Marty d's CH-701 build log

[nomadpete]

Pete, I'll just be happy to be flying this before I get my Senior's card. It ain't a race!

Too late !

 

I already got one of those (cringe)

 

At least with fabric covering, I don't go to sleep counting rivets. - "Ten thousand and one, ten thousand and two.....zzzzz"

 

 

[Marty_d]

13,500 A4's and a couple of thousand A5's - I think. (That's all up, not what I've used to date).

 

Mind you I wouldn't trust myself doing fabric... I'm too much of a dope.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Dope? Nah, we don't use that stuff these days. It's all high tech volatile chemistry now. I've got a growing pile of empty tins outside the shed. And I gotta tell ya the stuff hasn't affairkted me at all at all. Mind you the up side of that is I haven't had to buy grog since I opened the first tin.......

 

Must stock up on thinners for the Xmas party. Oh, I wonder why they label it "Retarder"?

 

 

[Marty_d]

Status update 7/11/16

 

Flaperons finished! Solid riveted the TE of the last one and riveted in the plastic tip. Tucked the 4 segments away in their carpet straps, now having a quiet port to celebrate finishing the wings.

 

 

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Well done Sir, have a starboard on me.

 

 

[rmorton]

Looking good and well done. What are your plans for finishing? Paint etc

 

 

[IBob]

I am building a Savannah, where all the parts come preformed and predrilled.

 

You, Sir, have my complete and unqualified admiration.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Looking good and well done. What are your plans for finishing? Paint etc

Haven't put a lot of thought into that yet. Kind of considering polishing the bare aluminium, but the 701 shape is very boxy so may not be well suited. Having said that, someone posted a link a few days ago which showed a Savannah partially polished and partially painted red. Looked quite spectacular.

 

If I do go that way, I'd say the slats, cowl, fin LE and stab LE at a minimum would be painted, and possibly the top and underneath of the fuselage too.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I am building a Savannah, where all the parts come preformed and predrilled.You, Sir, have my complete and unqualified admiration.

You're very kind IBob! You'll also have a flying aircraft a LOT faster....

 

 

[nomadpete]

Probably not any faster, maybe sooner!

 

 

[planedriver]

Well done Marty! looking great.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Haven't put a lot of thought into that yet. Kind of considering polishing the bare aluminium, but the 701 shape is very boxy so may not be well suited. Having said that, someone posted a link a few days ago which showed a Savannah partially polished and partially painted red. Looked quite spectacular.If I do go that way, I'd say the slats, cowl, fin LE and stab LE at a minimum would be painted, and possibly the top and underneath of the fuselage too.

Marty, I admire you as well. Building from scratch is a massive undertaking. Next year, I hope to be joining iBob and other Down Under and assemble a kit of pre-formed parts into an aeroplane.

 

Was the link to the partially polished/partially painted Savannah somewhere on this forum? If not, would you be able to post that picture here?

 

 

[Marty_d]

Marty, I admire you as well. Building from scratch is a massive undertaking. Next year, I hope to be joining iBob and other Down Under and assemble a kit of pre-formed parts into an aeroplane.Was the link to the partially polished/partially painted Savannah somewhere on this forum? If not, would you be able to post that picture here?

I went looking for it but couldn't find it again!! Sorry 80kts.

 

 

[rmorton]

#I think this might be the one ?

 

ACCUEIL - GEMILIS-AERO

 

 

[IBob]

#I think this might be the one ?[ATTACH=full]46788[/ATTACH]ACCUEIL - GEMILIS-AERO

Yep, that's a pretty sexy look. I wonder 2 things:

 

1. how much polishing to keep it that way.

 

2. On fully painted aircraft, the paint looks to be preventing water etc entering at the overlaps in the skins. So, with a polished finish, is something applied at the overlaps during construction to provide a seal? (The Savannah kit comes with black etch primer, but the manual states this should be dry before the skins etc are fitted/riveted).

 

 

[rmorton]

Yep, that's a pretty sexy look. I wonder 2 things:1. how much polishing to keep it that way.

 

2. On fully painted aircraft, the paint looks to be preventing water etc entering at the overlaps in the skins. So, with a polished finish, is something applied at the overlaps during construction to provide a seal? (The Savannah kit comes with black etch primer, but the manual states this should be dry before the skins etc are fitted/riveted).

I really liked this option as it saves a little weight and the embarrassment of bad paint job. I was looking at trying to polish or partially prepare the panels before assembly, then finish the polishing when all is put together. I had found a Stewart Systems product called Evershield that is clear protective coating and seems to be a bit of a miracle product.

Unfortunately I can't get it here in France. The other alternative would be to spray a clear coat over the completed job, I would be very interested to hear anyone has done this and see how it works out

 

 

[Marty_d]

Yep, that's a pretty sexy look. I wonder 2 things:1. how much polishing to keep it that way.

 

2. On fully painted aircraft, the paint looks to be preventing water etc entering at the overlaps in the skins. So, with a polished finish, is something applied at the overlaps during construction to provide a seal? (The Savannah kit comes with black etch primer, but the manual states this should be dry before the skins etc are fitted/riveted).

They're good points and I wonder that too. For panel overlaps I'd be looking at the only polished sections being single large surfaces - ie the side panels, the wing skins aft of the main spar joint, etc. So there wouldn't be many skin overlaps that weren't painted. I wonder about rivets too, same thing applies really.

 

The plane isn't watertight by a long shot, there's gaps and slots all over the place.

 

 

[IBob]

And that's an interesting one too: while we're trying to prevent the ingress of moisture etc"]

[eightyknots]

They're good points and I wonder that too. For panel overlaps I'd be looking at the only polished sections being single large surfaces - ie the side panels, the wing skins aft of the main spar joint, etc. So there wouldn't be many skin overlaps that weren't painted. I wonder about rivets too, same thing applies really.The plane isn't watertight by a long shot, there's gaps and slots all over the place.

I have found a couple of NZ examples, ZK-TIA and ZK-JUG respectively:

 

 

 

It is nice to save weight but I think that unpainted surfaces tend to highlight imperfections and panels that have not been riveted on perfectly flat. These pictures illustrate this.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I have found a couple of NZ examples, ZK-TIA and ZK-JUG respectively:[ATTACH=full]46819[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=full]46820[/ATTACH]

 

It is nice to save weight but I think that unpainted surfaces tend to highlight imperfections and panels that have not been riveted on perfectly flat. These pictures illustrate this.

Yes - that concerns me, the sides are big and flat and as you say the imperfections get highlighted. Curvy fuselages eg the Ryan ST look really good polished.

 

 

 

[IBob]

I have found a couple of NZ examples, ZK-TIA and ZK-JUG respectively:[ATTACH=full]46819[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=full]46820[/ATTACH]

 

It is nice to save weight but I think that unpainted surfaces tend to highlight imperfections and panels that have not been riveted on perfectly flat. These pictures illustrate this.

I thought that was called oil-canning (from the old oil cans where you pressed the sides in and out) though I've not heard the term down here.

 

It seems to be unavoidable on flat or near flat areas: the drilling/punching and riveting deform and disturb the flatness. Then the whole structure will expand and contract differentially too. And, unfortunately, the shiny surface greatly accentuates the effect, like a warped or deformed mirror.

 

 

[M61A1]

I thought that was called oil-canning (from the old oil cans where you pressed the sides in and out) though I've not heard the term down here.It seems to be unavoidable on flat or near flat areas: the drilling/punching and riveting deform and disturb the flatness. Then the whole structure will expand and contract differentially too. And, unfortunately, the shiny surface greatly accentuates the effect, like a warped or deformed mirror.

Absolutely. Oil canning is almost completely unavoidable especially on lightly built aircraft. Even if riveted perfectly, as soon as you put a load on it (take it off the bench and let it be self supporting), it will show some oil canning.

Quality primer and paint go a long way to protecting your baby, also sealant between faying (lap joints) surfaces, with drain holes to let moisture out of cavities.

 

A quick look at 701 images shows they look good in yellow, blue or grey if you like the stealth look.

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

Status update: 13/11/16

 

 

Having finished the flaperons, the next bit is the rear fuselage. However this needs a workbench the size of a sheet of aluminium, ie 12' x 4', which I kind of don't have right now.

 

Therefore before any more plane gets done, I need to do the shed. And as the missus is making noises about taking over (at some possible date in the future) the bit of the shed I'm currently using, I'm going to be doing some regular building first.

 

 

Currently that bit is being used as a storeroom and holds stuff from the last 10 years, stacked on shelves and liberally p*ssed on and beshitted by generations of possums. Started the cleanout with a trailer load to the tip today, only about 3 more to go. The odd piece of furniture has been rescued for inclusion on Gumtree and I managed to clean up an old R/C aircraft that was accumulating grime. Hoping one day my kids get interested in them.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Aaah, I'm familiar with the old territorial grab. In my case, the light of my life suddenly took an interest in my shed building - suggested it would be really nice to insulate one end, and line with stained Tassie Oak t&g. And a skylight. I got suspicious when she marked out where to put the lighting, sink, and wood heater...... Now it seems there will be a dividing wall and door to keep my noise and paint fumes out of the 'she shed'. And I've lost half of my workspace.

 

Anyway, Marty, you can give her the bit of shed with the leaky roof....... I note that your wood heater is moving to your work area

 

 

[M61A1]

I note that your wood heater is moving to your work area

He is in Tasmania...... gotta the workplace warm, or you get to inclined to stay out of it.