SE5a CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING TO . . . - Page 59

alan2525 · 24-01-2008

A truly inspiring model! The SE5a's looking beutiful assembled and that static scale prob really does look the part! I'm sure this thread will be a highly useful reference to anyone attempting to carry out a similar build, and the little hints and tips along the way are relevant to anyone working on scratch built projects too.

Have you thought about putting your words and images into a published form? Some of those photos in higher resolution would be a great help to future modelers and it'd be great to have the content saved for posterity in a more permanent format than just the forums here? The time it takes to constantly photograph and document your modeling process is appreciated.

32,027 views and over 500 replys - Can't wait to see the next build start from that first little photo of a bent piece of piano wire great things happen!

**Bluewavestudios** · 24-01-2008

Likewise from me Grahame,

It's been a pleasure to watch this build, a truly awe inspiring model and some very useful ideas and tips along the way too.

I wish you well with this one, I am sure she will fly great as she certainly looks the part.
I think the real finishing touch to this thread now would be some outdoor pics and maybe some flying shots when she is all up and running. I suppose we will have to wait for the weather to improve for that though.

I am going to be lost now as I always enjoyed reading the latest updates on this thread as it went along...!!

Congratulations on a superb model and many thanks for sharing this with us.

Regards......Mark.

**Bunkerbarge** · 24-01-2008

Grahame it has all been said before but I'm sure we all feel that we have lived through this build with you. I find all your solutions inspiring and your attention to not just the detail but the correct use of materials and the perfect finishes to be superb and has resulted in a model that really does deserve to be in a museum.

Not only that but the time you have put into sharing your experiences with us all has produced a build thread of tremendous value not only to anyone wanting to repeat your build but anyone wanting to use your techniques and finishes.

I completely agree with Mark in that I always look forward to the next post in this thread and can only imagine what you are going to come up with next.

Congratulations, a stunning model, a superb job and a pleasure to share it with you.

smcouch77 · 24-01-2008

She’s absolutely beautiful, Grahame! Thank you so much for taking the time to share it with us. Your attention to details as well as your inventiveness in solving problems is an inspiration to all of us who love scale aircraft. I’m looking forward to your next project. Thanks again.
Steve

Gaz · 25-01-2008

But what post's am I going to eagerly await now???
I may have to get a life....

Greyhead · 26-01-2008

To clarify things, when I said "now is the time to change the title of this thread by substituting "END" for the last 3 dots" I meant I’ve finished the construction section of the thread, not that the thread itself has come to the end. From now on, as well as the more mundane task of actually fitting out the model ready for flight, I’ll be adding / improving some of the detailing that I didn’t bother with earlier. Then of course there’s the flying!

The Lewis gun is very prominent, mounted as it is on top of the wing, so I thought that the magazine strap, which I’d made from masking tape, let the job down a bit. I still had some of the "thinned down" leather I’d used to make the cockpit edging so I decided to make a leather strap, complete with brass buckle.

The buckle was very easy to solder up from thin brass rod, but I think it really finishes the job off and was well worth the little time and effort it took. It was so easy in fact that I did the same thing to the "spare" magazine, which is just about visible through the fuselage window if you look very carefully.

**wonwinglo** · 27-01-2008

The whole model has been a delight Grahame from when the first few tentative parts were cut out,to your latest shots with all of that wonderful detail,I think you have done the subject more than just credit,thank you for taking the time to record what you have achieved along the way.

Greyhead · 30-01-2008

I’ve added a bit of “bolt head” detailing to the wings but nothing of note, however, a couple of other things may be of interest.

I attached "looped" tails to the rear flying wires that thread easily through the lower wing stubs and into the fuselage; these are pulled tight and held by a pair of aluminium clamps. When prepared for flying the tails will be positioned down the side of the servos to ensure that they can’t snag the elevator or rudder controls.

With all the flying wires under tension the wings no longer need the grub screws, which lock onto the wing pins, to hold them securely to the centre sections, but a bit of extra security never goes amiss so I’ll still use them!

One major drawback of having a fully enclosed engine is that regular checking / maintenance is awkward and the temptation is to stretch the times between checks. For this reason it is important to make sure that the fuel tubing can’t slip off the tank tubes etc. and the best way I’ve found to do this is to solder a ring of thin wire around the ends of the brass tubes.

To make doubly sure a commercially available fuel tube clip can also be used but I haven’t found this necessary in the past.

Greyhead · 06-02-2008

The “plumbing” on most scale models is somewhat more involved than on sports models; with the engine being fully enclosed it’s not easy to get at the fuel pipes and we don’t what to have erroneous holes in the cowl or pipes protruding where they shouldn’t.

My preferred method is to have the filler pipe going to the bottom of the tank so that it can also be used to empty the tank, this means that to prevent the fuel siphoning from the tank the filler pipe has to exit the fuselage somewhere above the top of the tank and my original intention was to use the radiator cap to hide the filler pipe. This idea was abandoned because it would have made the fitting and / or removal of the cowl very awkward, other openings also presented problems and I was beginning to think that I’d have to resort to removing the cowl for filling and emptying the tank.

The answer was in fact blindingly obvious; it just took me a long time to see it!

The top of the tank becomes the bottom of the tank when the model is upside down and, as I have to invert the model to de-rig it, I simply have to wait until that time to empty the tank. The filler and vent pipes both go to the top of the tank and are accessed through the prop shaft opening just below the crankcase
.

Both pipes face forwards to provide slight positive pressure in the fuel tank and are set back somewhat into the fuselage so will be very unobtrusive.

I’ve not as yet decided how I’m going to do the exhaust. The standard silencer fits inside the cowl, of course the outlet will have to be extended to exit the fuselage via one of the many holes in the bottom pan but I’ve had problems with silicone exhaust tube in the past with my Parnall Elf. (Another Parnall Elf)

To be fair the silicone exhaust tube in that case was fitted between the engine and the silencer so had to deal with more pressure and a higher temperature than normal

Or I could use flexi pipe to a custom silencer mounted under the engine plate similar to the method I eventually used for the Parnall Elf.

Obviously using the standard silencer is the easier option but it might be “spoiling the ship” etc.; I’ll see.

The tank has been sealed to the firewall using “bathroom” silicone sealant to ensure no fuel / oil gets into the fuselage innards; when I came to seal the tank in place I realised that had in fact prepared the wrong tank (see the photo in my previous post!)

**wonwinglo** · 06-02-2008

There is a lot to cram in there Grahame,but you are getting there with the plumbing etc.
I have used that flexi pipe myself in the past,this is very versatile material.