Golden Era Model Service

High Quality Plan Sets and Laser Cut Partial Kits for Radio Control Aircraft

Page 4

Carl Goldberg's 1938 Comet Clipper





                            The fuselage support trestles.  Spruce sticks are to be glued even with the edges that rest against the fuselage, seen in the next photo.






                            Use the dashed marks on the plan to place the trestles.  The fuselage sides should rest on all three trestles, although mine were about
                            1/32 above the front support.  Perhaps my building board is not perfectly flat?



                            Clothes pins were used to clip the fuselage sides in place checking that the front of the fuselage sides were in alignment with the front trestle.  
                            The wing mount plates were installed on the fuselage sides before they were put on the trestles.  Be sure and make a left and a right.   The
                            clothes pins clipped on in the middle of the sides on the middle trestle insure the fore and aft alignment stays accurate.  I neglected to take a
                            photo, but rubber bands were used across the extended front longerons to hold them inward against the upper and lower crossmembers while    
                            they were being fitted and glued in place.  The carpenter's square is being used to check for vertical fuselage sides as crossmembers are
                            installed.  The first two are being installed in this photo, it's better to put the first crossmembers in where the fuselage is largest, and work to both
                            ends, the front end first.  If necessary install temporary diagonals to keep the fuselage square while framing up the fuselage.  Remove them later
                            when framing is complete.



                        After the front crossmembers behind the firewall were installed, the 1/16 ply former was installed using 5 minute epoxy.  This part
                            is a holdover from the free flight design, but is a convenient way to accurately align the firewall with the fuselage.  The original was
                            this way so the entire firewall and the attached platform that held the coil and batteries could be pulled out the front.  
                            Note the temporary diagonal behind the plywood plate.



                            Putting in the bottom crossmembers and diagonals takes some care to keep them flush with the bottom of the fuselage.  A balsa stick
                            was held under the fuselage where it was high enough off of the building board to allow that, and the parts were pressed down to
                            rest on it.  A rubber band holding the fuselage sides together in a few places helps so the sticks stay put for gluing.



                            Some views of the fuselage bare framing.  Carl G. still has in mind a lot more parts.




                            A permanent internal diagonal was installed at the back of the wing saddle.  Stresses get high there in less than perfect landings.  The front diagonal will
                            be removed, the battery will slide through there.