The XPB Stage 1 underway.

[bexrbetter]

Or standing on a box............

 

Plinth.

[nomadpete]

That's what I like about Bex.

He's got such a way with words.

 

 

 

 

But if he's standing on a plinth, somebody would have to put him up to it.

[bexrbetter]

[bexrbetter]

Yay, after learning some (lots to go) and a bit of testing, my first actual real part made.

 

It's actually the rudder which I'm doing again, because I am very unsatisfied at the other one I did by hand with it not being dead smooth. It only takes a millimeter here and there, and it looks amateurish. The reason for CNC is the accuracy with considerable ease, that humans can rarely achieve.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Something sensible for a change from the vile around at the moment surrounding the virus.

 

Of course I don't agree with the "go vegan" overtones, but the rest is welcome relief from all the vile on the Internet currently.

 

[turboplanner]

Something sensible for a change from the vile around at the moment surrounding the virus.

Of course I don't agree with the "go vegan" overtones, but the rest is welcome relief from all the vile on the Internet currently.

Don't worry too much about the vile; it's just people who haven't yet realised they are p!ssing on their shoes.

We've had at least one viral outbreak which luckily for us was stopped in its tracks in Melbourne, which could easily have been quickly spread around the world by migrating birds much faster than tourists.

[bexrbetter]

Don't worry too much about the vile; it's just people who haven't yet realised they are p!ssing on their shoes.

 

 

Issue is that a number of Politicians are on the bandwagon to get those vile votes.

[Marty_d]

Yay, after learning some (lots to go) and a bit of testing, my first actual real part made.

 

It's actually the rudder which I'm doing again, because I am very unsatisfied at the other one I did by hand with it not being dead smooth. It only takes a millimeter here and there, and it looks amateurish. The reason for CNC is the accuracy with considerable ease, that humans can rarely achieve.

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="Scribed.jpg]52113[/ATTACH]

 

Jeez, after watching that ripping through the holes I wish I had one myself. Maybe when I start the Spitfire (parts are bound to be more complicated)...

[bexrbetter]

I have quite a pile of aluminium scrap built up now as I rapidly learn the new CNC Router, almost 3 weeks now.

 

But pleased to say, my understanding for what I want it to do, though still not second nature, is getting pretty good, and today I finally achieved parts, the rudder in this case, to my standard of quality and precision.

 

It's almost dead flat on both surfaces and the rivets just fall into the perfectly matched holes.

 

So now to start moving forward again!

 

[bexrbetter]

.. and today made the rudder horn. You will understand it better when I put it all together tomorrow.

 

[Marty_d]

Nice horn mate.

[kgwilson]

How do you toot it?

[Thruster88]

One horn appears to be bigger than the other ?.

[IBob]

One horn appears to be bigger than the other ?.

Optimised for standard circuit direction...........

[bexrbetter]

How do you toot it?

 

Umm, press the button in the middle of the steering wheel?

 

 

One horn appears to be bigger than the other ?.

 

Well I am a Western man in Asia.

[M61A1]

One horn appears to be bigger than the other ?.

One might assume that the hinge is on the side that is in the middle, making the rudder cable holes equidistant from the hinge point. But that is just an assumption and as we all know...."Assumptions are the mother of all f**kups"

[IBob]

It's a photographic illusion because the horn plate itself is not.................

[hihosland]

Little horn goes into big horn

and then the tooting begins

[bexrbetter]

One might assume that the hinge is on the side that is in the middle, making the rudder cable holes equidistant from the hinge point. But that is just an assumption and as we all know...."Assumptions are the mother of all f**kups"

 

... and you would be correct, same as Sonex do their rudders, and same as thousands of ailerons are done.

 

... or I did a "mother of all f**kups" while measuring ....

 

You can see the hinges on this side (right side) and the horn sticking out further, now that the rudder is sort of finally fitted, I think ... maybe ...

 

I probably should clean all my dirty paw prints off before I take pictures. The rudder isn't an odd shape, it's sitting 30 degrees to the left here ..

 

 

I also redesigned the aileron balance arm gussets, nicer looking and stronger design, not that you'll see them under the eventual fiberglass caps ...

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by bexrbetter

[pylon500]

Just a few observations...

Rudder horn 'above' the fuselage?

Apart from being a bit unsightly, there is now a hole on an upper surface, but should you (or another builder) desire a tail-dragger, much re-designing will be required.

Just a thought.

[bexrbetter]

desire a tail-dragger, .

 

My 2nd daughter used to drag her tail around for damn near 2 years, but eventually she learned to walk like a normal person.

 

I have no intention of going backwards in design to pacify some old gits who think radials spitting hot oil into their leather goggles while they're out on the wing adjusting the fuel mixture mid-flight romanticizing about the time they fought off 6 machine gun wielding Germans armed only with a pen-knife and a toothbrush is how flying should be.

 

 

 

Apart from being a bit unsightly,

 

I'm not trying to be obtuse when I say I flat out don't care.

 

I'm trying to make a cheap, functional aircraft, not win a beauty contest.

 

Now, back to kicking my dog ....

[ClintonB]

How is the build going Bex. Has lockdown stopped things in your part of the world?

[M61A1]

I have no intention of going backwards in design to pacify some old gits who think radials spitting hot oil into their leather goggles while they're out on the wing adjusting the fuel mixture mid-flight romanticizing about the time they fought off 6 machine gun wielding Germans armed only with a pen-knife and a toothbrush is how flying should be.

You might find that it has nothing to do with that. I converted mine from nose dragger to tail dragger solely because it's way better for off field operations. I got rid of a weak nosewheel, reducing the likelihood of ending up on my back, it's lighter and it's more stable on uneven ground because there more distance between wheels. The original nose dragger was only about 1200mm between main and nose. Terrible in a rough paddock.

However if it's designed solely for nice even surfaces, I see the point.

[Soleair]

I'm guessing Bex is not a taildragger pilot, otherwise he would understand the appeal of a conventional undercarriage.

[Thruster88]

Has anyone heard from bex. Did he leave us because of the taildragger comment.  I hope he has not been subject to an unreasonable tariff.