Author Topic: Update, Morley T-Bolt (Read 6843 times)

john e. holliday · « **on:** May 22, 2010, 06:09:53 PM »

As I didn't get to go to Springfield MO and didn't get to work on the Ford, I worked some more on the Thunder Bolt. The cowl was covered with dope and glass. The wing and fuse are all Poly Span. Put on several coats of clear dope until it was getting glossy. Sanding after every two coats. Then put the poly on the fuse. Right now have four coats of dope/talc on every thing. After sanding, will put on seal coat of clear. Then wait a few days or a week before primer. Mean time will get to work on the cockpit area. As pictures will show it is blue right now.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2010, 06:25:21 PM »

Howdy Doc,

I've never heard of a Morley T-Bolt, looks like a neat model. What are some of the dimensions and what engine are you using?

BTW, I don't know what it's like at the Springfield contest today, but it's SUPER windy here in southern Minnesota.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2010, 07:23:56 PM »

I'm impressed with the hinges. How do you line them up so well and what do you glue them with? Mine aren't nearly so pretty. The rest of the airplane is also very well done. All beyond my capabilities, but I'm trying to learn.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2010, 07:05:52 AM »

Warbird, the Bill Morley Thunderbolt is a British design. The kit was a short kit on E-Bay UK. Had ribs, formers, ply nose peices and full size plans. Also the landing gear and control horns. Wingspan I beleive, without going out to the shop is 48 inches. It will have the old trusty Fox .35 Stunt for power.

Russel, the hinges are strips of SIG Coverall that are cut 3/4 inch wide and about 1 1/2 inches long. They are folded in half and the crease is center on the leading edge of the flaps. Flaps are already joined. Good old Sigment was used to glue them down. Won't yellow like my favorite Ambroid. Once the flaps are attached to the wing, then all is covered with Poly Span or as the package says, "Poly Ester Tissue". It is just like poly-span that I got off the bay. Wing tips are covered separate with the poly span. There is three good coats of dope on all the wood before covering also. Then dope thinned to 1 part dope to 3 parts thinner to put the poly span down. Then it is heat shrunk. It is easier to do than write about it.

If you do a search I think I have contruction photos on here. By the way the weight as it is in the pictures 26.8 ounces and I am ready to start the color.

rustler · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2010, 03:26:31 PM »

Bill Morley is the man who first had the idea of making a British stunt engine, and with Ron Checksfield, the Merco was born. Bill took the first Merco to the Nat. Championships and took 2nd. on the model's and engine's first outing, (a Thunderbird). If interested see Merco on Dave Day's web site.

Andrew Tinsley · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2010, 03:39:23 PM »

Hello Doc and Ian,

Was just penning a reply when Ian's contribution pinged in. Doc, your build looks excellent, much better than my previous efforts! I used an orange head early Merco on my firsy one.
Ian, for some reason I have it in my head that the Morley Thunderbolt was used as a testbed for the first Mercos. I got a little confused when you said it was a Thunderbird. Have I got confused? May have misread Thunderbolt for Thunderbird some time in the distant past?

Regards, Andrew.

Dallas Hanna · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2010, 05:06:11 AM »

Quote from: Andrew Tinsley on May 23, 2010, 03:39:23 PM

Hello Doc and Ian,

Was just penning a reply when Ian's contribution pinged in. Doc, your build looks excellent, much better than my previous efforts! I used an orange head early Merco on my firsy one.
Ian, for some reason I have it in my head that the Morley Thunderbolt was used as a testbed for the first Mercos. I got a little confused when you said it was a Thunderbird. Have I got confused? May have misread Thunderbolt for Thunderbird some time in the distant past?

Regards, Andrew.

Bill's words from his report Andrew.

"I installed it into a Veco Thunderbird which was built for the 1958 Nationals on a typically tight schedule. On the morning of the Gold Trophy I arrived at Waterbeach airfield with the model never having been flown owing to it only having been.finished the night before. A couple of test flights showed the engine to be steady as a rock and with plenty of power. In the Gold Trophy it performed faultlessly, enabling me to come 2nd, only three points behind winner Pete Ridgway. Naturally, Ron and I were delighted."

Looks good John. There are a couple flying down here in Classic. Not sure what engines. Make sure the cowl has good air outlets as both the Thunderbolt and Crusader of Bill's have minimum outlets and can cause overheating in hot climates.

HH

john e. holliday · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2010, 05:37:35 AM »

That is one of the things I noticed on the plans. Have put more openings in the sides and bigger opening at cylinder head. Big enough I can use a glow plug clip. Started on the pilot I tried making a mold of.

Andrew Tinsley · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2010, 05:59:32 AM »

Thanks Dallas,

Thunderbird it is! Still have a feeling that Bill Morley used Merco's in his Thunderbolt. Doc, does it show an engine on the plans? Maybe that is where I got confused?

Andrew.

Dallas Hanna · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2010, 06:16:03 AM »

APS plan shows Frog 500 in the Thunderbolt. Not sure if there was an alternative engine on the plan.... maybe a diesel AM or something. I think you will find that the Mercury "Crusader" was the one purpose built for the Merco engine Andrew.

HH

Andrew Tinsley · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2010, 08:33:27 AM »

Hi Dallas,

The Crusader must have been the plane I am thinking of. I built one when they first came out. That is why I am confused! I still have a Crusader kit in my loft. Must build another one , but the kit wood is c--p! So I must get some decent wood and use the kit as a template!

Thanks again,

Andrew.

rustler · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2010, 02:58:26 PM »

Andrew - photo 1, p.6, Jan-Feb Claptrap.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2010, 02:02:58 PM »

Okay I am really really really slow on this. The plans do not show what engine was used. At least the plans I have. I have finally got the color and graphics on it with two coats of clear. It is already to glossy for a military fighter. I swiped some of the graphics off the Planeaday site. Just need to finish it up and get ready to fly. Will weigh it when done before putting all the other required stuff in or on it.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2010, 09:28:08 PM »

Lookin' good Doc!

Bill Little · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2010, 10:05:19 PM »

Hi Doc,

It turned out real nice! Looks like she will be a good flying plane.

Mongo

W.D. Roland · « **Reply #15 on:** June 29, 2010, 12:35:12 PM »

Doc
Not only does it look good it also looks like it will fly excellent! Just has that look. Looks light.

Years ago (1968 or so?) I bought a used stunter with a sand cast 4 bolt head 2 bolt back plate fox .35 stunt.

The airplane had been modified to look like a FW190 but have never found what airplane it was modified from.
Your T-Bolt sure looks like it would be it!

Is it possible for you to post info like the span, chord, section thickness, flap to elevator hinge line, elevator span and or other info for identification?

Thanks
David

rustler · « **Reply #16 on:** June 29, 2010, 02:22:20 PM »

Quote from: W.D. Roland on June 29, 2010, 12:35:12 PM

Is it possible for you to post info like the span, chord, section thickness, flap to elevator hinge line, elevator span and or other info for identification? Thanks David

Better than that, why not get a plan. I'm sure available from more than one source, e.g. the maker of the short kit?

Bill Little · « **Reply #17 on:** June 29, 2010, 05:14:47 PM »

Quote from: rustler on June 29, 2010, 02:22:20 PM

Better than that, why not get a plan. I'm sure available from more than one source, e.g. the maker of the short kit?

Hi David and Ian!

There is a seller on ebay from the UK that sells those plans. I am sure I have seen them under his listings, along with many plans from other UK kits, etc., but I cannot remember his name right now.

I got a set of Ken Taylor's 1956 Centuar plans from him. They were kit plans originally, with everything added to make them complete. A good looking plane with three different LG options! I have an EXCELLENT Merco .35 to use and with an upright engine, it will be perfect.

Big Bear

john e. holliday · « **Reply #18 on:** June 30, 2010, 07:04:54 AM »

To keep this lazy old man from typing so much. Go to the product revue and look for my post on the Thunderbolt. All of the info is there including the e-mail of the gentleman. He does sell on E-bay UK. Very fine gentleman to work with.

Neville Legg · « **Reply #19 on:** June 30, 2010, 10:13:53 AM »

I put a scan of the Bill Morley Thunderbolt original Aeromodeller plan and article on here, sometime time ago, no I didn't someone else did it for me

Its here somewhere!

Cheers Neville

W.D. Roland · « **Reply #20 on:** June 30, 2010, 05:41:08 PM »

Doc
All I found is where you posted 49in span.

The airplane in question has a 47in span..BUT looking at the pictures of your T-Bolt the tips are much larger/rounded than on this airplane.
The span with out tip is 44in.
If you get a chance see it that matches.

Neville
I did all sorts of searches and nothing turned up!

Thanks guys!

David

john e. holliday · « **Reply #21 on:** July 02, 2010, 11:53:31 AM »

The final pictures unless something happens. Weight minus everything was 23 ounces. Now the tank, engine, wheels and tailskid are on. It is ready to hook up the lines. Final weight, 42 ounces.

Frogot to add pics. jeh

Also a lad in UK Forum caught my weight differences. How much is 1 pound 15 ounces? Second weight I think is oklay at 2 pounds 10 ounces(I say 10 ounces as the scales kept jumping from 9.5 to 9.9 ounces. The old grey matter is going or is it gray? jeh

Bill Little · « **Reply #22 on:** July 04, 2010, 12:35:34 PM »

For those who might be interested, I found the name of the ebay vendor:

flyer21uk

He has been great with me in the dealings I have had, and has many more plans than he lists weekly.

Mongo

Annette Elmore · « **Reply #23 on:** February 19, 2011, 02:08:13 PM »

The original article for the Thunderbolt can be found on my site!

http://www.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk/articles/cwdata/thunderbolt1.html

http://www.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk/articles/cwdata/thunderbolt2.html

There are loads of other articles and engine tests too:

http://www.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk/telmore.html

Annette

Annette Elmore · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2014, 09:38:04 AM »

I am building a Morley Thunderbolt for a Magnum 25.

Should I shorten the nose a bit to take into account the weight of the muffler - and the Magnum is I suspect heavier than the Frog 500/AM 35 shown on the plan.

I've also noticed that on the plan the spacing shown for the AM35 is 1 1/4" when the AM crankcase is only 1" a hint that the original used a much larger engine.

Annette

John Park · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2014, 01:28:56 PM »

Folks:
it
Just a silly little comment: the original magazine article in AeroModeller contains a splendid typographical error: it advised that, during construction, the rear fuselage should be held together 'w banith rubberds'! I well remember chuckling over that, all of fifty-nine years ago.

Regards
John

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2014, 08:12:58 PM »

Very nicely done doc!

Dallas Hanna · « **Reply #27 on:** June 03, 2014, 02:08:17 AM »

Looks good John. Enjoy flying it.

A couple of pics of the original by the old English master, Bill Morley. Pics from Bill's personal album.

HH

john e. holliday · « **Reply #28 on:** June 03, 2014, 09:57:42 AM »

Now to the guy that wants to shorten the nose for a modern .25. Don't do it. I have a Fox .35 Stunt with tongue muffler on mine. The plane flies fine, except I started having a Fox that decided it was going to run hot at VSC. After I got home I opened up the sides of the cowl, so it doesn't look so good now. Need to make new cowl. Also flying off the circle I used to use a wheel caught a clump and flipped the plane braking the tail assembly off. It has been glued back on but not flown. Now it hangs minus engine as I needed it on another plane. Have found my stash of Fox's and it will be in the air again. Would you believe the plane was built in the bed room as the daughter had my shop for sleeping quarters for that period of time.

Annette Elmore · « **Reply #29 on:** June 03, 2014, 11:28:57 AM »

Thanks Doc I will build it as the plan.

And I'm not a guy I'm a gal!

Annettd

Bill Morell · « **Reply #30 on:** June 03, 2014, 06:39:34 PM »

I would like to know how you find this short kit on UK eBay? Anyone got a link?

john e. holliday · « **Reply #31 on:** June 04, 2014, 08:00:27 AM »

Annette, hope you except my apology as I did not think when typing. My excuse and I'm going to stick with it. Now I don't know if the person(is this okay) is still doing short kits I don't know as I have not seen any on the UK Ebay lately. I think I have almost all of the print wood short kits that were available at one time. Guess I will have to go look and see if their site is listed on the order form.

Annette Elmore · « **Reply #32 on:** June 08, 2014, 12:36:08 PM »

Hi Doc!

Not sure if it's the same person who used to sell on eBay as old school model plane factory I got my short kit from belair and unlike the eBay seller it has laser cut fuse sides - great quality wood too!

http://www.belairkits.com/itemsection.asp?id=52

Annette

PS just got an OS Max-S 30 from eBay I may use that instead of the Magnum..