Len's Czmelak "Smellyak" build

[lenb]

When laying out the sides, use all the pieces you have to your advantage. Spacing the formers relies on the next piece that butts to it or interlocks between them.
For example, there is a bottom RC GEAR panel that will install later in the build, this panel will space the two formers perfectly. Use caution and be certain the formers are square and 90 degrees to the table.

Also be sure the position of the rear former does not cross the window.

[gunny11]

This is the section I've been waiting for. Looking great Len.

[gunny11]

Tell us more about that lightweight sheet rock.

[lenb]

Works excellent for a building surface, its cheap, easy to work with, and a hard surface.


Once you've completed the initial former layout, stand the side up, square the formers across and glue the other side on.

[lenb]

The upper cabin supports are used as a guide in the previous photos.

Next is the fuel tank floor. I needed to chamfer the edges due to glue fillets, it made the piece slide in without chipping the ply apart.




The firewall is a piece of cake to install.. Pete cut the slots already, so slide it on until its lined up and snug. Epoxy it on.

[lenb]

Now we're rolling along..

The cabin supports are glued into place once you're certain of the location. The doors are the first pieces. You need to Laminate the outer skin with an inner frame to create a lip for the door to close against. Pete calls for the doors to be hinged at this point, but being impatient I didn't feel like it and will wait until later for that. While dry fitting the panels, I found my door sides fell just short of the former. No big deal, just a some 1/4 square and keep moving onto the next piece.














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[ARUP]

Do you clean the charred edges or just put glue on it without worries? All three of my brain cells wanna know!

[lenb]

Hi Michael.

Truth is...................... Sometimes.

[hello82]

....she's coming along great Len! What type of finish are planning for this bird? Can't wait to see her fly in the spring.


Matt

[lenb]

Simple Ultracote, keep it light.

[lenb]

Continue with the fuse panels, I did one side at a time.





When fitting the top stringers I found I needed to add a shim after the rear former, at the bend,to make them fit snug. Worked for me.

[lenb]

Both side are completed and moving onto the forward deck. After a lot of consideration and fitting, I decided to set the front deck 90 degrees off the firewall.
Glue in the stringers and sheet the top. Pete has us sheeting the top with very thin plywood, but it seemed to ripple a lot when I applies it, so I first sheeted it with 1/16 balsa, then the ply over the top. The result was a still straight forward deck.

[lenb]

At this point I wanted to get the top decking installed, but you need to build and install the tow release and install the servo setup.
I chose to make a simple mod and construct the release out of a block of nylon.

[lenb]

Install the tow release system into the top of the cabin.

[lenb]

Now the fun begins.
Join the longerons with the pieces set aside earlier in the build.

Mark a centerline on the building board with a 90 degree line across the board at the fuse former locations or reference. These lines will indicate the fuse location during construction of the tail boom. Be sure to make a center mark on the rear and front former.
With the fuse in place, hot glue some blocks to the board and lock in the fuse cabin so it will not move, it should sit flat on the table.




With this setup as indicated, the longerons will be parallel to the table. Its VERY important they stay parallel. Block the rear longerons up so they stay this way. Its worth taking the time to build a good station that holds everything in place. Check measurements at the fuse and then the end of the longerons.

[ARUP]

Gettin' jiggy with it are we?

[lenb]

Continuing on with the tail section of the fuse.

Since this section is basically built "in space", I needed to figure out where the stab support box would be located. I measured off the plans, which gave me a rough idea, but being a cross checker ( not dresser) I decided to assemble as much of this dry before committing to glue.

First I clamped and aluminum angle to each main longeron, this kept the sides straight and level with the bench. Of course I needed to block the aluminum up at the rear, which was done with 2x2 blocks and hot melt glue. Also, temporary install the formers at the measured locations to check for proper alignment. These were NOT glued in at this time.



Build one half of the stab support plateform, then slide it on the two side longerons, checking the straightness of the sides as you slide it forward and back.
Once happy, glue it in place
Add the top stringers.




Once happy, install the formers but make sure the the sides are STRAIGHT.

[lenb]

Photo dump