Bet most of you have trouble pronouncing the Subject above!  Taube is German for Dove and Stahl is German for Steel so it is a Steel framed Dove.  The Taube was designed in Austria by Igo Etrich in 1909.  The first Taube flew in February of 1910 and then a contract was made with Rumpler of Germany to produce the Taube in quantities for the German Air Force.  Due to a problem with the contract Rumbler stopped paying Etrich royalties and when Etrich did not enforce the contract the design of the Taube became public property.  At least 14 different companies built versions of the Taube.  One of the companies was Jeannin which brings us to the plane I am modeling.

It has been suggested I share the build of my 2011 CL Scale model here on Stunt Hangar.

This summer at the Brodak Fly-In I bought a scale kit from Jack Sheeks.  My wife thought it would be an interesting plane to model.  It is a Nick Zeroli kit of the early WW1 German Taube.  The kit was produced in 1984.  The kit is for RC and is stand way off scale.  The first thing was to go on the internet and find a Taube that is similar to the kit.  The original Taube used a cross wind landing gear arrangement that is very hard to reproduce and the kit has a conventional land gear arrangement.  In 1914 Jeannin came up with a redesign of the Taube using conventional landing gear and steel in place of wood for the frame.  See the first picture which is the Three Views of the Rumpler Taube and includes a drawing of the control system.  Order a reel of cable for guy wires!

I found by using a Google search on "Taube airplane" several photos of different models or reproductions of Taube.  One plane fit my needs as it has conventional landing gear and is much simpler that the original design.  The Jeannin Taube by using the steel frame eliminated the wood trussing from under the wing.  They also determined that the lower set of control rigging for the wing warping was not required as the slip stream alone would keep the reflexed wing tips down.

As designed by Nick Zeroli the kit used a straight wing with rudder and elevator for flight controls using conventional push rods for controlling the airplane.

I wanted to have a form of wing warping to be able to do a Wing Wave as an option.  I first built the wing per the kit , then I cut a section loose on each tip to be hinged to serve as ailerons.  See second picture of wing.  That is my KIA Rondo 7 passenger van behind thewing for size comparison.  The wing had to be made to come apart for transporting to contests.   Since the I have emailed some Friends and it was suggested that I go the full Monty and make it just like the original.  

If you look at the three views there is a strange curved line across the wings and the ribs are dotted (hidden) in front of the line and solid behind the line.  That is because thewing is covered top and bottom back to the line and is only one layer thick behind theline . The solid lines represent the rods that are in pockets of the fabric covering. See picture of the tail.

Have to quit for now,
Clancy

Tim
The Three Views and pictures below should clear up about the wings warping.  The actual aircraft used Cane Fishing poles for the rods in the wing trailing edge and in the tail.

In my first post I attached one wrong picture.  I posted a picture of my model in stead of the picture of the tail feathers on the actual airplane.  In the picture I posted of my model I had added blue masking tape to the tips of the wires to make it easier to see the shape of the wing and tail. 

The Taube kit is 88 inch Wing Span and 1500 Square Inches (10.4 Sq. Ft.) Wing area.  As shown but with the OS 91 Surpass 4 stroke engine added it weighed 5 lb 8.2 oz.

Clancy

This will be a beautiful bird! You just made me smile seeing a WW1 legend being built!

In the end you must get flight video!!!

Today I was studying some of the pictures I have copied from the Internet trying to solve one question when I found 4 more cables!  Who slipped those in there?

After finding the extra cables in the picture I saw that they were also on the Three View drawing, so I will have to include them.

That makes the total 88 cables that I have to make up!
Clancy

John
I am sure you went through the same planning process that I am doing.

How will I assemble this thing at the field?
Step 1. Place body on table.
Step 2. Assemble wing halves together and secure.
Step 3. place wing on body. Connect cables from wing to engine. Plug in the U/Tronics input cable from the wing to the Decoder module.  Secure wing to body.
Step 4. Turn over and secure lower wing cables to bottom strut.
Step 5. Turn back over and secure top wing cables to top strut.
Step 6. Connect wing warp cables to leadouts.
Step 7. Install flexible tail section in place. Connect the up elevator cable to the upper bridle.
Step 8. Stand on nose and connect the down elevator cable to the lower bridle.
Step 9. secure the tail spreader bridles to the ends of the spacers both sides.

This is a First Approximation of what it will require to get the Jeannin Stahltaube ready for static judging or flight.

Clancy

I was asked on another forum to explain how the three piece bellcrank works.
I have attached 4 pictures that should show how it functions.
Picture 023. Bellcrank in the DOWN position.  The Down lines are pulled and the Up lines are relaxed.
Picture 24. Trailing edge of Elevator is Down. Note: I have not made the spreaders that will connect to all of the rods in the Elevator so at present only the center of the Elevator trailing edge is moving.
Picture 25. Bellcrank in the Up position.  The Down lines are relaxed and the Up lines are pulled.
Picture 26. Trailing edge of Elevator is Up.  The trailing edge of the Elevator, at the center where the cables are taped on, moved over 3 inches during this photo session.

The reason for the two long drag links on the bellcrank is to allow clearance for the Leadouts to clear the control cables.
Clancy

John Witt in his write up on building his Jenny he said  to make parts or subassemblies so that you can see progress along the way.  Great Idea John.

I spent some time today making subassemblies and then hooking them up to see if they work.  They do!  The bridle will move the trailing edge of the horizontal Flexible tail 3 inches from full down to full up.  Just think, a stunter with that much control throw would turn a great corner.  Wonder how the Steel Dove would do a loop?

Picture 127. Bridles made for wing and tail warping. I used 1/4 inch lengths of 1/16 aluminum tubing and crimped with a set of pliers that have a 1/8 inch flat on the ends.
Picture 128. Top tail bridle temp. in place.  The heavy lines are the .062 wires in the tail and the light lines are the .015 control wires.  That is about 40 feet of .015 flying lines recycled.
Picture 129. With top and bottom bridles temp. installed.  It is getting busy back there!
Clancy

Clancy Hopefully I can see that Fine looking plane next Tuesday

I'm planning on coming down for some flying

Someone commented that the early planes had a yaw stability problem.  No wonder, This is a 1500 Square inch Wing Area model.

Compare the Horizontal stabilizer (120 Sq. In.) and elevator (195 Sq. In.) to the vertical stabilizers and rudders. With 30 square inches of vertical stabilizer and even less rudder yaw control is almost non existant.

Picture of tail feathers ready to cover.

Now you can see why the rudders are shaped the way they are. 
Clancy

Have been busy making more subassemblies.  Have almost ran out of the first set of .015 stranded flying lines to rig the model.  I have made the wing tip bracing that is used to hold the flexable wing tips spread out and the spreaders for the flexible tail section.

As john Witt said, "plus the ones you make too short or too long."  Well, Two extras because they were too short and one because it looked wrong.  It was one of my first ones so I have an excuse.  LOL

Picture 149.  Left wing tip spreader.
Picture 150.  Another view of the left wing tip.
Picture 151.  The tail spreader on the right side of the tail.  Note that it is guyed to the rudder post at the base and tip.
Picture 153.  A different view of the tail spreaders.
Picture 154.  I have made the flexible section of the tail removeable.  To remove the tail I remove the screw and unhook the guy wire going to the front tip of the horizontal stabilizer.  The brass tube and the vertical guys stay attached on the stab.
Picture 055.  This picture is for Bill Gruby.
Clancy

Clancy, that is one beautiful model. I like your out of the box method of construction as well. Keep up the wonderful work. You showed me another use for sockets when I retire. 

I built the two "A" frame towers that support the wing guy braces today.  I made the legs out of 1/4 and 1/8 inch brass tubing.  I first squeezed the tubing from round to oval using my big bench vice.  I would advance the tube through the vice about 2 inches at a time and squeeze the tube some more.  With a lot of patience and arm work I was able to change the 1/4 inch tube to an oval of .190 x .310 inch and the 1/8 inch tube to an oval of .100 x .165.

Picture 156. I needed one more clamp to do this right.  I soldered together the one in the picture and was very happy with the way it turned out.  Set up to do the second one for the bottom of the plane and messed up the first seven attempts.  The eighth try looked acceptable.  There is a notch in the piece of balsa being held vertical by the small red "C" Clamp to allow access for the 100 watt soldering iron to apply heat to the .030 brass top plate when soldering.
Picture 157.  Both towers in position on the model.
Clancy

I am going to have nightmares after seeing the jig of the A Frames.  How dare you even think of covering this once it is done. LL~You have way more patience than I do.

You asked for it!

The first is a video of a Balsa USA 40 model Taube flying. It has all conventional controls.



The second video is of a Full size replica of a 1913 Etrich Taube. It has the wood frame and the wood trusses under the wing but they also did not use the
lower cables on the wing tips.



Once you get to YouTube there are several videos of interest.

Enjoy,
Clancy

John
Only if I wear my Lead Sneakers and Scuba Diving Belt.  LOL

Spent most of today working on details.  I learned that the proper name for the towers that anchor the wing guy cables are called King Posts.  
Picture 158. The two King Posts with their guy cables attached.  The Bottom King Post is on the left and the Top King Post is on the right.
Picture 059. A closeup of the Bottom King Post showing how the cables are attached.
Picture 060. The cables removed from the King Post.  They have to come apart as the wing is transported in two sections.
Clancy

Well Clancy....I can tell one thing about you by viewing these pics....your a masocistic, gluton for punishment!   Beautiful build so far, really looking forward to seeing how you cover it.

Glenn, Will
With my building skills I should paint all of my models with Flat (Optical) Black paint!

I made the Wing Warp (aileron) control cable pulley assemblies today.
Picture 164. This shows how the cable runs from the top of the wing around the pulley then back under the wing and down to the bottom of the body near the pilot's feet.
Picture 165. This shows the cable from the pulley to the "A" frame tower.
Picture 066.  My wife asked if I was building a BIG plane or a BIG Butterfly?  These are the wings hanging on the wall leading edge to leading edge.
Clancy

Down grade, not enough wrinkles in the fabric. It is still amazing the stuff you scale guys go thru.   

The mystery of the Carbon rods has been solved.  Bill Gruby shipped them to my old address.  This should not have been a problem but we are talking about the Goverrnmint Poste Orrfice.

My new house is 200 feet from my old house and even worse the mail boxes for the two houses are 39 inches apart.  The Post Office had intercepted the delivery an will either readdress the package or mark it "Return to Sender."  Therefore I will work on the rest of the model for now.

Here is a picture of the body after it was covered today.  Yesterday the wheels arrived.  In the picture below the model one of the wheels is visible.  On the model they look almost too small even at 5 inches.  The Linen color stops at the rear of the front wing root cutouts and the nose will be aluminum color.
Clancy

It is getting close.  The three pictures show the Jeannin Stahltaube as it sets now.
All that remains is install the fuel tank (after I buy a 12 ounce one) and the Carbon Fiber rods on the wing tips.  Then cover the wings and nose.  It is hard to believe that an 88 inch Wing Span model with 1500 square inch Wing Area currently weights in at only 7 lb 9.6 oz.

I have a 2 ounce wheel weight glued in the right wing tip. I hope that is enough.

For size reference that is a Red Yard Stick on top of the wing, the wheels are 5 inch and that is a 15 x 6 prop on the OS 91 Four stroke engine.
Clancy

It is getting close.  The three pictures show the Jeannin Stahltaube as it sets now.
All that remains is install the fuel tank (after I buy a 12 ounce one) and the Carbon Fiber rods on the wing tips.  Then cover the wings and nose.  It is hard to believe that an 88 inch Wing Span model with 1500 square inch Wing Area currently weights in at only 7 lb 9.6 oz.

I have a 2 ounce wheel weight glued in the right wing tip. I hope that is enough.

For size reference that is a Red Yard Stick on top of the wing, the wheels are 5 inch and that is a 15 x 6 prop on the OS 91 Four stroke engine.
Clancy

This is a control line isn't it?  This is in the same Weight category as my Extra 300S.  What size 4C is that up front?  Heavy airplanes require large diameter lines. You also have lots of drag from the flying wires.  Remember it takes huge power to get this big of a WW I model to fly on 60 to 70' lines.

Sounds like you have it under controll.  Hope to see it fly some day.

Got a call from Bill Gruby and the Carbon Fiber rods arrived back in Bristol CT Saturday.  G-Man is going to re ship the Monday.

I Have covered the nose with aluminum.  It is aluminum fair conditioning tape 2 inches wide.  I will look at it for few days to decide if it is acceptable or I will strip the tape and just spray paint it aluminum color.  See pictures.  What do you think?
Clancy

Picture 183 Side view.
Picture 184 Front view.
Picture 185 Front view with nose plug removed and laying on top of body.  You can see the engine mounting holes.

John
I have looked at the aluminum in the daylight and it was BAD! 

Notice I said WAS.  It took twice as long to strip off as to put it on.

Now to prime and paint the nose then add the squiggly white lines.

"Squiggly white lines?"  See picture attached.

Beautiful work Clancy! Not only have you built the 2 largest C/L planes I've ever seen, also the most complex. I still remember your F-14 hanging in your garage, this plane will make a good hangar mate for it!

Steve

After yesterday's Chain Saw operation on the nose of the model I have calculated the damages!

By moving the engine that weighs 23.23 ounces from 12.25 inches in front of the CG to 9 inches in front of the CG, it has upset the balance and will require 8.4 ounces of nose ballast.  That does not include the loss of the weight of wood removed forward of the CG.  I guesstimate that in the end I Will be adding between 10 and 12 ounces of ballast in the nose.  

This will increase the wing loading from 14.62 to 15.77 ounces per square foot.  Still a light wing loading for a scale model.  I have competed with models that had 45 and 49 ounces per square foot wing loadings and have the trophies to prove they were competitive.

Now I need to finish the rebuilding of the nose area and close in the area above and below the 1/4 inch plywood firewall.  I probably should make a new firewall but that is a lot of work for minimal added strength.  I will use 1/8 inch plywood for the fillers and lap the joints in place of edge gluing them to the firewall.  I can use the added weight!

There is space between the new firewall position and the next former to allow me to mount the fuel tank vertical in place of horizontal.  Since the engine has a fuel pump I should not have a problem with fuel flow.
Clancy

Doc
Thanks for the offer but I got lucky on eBay and won a NIB set of Williams Bros. 5 inch Vintage wheels.  Starting bid was $5.95 + $4.90 shipping.  No one bid against me!  

The suggested mounting instructions with the Williams wheels was interesting.
 
"For best scale appearance, use a piece of brass tubing that will slip inside the wheel hub and over the axle.  Cut the wire axle slightly short.   Solder the inside washer and brass tube to the axle.  Slip the wheel in place over the tube, slip on a washer, and allowing a slight amount of side play, drill a small hole through the end of the brass tube.  Insert a small pin or safety wire through the hole and bend the ends.  This method will allow you to remove the wheels easily and was common practice on full size vintage aircraft."

Clancy

Doc
I like it because the plastic hub on the wheel is not subjected to the heat of soldering the retainer on.  I plan on adopting it to any new planes I build.

Got the rebuild of the nose finished today.  Now to prime and paint the nose.

Pictures 087 and 088.  Tail with last 4 cables added.  They go from the top and bottom of the rudder post to the center of the leading edge of the stab.
Picture 190.  Nose reworked with practice wheels mounted.
Picture 192.  Side view of total model with Vintage wheels installed.  Guy cables not included.

Before anyone comments on "How do you keep your work bench that clean" a neighbor placed two pieces of 1/2 inch plywood 42 x 42 inches out with his trash yesterday.  I asked if he was throwing them away and could I have them?  He said to help my self.  My standard build bench is a 34 x 34 steel framed cardtable with a 1/4 in plywood top.  Now I lay the big piece of plywood on top of the"Build Bench."  An added bonus is that I can rotate the top like a Lazy Susan.
Clancy

Glenn
I will have my video camera at the flying site for the first flight.

I got two thing accomplished today on the  model.  Shot the nose with gray primer twice with sanding in between.  Lots of dings and divots to repair.

I will not need any lead ballast in the nose.  I need a 4.8 volt battery pack for the U/Tronics.  I normally use a 4 AA Ni-Cd cells rated at 600mAh, BUT I wanted to balance the model so I installed, right under the OS 91, a 4.8 volt battery pack made up of some 1/2 length D cells of 2.2 AH.  The 4 cells weigh 10.8 ounces. Charge once and fly all season!  LOL

No pictures to post as everything is hiding behind the newspaper masking.

Last night I started painting the first coat on the metal parts that will end up White such as the rudder post, Top and bottom King Posts and all of those little tabs that the guy wires attach to like the 22 tabs on the top, bottom and sides of the flexable elevator.
Clancy

Will
No, I am painting them free hand.
Clancy

Hey Clancy, I love the photos and keep them coming.   I also like your expensive wheel chocks.

The Jeannin Stahltaube is ready for test flight!!!

Weight 8 lbs 13.6 oz. including the nose piece.

I dropped the nose piece and it is in repaint, that is why it is not on the model.

Enjoy the pictures, Especially the last two, as they show the amount of Rudder and Wing Warp control I have.
Clancy

Looking gooooooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Man, Clancy, did you take any time out to eat or sleep during this?  You really put this thing together fast!  I can't wait for flight photos!
Blessings,
Will

It was suggested at our club meeting that it may be balanced too far back.  The plans show the CG at 33 % of the root cord.  6 ounces of lead moved the CG forward 1 1/2 inches to 20 % of the root cord.

A thought; if I add a servo to operate the bellcrank and switch my U/Tronics for a radio I could enter it in RC Giant Scale!!   LOL

Ain't going to happen,
Clancy

I bet the 1/4 1/3 RC Scale boys over in Muncie would love this!! It looks absolutely stunning Mr. Clancy!!!! Its ready for a good recon mission now!

Doc
You are correct, that is the bottom or the leadouts are under the wrong wing and the wheels are on top.  LOL

Do you recognize the other model in the picture?

Clancy

Marvin
You are correct.  That is my P-38 that I took to the 1983 and 1985 Chicopee NATS.
Doc and I were staying in the same motel in 1985.  As I remember, we both had problems with the maids playing with our models while we were gone. 
Clancy

OOOPS!!!

When the wife and I returned home this afternoon and I opened the garage door I watched it happen.  The wind took half of the wing off the wall and bounced it on the cement floor!

Compare the two pictures.  Do you notice the difference?  The older picture shows the wing halves hanging from small nails.  The new picture shows a board screwed to the wall and big screw in hooks for the wing halves and tail to hang from.

It landed on the front part of the top of the body.  I worked a whole day fitting that top to the rest of the body so that the split line was not visible at 15 feet.  The parts are glued back on and the red body putty is curing.  Tomorrow I will attempt to refit the wing to the body.  Hope it looks as good as it did.  SOB SOB!!!

Clancy

First flight scheduled for today has been canceled due to 25 MPH wind.  Pilot has been under the weather this week also. 

I have some local friends who have volunteered to pit for me:
Jack Sheeks, a NATS CL Precision Scale champion,
Steve Couch, a 3 time NATS CL FAI Scale champion,
Jim Vornholt, a 2 time NATS Jr. CL Stunt champion,
Bob Pardue, a NATS CL Sport scale trophy winner.

I wanted to see what the nose will look like after the Chain Saw!

The Pilot and Observer are not glued in yet.
Clancy

John
Test flight is in a weather hold.  LOL
Gives me time for detailing the model.   You know that is never done, just abandoned. 
Clancy