One of the reasons why so much time passed between the start of construction on the Fauvette and the completion of the left fuselage half was my desire to install a retractable landing gear. It’s not strictly necessary, of course, but the idea just wouldn’t leave my mind. And, naturally, it had to be scratch-built…
Category: Fauvette
Fauvette: Tailwheel
One small detail about the Fauvette bothered me: although it has landing gear, only a skid is provided for the tail. So, I set out to find a tailwheel that was lightweight, small, and above all narrow enough to install in my Fauvette. An hour of online research later, I came to the conclusion that I could have built one myself in that time.
The basic technique can be found on Cliff Harvey’s Youtube channel, you only have to keep in mind that wood isn’t suitable for small wheels, because there will always be a spot where the wood’s grain runs across the rim’s edge and will break easily.
Fauvette: Left Fuselage Half
My website hasn’t been updated for over a year and a half now. But today, finally, there is something new. I rarely worked on the Fauvette over the past year, but this summer I regained my enthusiasm and found the time and energy to make further progress.
The left fuselage half which is the first major assembly module is now largely complete. I struggled a bit to produce decent fuselage stringers because I wanted to save money by ripping them myself from pine. The result isn’t perfect, but the fuselage is structurally sound, and I managed to achieve clean contours where the planking will eventually be attached.
New Construction Report: Fauvette
Since I reengaged into model flying, I’ve been looking forward to a bigger glider. And all the while, I wanted to build from scratch. The Joyrider was a first test for myself: Would I have the skills and patience to build an aeroplane?
There were several ideas and attempts to build such a glider, but they failed for various reasons. But then, I was lucky to meet Hilmar Lange from Münster who was kind enough to demonstrate his Fauvette. My enthusiasm was huge, the diagrams were printed fast and then… life took over. However, in winter 2024 enough time and motivation were available and now Fauvette is under construction.
Hilmar has really put a lot of time, love and effort into the diagrams, not only do they contain cut-out templates for all required parts, there are also illustrated instructions which accompany the building process. On top of that he’s released a 3D-model of the model on his website, so one can watch at the model from any imaginable perspective to clear out any uncertainties. Chapeau, Hilmar, my utmost respect for this commitment!