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Author Topic: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking  (Read 4035 times)

Offline Joshua Harel

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Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« on: April 02, 2012, 04:44:12 PM »
Hi All
I am building a Stunt Rocket from a BHM kit, and the fuselage is being planked now. Reviewing past threads pertaining to the SR indicated that a few people were wondering about the planking process, so,here are some pictures. The process is rather simple but time consuming. The more careful one is - the less sanding and filling will be required at the end.
Joshua
« Last Edit: April 03, 2012, 04:35:20 AM by Joshua Harel »

Offline Mike Keville

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2012, 04:51:38 PM »
Nice job so far!  Planking is nearly a lost art in today's world of Instant Gratification.
FORMER member, "Academy of Multi-rotors & ARFs".

Offline EddyR

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2012, 05:30:22 PM »
Mike is correct not many people will try it. When I cut the strips I hold the knife at a angle and that saves a lot of sanding.
Nice Job.
Ed
Locust NC 40 miles from the Huntersville field

Offline Joshua Harel

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2012, 05:44:22 PM »
Thanks Mike and Ed. It is too bad that many people shy away from planking because it is really easy to do and enables producing compound curves to make more aestethically pleasing models. Think for example, fuselages with oval cross sections.
Joshua

Offline Mike Keville

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2012, 05:54:07 PM »
It's so nice to see someone who hasn't forgotten craftsmanship.  In the '50s many models, mostly CL Scale, featured planked fuselages.  It's definitely becoming a lost art, requiring patience and a love of model building.

In truth, I haven't planked a fuselage for many, many years - although I've fond memories of the end result....after many hours of sanding, filling, sanding, filling, sanding.....

(I would venture that 99.5% of today's AMA - read: RC - members have no idea what we're talking about.

Again, congratulations to you for 'keeping it real'.  Please let us see pix of the finished product.
FORMER member, "Academy of Multi-rotors & ARFs".

Online Paul Taylor

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2012, 01:16:29 PM »
I still consider myself very new to all of this. I have never seen this planking done before. Is this in the plans for the Stunt Rocket?
Also why is it no longer done? Does this add a lot of weight to the model?

I do like the round shape of it.
Paul
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As my coach and mentor Jim Lynch use to say every time we flew together - “We are making memories

Offline Avaiojet

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2012, 01:41:22 PM »
I still consider myself very new to all of this. I have never seen this planking done before. Is this in the plans for the Stunt Rocket? Also why is it no longer done? Does this add a lot of weight to the model?I do like the round shape of it.

Paul,

Planking is still taking place in model building every day. R/C scale for example. Also, "The International" I designed for CL, has a planked fuselage.

This model, the Tiger Shark has planking. Certainly not as neat as Joshua's work, but still planking.  n~

I've never seen planking quite that tight and neat before.

Nice work Joshua. Kudos!

Charles
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Offline Joshua Harel

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2012, 03:11:28 PM »
Hi Paul
I have not seen your post until now, was busy at my shop finishing the planking. In answer to your question: The Stunt Rocket as designed and kitted by BHM does require planking to cover the circular cross sectioned fuselage. It is actually no heavier than any model with sheeted sides, bottom and turtle deck. The main use of this technique is to overcome compound curves and I think that originally the concept was copied from canoe building. As to your other question: Why is it no longer done? for the same reason that my Almost Ready to Cover kit of the Nutten Special does not sell on RCGroups. Majority of people want instant gratification in the form of ARF models, very few consider themselves craftsmen anymore, little to no pride in one's workmanship, and,general laziness. Many people prefer to sit in front of the boob tube and blog on the Internet rather than be creative. Same reason for why so few of us can still enjoy control line. Just my 2c.
I finished the planking an hour ago, filled any gaps with wall spackle and tomorrow will sand everything smooth. When done - I will build the cowl, and,proceed to covering the fuselage and tail with silkspan.
Here is another close up.

Offline Trostle

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #8 on: April 03, 2012, 03:46:24 PM »
I still consider myself very new to all of this. I have never seen this planking done before. Is this in the plans for the Stunt Rocket?
Also why is it no longer done? Does this add a lot of weight to the model?

I do like the round shape of it.

Paul,

Yes, the Stunt Rocket plans specifically shows to plank the fuselage with 1/8" x 1/4" strips.  The Stunt Rocket is a Walt Musciano design from 1951.  He  published dozens of CL (and some RC) scale models over the years and his plans almost always showed the use planking, at least for models larger than his multitudes of 1/2 A designs (think Scientific as well as many many 1/2A designs  he had in the the magazines).  I would say that anything bigger than 3/4" scale as most 35 or larger stunt ships would be practical for planking as oppposed to carved blocks or molded shells.

For many CL stunt designs over the years, the typical fuselage construction has evolved to use sheet sides and carved blocks on the top and often the bottom.  This type of construction can be light but good balsa (6 pound stock or less) is required and lots of hollowing is also required so that most of that block ends up in chips on the floor.  In recent years, molded shells have been extensively used.  This is a skill set that some have mastered to a high degree, but it is difficult and unless done properly, sad results can be experienced in that shapes and strength can be compromised.

I started planking from those Musciano designs back in the 50's and have continued to do so, using planking on my scale and stunt designs as well as other stunt ships I have built instead of the specified carved blocks or molded shells.  Properly done, planking can be as light or lighter than carved blocks unless the blocks are really light to start with and then hollowed extensively.  Also, when properly done, little or no filling should be required.  If the strips are taken from the same piece of balsa sheet, the sanded fuselage shell will almost look like it was carved from a block of wood.  Molded shells, properly done, are probably the lightest construction, but can be limited to the extent of accommodating compound curves.  That is where planking is a usefull technique in that shapes with complicated compound curves can easily be done, particularly when compared to molded shells.  Planking is considerably cheaper than carved blocks.  (See above comment where blocks mostly disappear in the balsa chips on the floor.)  When properly done, not only is the planked surface as light or nearly as light as carved blocks or molded shells, but will be as strong, if not stronger.  A lot of these comparisons of strengths and lightness  is dependent on craftsmanship, selection of materials, and amount of glue used.

When planking is used, it is advisable to use a cellulose based model airplane cement, like Sigment.  Sigment is more compatible with a dope finish and less prone to show the glue seams.  It should be preferred over Ambroid.  The use of CA or even the "sandable" wood glues (aliphatic) are strongly NOT recommended in that these glues will not allow the planked surface to be evenly sanded to obtain the blending of the curves.  The balsa surface will sand down, but the glue seams will not evenly do so.

Keith

ChrisSarnowski

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #9 on: April 03, 2012, 04:09:11 PM »
Looks good, very nice craftmanship. I have a BHM Stunt Rocket kit on the shelf do to in the next couple of building seasons.

-Chris

Offline Bill Little

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #10 on: April 03, 2012, 06:06:07 PM »
Hi Joshua,

That really looks awesome!  I am sure it will be a great flying model.

Maybe I will be well enough to enjoy a visit before too long.

Bill
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Offline kenneth cook

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #11 on: April 03, 2012, 06:18:25 PM »
         My favorite recollection of planking is done on the Jetco Sabre Jet. They utilized the planking with shaped edges. One side being convex and the other concave. This does allow you to sand and shape nicely. Really cool Ken

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2012, 06:52:16 PM »
Berkeley Mfg used to make planking strips for modelers use.  Here is my planking job on the P-47.

Forgot to say your planking looks great. H^^
John E. "DOC" Holliday
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Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
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Online Paul Taylor

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2012, 07:06:42 PM »
Thanks for all this info. Good stuff.
I now have to add planking to my bucket list. I want to build a plane one day with a round fuse. Just might be a stunt rocket. y1
Paul
AMA 842917

As my coach and mentor Jim Lynch use to say every time we flew together - “We are making memories

Offline Kim Mortimore

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #14 on: April 03, 2012, 07:15:57 PM »

Who is BHM models?

Thanks.
Kim Mortimore
Santa Clara, CA

Offline Joshua Harel

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2012, 07:21:12 PM »
John
I wish those planking strips were still available. My index finger was bleeding today from holding the 1/4 X 1/8 strips with one hand while sanding bevels with the other. Every so often I would sand the skin off my finger until after about 25 strips it started bleeding.
Great looking P-47 and thanks for the compliment.
Joshua

Offline Joshua Harel

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2012, 07:22:30 PM »
Kim
BHM is Black Hawk Models.
Joshua

Offline EddyR

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2012, 09:50:36 PM »
I have used strips instead of blocks on all my I/Beam models. There are no blocks or molded panels in this Juno.
Locust NC 40 miles from the Huntersville field

Offline Joshua Harel

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #18 on: April 04, 2012, 04:08:59 AM »
Ed
What a beautiful paint job, I just love it!
Joshua

Offline Claudio Chacon

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2012, 06:38:31 AM »
Hello,
I plank my fuses also. I find it easier to do than moulding shells and less time consuming than carving
balsa blocks (and cheaper as well...)

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2012, 09:26:35 AM »
With a good balsa stripper, makes use of the sheets of wood that are not wide enough for anything else.  I use a balsa plane/block plane to bevel edge before stripping off a peice. H^^
John E. "DOC" Holliday
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Offline Bill Little

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #21 on: April 05, 2012, 12:19:04 PM »
Joshua stopped by today with the Stunt Rocket.  A real beauty of workmanship, just waiting to apply the finish.  He did an outstanding job with the planking.

BIG Bear
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Offline david beazley

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #22 on: April 05, 2012, 03:47:39 PM »
here is an article from Model Airplane News in 2006 on planking
It's only paranoia if they aren't really after you.
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Offline david beazley

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #23 on: April 05, 2012, 03:48:52 PM »
the rest of the story
It's only paranoia if they aren't really after you.
Analog man trapped in a digital world
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Offline david beazley

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #24 on: April 05, 2012, 03:49:59 PM »
sorry for multiple posts but I couldn't get it the attachments on 1 or 2
It's only paranoia if they aren't really after you.
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Offline Bob Hudak

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Re: Stunt Rocket - Fuselage Planking
« Reply #25 on: April 05, 2012, 08:36:32 PM »
Thanks Dave for the article,
 I have just the project for some planking. I built 2 Sterling Corsairs many years ago that used planking on the gull wing. Time consuming but great end results.
                                                                   Bob
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