  Then I drew a line about 1/16 down on the aft part of the TE.  These lines will be used as a guide when planning/sanding down the TE to match the foam core airfoil.  The TE sheeting will go over the TE.  This eliminates a visible seam on each side of each panel.

Crist,
   Your timing is perfect.I am getting ready to assemble those cores I got at the FCM contest and had a whole bunch of questions I was going to bug you with.PLEASE keep up those wonderful pics!!!!!
                                                                                                       Jeff

OK , let's keep moving on.  I glued on the TE this morning.  I use masking tape to hold them in position then I placed the wing in the cradles and weight them down to assure a straight TE.  I align the 1/32 hinge slot spacer with the centerline of the rib when gluing on the TE.  

This evening I tapered the TE using a piece of 1" masking tape to protect the foam and then used my hobby plane to shave down the TE to the ink lines.  The ink lines assure a straight and even taper to each side of the TE.  After planning, I hit it with a long sanding bar with 180 grit.  Nice!

I then trimmed the LE sheeting to size.  I used masking tape to position the sheeting in place and used a pin to mark the aft end of the sheeting.  Hit the pin mark with a ball point pen, then trimmed it using my yardstick.  Once the LE sheeting is trimmed to size I marked the ends of the LG block with long ink lines.  I then traced those lines to the sheeting.  I then measured the distance from the aft side of the LG block to the edge of the sheeting.  Transfer this distance to the sheeting then I used a small left over piece of LG block to mark the width of the cut out.  

Then I epoxied the LE sheeting to the foam cores, weighted them down and left the shop.  BTW, I used a small disposable touch up brush to apply a small amount of epoxy to each edge of the spar and the ribs for extra insurance.

I would bet there are a lot of other designs that would be pretty close also.  Thanks for the construction photos.

Tonight the remaining sheeting was glued on the cores.

I drew the outline of the sheeting on each side of the cores with a ball point pen.  I then cut out the center and tip sheeting to size with the corner radius.  The edges were trued up against a sanding block.  I cut the TE stock to length and oversize chord wise.  Again the edges were trued with a sanding block.  I then taped the center and tip sheeting in place on the cores, then taped the TE sheeting to them.  I removed the masking tape holding the sheeting assembly to the core then flipped it over and used CA to tack glue the TE sheeting the the other pieces.  I removed the masking tape so the sheeting will lie flat when I finish glueing the pieces together.  After the CA kicks a few swipes with a sanding bar and the sheeting is ready to go.

To glue the sheeting to the core I first wet the LE sheeting with a Q-Tip along with the center and tip sheeting.  This swells the wood slightly and when glued and clamped with masking tape forms a very tight invisible seam.
I tape wax paper down to my bench top and then masked off the area of the TE sheeting that will be joined to the balsa TE previously glued on.  I then applied my epoxy and cleaned off most of it with my spreader.  I then remove the masking tape and apply PICA Glu-it to the LE portion of the center and tip sheeting.  I also run a bead of the glue down the balsa TE.  I then position the sheeting on the core and use masking tape to "clamp" the sheeting tightly to the LE sheeting.  Then on goes the cradles and the weights till tomorrow.  The reason I use PICA Glu-it on the seams and TE sheeting is that it sands very well and gives me a good edge when I round the TE.  I've used epoxy all the way down to the TE but I find it leaves a hard "ridge" where the 2 are joined when rounding off the TE.

I built the bellcrank tonight and its drying in the vise.  I'll explain that tomorrow.

The wing panels are ready to join.  Tomorrow I'll make up the flap pushrod, cut the slot, then join the wing panels.

Today I built the weight box and installed it.
The bottom is made from 1/8 5-ply Birch, the side from 1/8 Lite-ply, and the linings are from 1/64 ply.  The cover is made from 1/8 5-ply birch, 1/4 balsa, 4-40 washer (under the head of the screw) and some 7/32 aluminum tubing.

I had to notch the foam some to get the box deep enough into the wing tip.  The weight box is secured with epoxy and micro-balloons.

The bell crank uses 1/8 music wire post, 2 4-40 fender washers, and 2 1/8 line eyelets.  I use solder the secure the whole assembly.  The ball link sits on a spacer and uses a 4-40 screw with a washer under the head.  I used .027 lead out wire I got from Melvin Scheutte.  Good people.  I use annealed 1/16 brass tubing as bushings and LO eyelets.  All wrapped with bare copper wire.  Again obtained from Melvin.  I then use clear heat shrink tubing to secure the ends.

The lead out guide is made from a center lamination of 1/8 basswood with the grain going vertical, and 2 pieces of 1/16 basswood with the grain lengthwise.  1/8 holes were drilled every 1/4 inch and the holes were connected with a 1/32+ slot.  The end of the LO guide were the slot was started was filled in with 1/64 ply.  The slot was fromed using my bandsaw then opened up with sandpaper.
The 3/32 balsa tips were added and doubled up with 1/32 basswood to provide some toughness along with a coat of thin CA along the edges.

The wing has been sanded and the TE rounded.  I cut the vent holes in each rib bay between each spar to allow air to move around and as an aid when Monokoting.  I use a template and a soldering iron to cut the holes.

I cut the silkspan circles and will apply them tomorrow with nitrate dope for the center section reinforcement.

The wing weighs 9.2 oz as it sits with the weight box lid and screw.  Looks like I'll make my goal of 12 ounces for the wing all covered with Monokote, trim, weight box and cover and screw, and flap pushrod and ball links.

Crist,
 In photo 6892a your 1/8" wire bellcrank post is only trapped in the styrofoam? And it looks like the 1/8" wire ends are just under the surface of the wing sheeting. Did I miss something when you joined the wing halfs or is this your latest method of installing the bellcrank in the wing ?
    Bob

Bob,
The bell crank post rests up against and is epoxied to the 1/8 Lite-Ply spar.  The top and bottom of the post are trapped by the 1/16 sheeting which has been hardened by CA.  Then it will be covered by 3 layers of doped silkspan (see following post) then be trapped by the profile fuselage.  The outboard wing 1/8 Lite-Ply spar is glued against the the bell crank post when joining the wing halves.

Bob,
The bell crank post rests up against and is epoxied to the 1/8 Lite-Ply spar.  The top and bottom of the post are trapped by the 1/16 sheeting which has been hardened by CA.  Then it will be covered by 3 layers of doped silkspan (see following post) then be trapped by the profile fuselage.  The outboard wing 1/8 Lite-Ply spar is glued against the the bell crank post when joining the wing halves.

Bob,
Thinking more about your question I think you are asking about what is trapping the bell crank post fore and aft...right?  Yes, it is the epoxy to hold the post to the spar and the foam.  I didn't give it much thought about the post moving fore and aft.  My mind was with the pull test and movement up and down.  I'll have to think about fore and aft.  Anybody have any thoughts on this.  I have till I glue the wing to the fuselage to make any changes if needed.

Crist,
 If you still have a set of the Legacy 40 plans you made up with the foam wing adaptation you'll see the method you got me hooked on when building a foam wing. Cutting a 3/4" circle in the 1/16" balsa wing skin above the bellcrank post (top and bottom) then installing a 1/16" plywood disk with a hole drilled in the center to trap the bellcrank post and preventing it from moving fore and aft or inboard and outboard. On a profile ship I let the fuselage stop it from moving up or down. If I do a full bodied ship I would lay another 1/16" disk on top of the post to prevent it from going up or down.
                                                     Bob
p.s. are you still out of the wing cutting business ?

Tonight I applied the 3rd circle of silkspan on each side of the wing followed by 3 coats of nitrate dope.

I also tapered the flaps tonight.  I used the "Perret Bar" method to plane and sand in the taper.

You got the hardest part done and it ain't even November yet - YEE HAW!  Looking really good as per usual.

QUESTION: What glue do you use on the cap strips?  I tried doing mine with foam safe CA and it just does not hold- repaired loose ones with Titebond.  How about you?

Thanks Dennis.
I use PICA-Gluit for wood.  Not the same stuff I used for gluing on the TE.  I have never had any capstrips pop loose.  When I get home, I'll include a picture.  Not that it will do any good because the stuff isn't made anymore.

Everyone,
This is the assortment of glues that I use to build my stunters.

I use Bob Smith CA and epoxy.  PICA-Gluit and MGS L-285 laminating epoxy (hardener not shown).  The pink PICA is what I use for wood, and the green PICA is what I used to glue on the TE to the foam.  I use Pacer 560 to glue in my Klett hinges and also to attach the canopy.  I have 5, 15, 30 minute, and 2 hour Bob Smith epoxy.  I have other glues in my arsenal, but I typically don't use them on my stunters.  Ambroid, Sigment, Welder's, and JB Weld.

Today I built the stab.
The TE is made up from 2 pieces of 3/16 x 1/2 wide 7# balsa and 1/32 balsa for the hinge slots.  The TE is made up of the same only 3/8 wide.  After laminating the 3 pieces I glued on the inner edge .007 carbon fiber using medium CA.  It came in a sheet about 4 feet long by 2 inches.  1 side looks like it has a very thin layer of silkspan.  This is the side that goes against the LE and TE.  The center sheeting 1/16 7# balsa.  The ribs and diagonals are 6# 3/32 with 2 1/8 holes punched in with a brass tube.  These were glued in using then CA.  The tips are capped with 1/32 basswood to give them some durability.

It is all sanded the LE and TE have been rounded.  Some detail sanding that is left to do.  It weighs 32 grams.  13 grams below budget!  With the wing and flaps 8 grams over budget that means I'm 5 grams below budget.....I'll that it.

Made up the landing gear from 1/8 music wire.

I'm using MPI wheels.  I found the best tool for drilling out the hubs for 1/8 music wire.  It's a step drill I got from Harbor Freight.  I drill the hub using a 1/8 drill bit.  I drill just a little on one side, flip the wheel over and finish drilling all the way through.  Because its plastic, it has a tendancy to "bounce back" after drilling so the fit is pretty tight on the music wire.  I then drill out the hub with the first drill and chamfer the hole with the sloped step to the next size.  I do this on both sides of the wheel.  

I also bend my landing gear with just a degree or 2 of Toe-In.  This keeps the model rolling true.  I put just a slight amount of "right turn" on the nose wheel.  

I also grind a flat on each axle for the collar set screw.  I don't go all the way to the edge of the axle to keep the collar from falling off if it does get loose.

What type of glue is that PICA-Gluit,  water soluable ?
What do you like about it ?  How does it compare to Titebond ?

Alan,
It's an aliphatic type glue.  It's adhesion properties is excellent.  Clean up with water.  Sands to a feathered edge, not rubbery.  I like it a lot better than Titebond.  Titebond seems like a heavy glue.

I been using Titebond for a long time, and happy with it.  When you say it seems heavy, in what respect, weight or consistency ? 
In some applications I thin the Titebond with 10~20% water.

Sounds like I might have to try this PICA stuff.  Where do you get it ?   

Heavy even after thinning with water.  Just MHO.  PICA is no longer available.  Though I'm sure there is something just like out there, I'm just not aware of it.

Time for an update.  Haven't been feeling too well the last couple of days but still made some progress. 
I started the fuselage and made up the front end.  I used 2 pieces of 3/8 x 3/8 basswood to get the 3/8 x 3/4 "motor mounts" and nose gear mounting block.  I glued some 3/8 sheet together to get the required 3/4 thickness.  The vertical spacers are 1/8 5-ply x 3/4.  The "firewall" is 2 pieces of 3/32 5-ply glued together with the grain crosswise to get my 3/16 firewall.  Worked very well.  I notched the basswood for the firewall at the 2 degree angle for right thrust.  The firewall will be epoxied in after the fuselage is skinned with 1/64 ply.  The next few days I'll finish up the fuselage framework and then sand both sides down so when skinned the thickness will be 3/4.  There is no AMA rule on how thick a profile stunter has to be.

I'll finish up the elevators too very soon.