Well your a clever Andy superb builder Dan, unfortunately not many people can produce a modern F3a model which is a pity, I built and competed with four of my own designs in the 80s most of us did it was part of the fun.
What a discovery. Your chanel I mean. It was a great joy watching your build videos for me. Honestly. I thought I know a lot about building but learned so many trick from you. Thank you for your time to produce videos and for sharing your techniques with us. Regards and merry Christmas Aleksander
The majority of f3a planes are composite, but in the UK (and in other countries of course) there are still a few people that build all balsa planes. For f3a I don't think it matters what the plane is made out of. 90% is the pilot.
Planking the nose,strap yourself in!! That's great. Love this video,I've always wanted to build a large stick built plane,but I don't do RC at all and something like this would hard to static display! I'm gonna watch some more of your videos and more than likely subscribe! Really nice work though. I've built little boats before and it can be a challenge to warp that sheet wood !
Yeah I agree! I've built oh,a half a dozen or so boats. Just little things, I think the biggest was maybe 14 inches or so,not RC, but built tough enough to withstand the Testors rocketmotors,like used in the rocket kits. Anyway,I've used both methods,sheeting and strip planking. They were small enough that I used steam on the sheets and planks! I love bending wood! So yeah! Looking forward to watching more of these videos,I did subscribe! Take care and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
@@DanwRC83 I discovered many years ago that thin CA adds quite a lot more weight than most would believe simply because it soaks into balsa grain causing it to become solid and dense. That sort of defeats the object of using lightweight wood. I found that using thin CA to dilute medium CA to a perfect consistency for accurate application without crazy unnecessary soakage saves weight and gives a stronger bond also.
@biomechanique6874 that sounds like a good idea mixing medium and thin. I started with a brand new bottle of thin zap that's now weighs 22g. I've got an unopened bottle that weighs 72g. So I guess I've used 50g of thin cyano. Aliphatic I've prob used about 80g. There may well be lighter options but I'm happy with the ease of use these glues offer. Dan
@@DanwRC83 For a 2m model a few ounces of glue isn't going to be an issue really. I have no doubt either that some of the aliphatic will have been sanded away so it's swings and roundabouts. Great looking build btw 👍
Hi there. From Balsacabin UK. They weigh every sheet before it goes out to make sure you are getting the correct density. All the balsa for this model is soft grade. Dan
I know this video is a bought a month old...but I REALLY want to know about that music....the guitar playing at the end was Aaaaaaasome....could you please tell me what CD it is PLEASE....
Dope is a glue/sealant. I've not used it much myself. It's quite an old school method of covering models. A lot of the time it's used with tissue that you cover to model with first. Then add the dope to seal it and make it taught. Then you can paint it. A more modern covering technique is to use a iron on covering film, thats what I'll be using on this model
All those pinholes are seriously weakening your structure, especially in the nose where engine vibration is high as well as stresses. Way better methods than doing it that way.
What way better methods do you suggest? This model is electric, so vibrations will be pretty much zero. This isn't my first model built like this, the pin holes make no difference. If there is a better way to build out of balsa, keep it as light as it is, then I'd love to hear about it 👍
@@DanwRC83 Tape works good, elastic bands as well. Just put something between it and the wood to prevent the balsa from getting marred. Even though it’s electric, it still generates significant vibration, I have R/C helicopters and I know how insane it can get (check them out on my channel if you would like). Nice build, just trying to offer alternative ideas. Looking forward to the finished aircraft, subbed.
@randymanx2674 cheers, I've never had an issue using this method. Pin holes aren't as bad as drilled holes. No material is being removed. The strength in the firewall comes not only from the balsa skin but the ply formers holding it in position. Also, you can wet the balsa after to make it expand and close up any holes. However, if on the maiden the motor parts company from the plane I will be the first to admit I was wrong 😂
