1/4 Franklin Eaglet

[ARUP]

Thanks, Kevin!

Time for some repairs and detail work since its last outing in Huntsville, October 2016. I landed heavy. The nose section deflected downwards and the ply former where the canopy abuts delaminated. The fabric on the fuse tore at the corners. Note to self: don't use luan ply anymore. The structure in this area will need to be examined thoroughly. Don't want the nose section with the 'peanut scoop' and pilot to come off 'on tow'! The wheel carriage torqued and split and the wheel's axle came loose somehow. The fabric at the wheel well opening came loose and the front skid had one bolt get bent (how did that happen?).

So far the axle has been re-set and the skid repaired. When all of this is done the Charlotte will get undivided attention.

[lenb]

Ahhhh, my Eaglet

I love this plane Michael. So happy it's going to be in Georgia ready to fly. Are you going to have to strip the entire fuse to do the repairs?

[ARUP]

Len, I'm gonna put patches on the corners. If I can get 'em to look good at ten feet that will be perfect. I don't want to have to re-do that cover job with all that masking! I sure would like to have this fly in Georgia. To take off and land on that beautiful strip is the stuff of dreams!

[lenb]

I agree Michael, getting this ready for Georgia is job 1.
Keep going buddy!

[ARUP]

No pics but in post #23 you can see the 'basic box' to which everything added. There are a couple of triangle gussets supporting the seat/nose bow portion of fwd fuse. For strength/repair I added a couple of larger 1/8" marine ply gussets to the top sides. The gussets are lap-jointed to the inside surface of the 'box' in lieu of butt-joint. The gussets abut the top surface of the seat/nose bow portion. Spruce beams are epoxied against the gussets and inner sides of seat/nose portion and some marine grade ply epoxied under the spruce beams to join them to the under surface of the seat/nose bows. More beefey! Now, paint the bare wood then trim the 'peanut scoop' to fit and I can re-finish the split fabric each side. It would be nice to fabricate more cockpit detail like the pilot's canvas sling seat. So far, this hasn't been too onerous! I am not much for 'fixing'. I just like building.

[ARUP]

The Eaglet fuselage had been riding to and fro aerotows on a cradle. I always worried something might fall on it since was exposed. The tail feathers had to be carefully wrapped then put in another sailplane box so there was always concern for damage or forgetting them altogether. I built a nice box and painted it red. The fuselage nestles nicely and the tail feathers are getting their own space within the box. Balsa 'friction clips' hold them in place. I don't know what the technical term for them is but here are a couple of pictures. Just pull upward to remove!



The fin has its spot! Now on to the stabilizer, elevators and rudder. The struts will get space, too! Don't want them getting lonely!

[Al Clark]

Nice solution!

[BryanB]

You're just trying to make nice to those old antiques because you went and bought that glass job!

[ARUP]

Thanks Al! It works great keeping the silk covered tail surfaces from turning into potato chip shapes. I had been carefully stacking them then using books as weights to keep them flat.
Bryan... you are probably correct! The antique birds DO have souls.