Sorry for not posting as much on this build as usual...I have had some build photo's in my SN Dist V column over the last few issues, but I really haven't been motivated to post much lately. It's hard when you are pushing to meet a deadline and most of your free evenings are spent in the shop. Anywho, better late than never.
Paint is KlassKote Epoxy primer, base color and trim. Stencils for the checkers and wingy thingy emblem I drew up in PhotoShop, then Derek Barry converted them to Autocad, sized them properly and cut the vinyl. Derek's work is amazing, makes me look like I know what I'm doing...
The clear was a new adventure for me, my first outing with 2 part urethane. So far, I think I'm going to like this stuff.
The particular urethane I chose was sold by KlassKote also. This was the "small" 2 part KlassKote Urethane "kit" they sell, I put over KlassKote Epoxy colors/primer - The whole finish was under 7 ounces including the clear, which weighed about 1.5 ounces before wet sanding and buffing. The kit is 3 to 1 plus reducer (1 larger can part A, 1 small can part B, 1 small can reducer), remeasured and enough to do about 21square feet I think they told me. I set a small amount aside unmixed for emergency repair, then I mixed by volume but was curious, so I zeroed my scale with my jar and weighed the mixed contents which came to 10 ounces (thinned with reducer). I used less than half the contents of the jar which wasn't quite full to start with. That means I put about 4 or 5 ounces (by weight) of material through my gun, of which about 30% were solvents (reducer) and 1.5 ounces of it stayed on the plane the rest evaporated or went in the air as overspray.
All up weight is currently 63.5 -64 ounces on my digital scale (depending on how much tip weight this will end up with).
I'm very happy with this weight actually... it's a bigger (well, longer fuselage anyways) plane than my last Starfire, and it's almost 2 ounces lighter.
C/G is right on per plans, 6.75 from TE, I set the leadouts at 6" from TE to start, power is PA65 on Quiet Pipe at 18.5".
First flights were last weekend with Bill watching. I transplanted the settings from last years plane, and they were pretty much on the money in this plane. Tank shim, pipe length, etc, Wings about level, maybe a dial of wedge, need a calm day to really tell. I pretty much set the needle with the tach on the first flight and that's where it stayed. Love it when a plan comes together. I think some tip weights going to come out eventually, but for now I'm enjoying the safety margin. This baby's got corner, and then some. I like the power steering feel, especially at the intersections of the eights. Now the pilot just needs to catch up to the plane. Got to burn some fuel before Muncie. I don't think I'll be getting 28 flights per day like PJ, but I hope to get enough over the next few weeks, heh.
Ok, I know I know, shut up and show us the pic's...
Pic1 - Someone enjoying his new $10 tyvek suit...and $30 respirator both well worth it when shooting 2 part paints
Pic 2- 6 - Various shots of the new bird, a shop pic or two showing the bottom red checks, and out at the field on day one.
Topic: New Rapier pic's, done and flown. (Read 2621 times)