Concerning Hobbies
Today, I’d like to announce my new model aircraft building project: A Schleicher K 8b (or short: Ka8b) on a scale of 1 : 5.
She’s a one-seater soaring plane from the 1950s, and due to her simple, but rugged construction she’s still in service today, especially suitable for beginners making their first solo flights.
That sound a bit like me, doesn’t it…
Sorry for the lack of updates. Today I’d like to announce that the project “semiscale-soaring plane based on Thermy 4” is cancelled.
With this project, I overstretched myself (again). The initial idea of a modified nose grew into a complete redesign of the fuselage… and the wings would benefit from some changes as well… I’m staying true to myself in tackling too big plans entirely too fast. The constant reader might remember my thoughts on new hobby priorities.
The fact is that I’m only starting to learn model aircraft construction. The Joyrider does well, but she suffers from design flaws because she was built planless by all accounts. And I really should build a proved soaring plane before trying to design one by myself.
As a repentant sinner I’ve chosen a new project as compensation. More on that shortly.
After drafting a first version of the nose, there’s work to do on the fuselage. So this week, it’s going to be a lot of frames to draw.
Based on the design variations, I’m moving on to the actual planning and start to blueprint the nose. If possible, it is supposed to give the aircraft a semiscale appearance and that means I basically have to start from scratch.
In order to create parts repetitively and precisely, the blueprinting is going to be computer-assisted. In theory I could draw on paper, scan the diagrams and print them. However, I would lack the 3D preview and applying adjustments is going to be much more time-consuming.
As already mentioned at the start of the construction report, I’d cast an intermediary eye on the Lentus Thermik by Multiplex. I especially like its semi-scale appearance, that gives it a similar look as modern soaring planes. Most notably the bulbous nose and the T-shaped tailplane are spectacular and provide a great silhouette during flight.
Since I’ve braced up and actually want to build the Thermy 4, I want to begin with getting clear about one thing: What do I actually want?
The question isn’t quite as trivial as one might think. I’m planning big on this airplane. That is, I want to incorporate as many features and wishes as possible because I hope to keep this bird flying for the rest of my life. So today is about the demands that I’ve got for this model.
In March 2019 I happened onto an issue of the FMT, which included the first part of the diagrams for the Thermy 4. Right away, I knew: That’s what I’ve been looking for!
The model incorporates everything what I’ve wished for: great wingspan (4 metres), take-off weight below 5 kilograms so it’s legal to fly outside of model aerodromes, flaps and an electric motor, enough space for own, further ideas.
Now, after two years of wavering and brooding, it’s finally on. With this new construction report I will try and document my attempt to build my own, larger sailplane.
Before I start the actual construction of my planned flatcars, I’d like to know first which limits the tracks will pose on them. I’ve only ever known classic model waggons, which have their couplers on beams attached to the bogies. This design ensures high operational reliability because the couplers can follow even the tightest curve radii. However, it’s not a pretty sight.
So I’d like to build a few test waggons in order to learn how the couplers perform when attached to the waggon’s body.
For our next operation session I’d like to contribute a few waggons of my own. In that way I will stick to my intentions, that is to focus on a complete train for the time being.
One better starts small. That’s why I’ve picked the construction of freight waggons, precisely: flatcars. The reasons are natural: most US freight waggons based on flatcars or were closely related to them. Furthermore they make the easiest waggons to model, apart from disconnects and skeletons.
Since my porter is serving as a working horse in the vicinity of a logging railroad, she’s burning wood, as one might tell by her tender. The original smokestack has only got a small diamond spark arrestor which doesn’t really fit to a wood burning loco.
