Bug HLG

There are still a few of us here but it is quiet until someone posts again. The plane is a few years old, so interest is not what I used to be. Congrats on your first flights. Paul Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: "Mark" <flyeround@...> Sender: BugHLG@yahoogroups.com Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:24:54 To: <BugHLG@yahoogroups.com> Reply-To: BugHLG@yahoogroups.com Subject: [BugHLG] Building problems overcome Just my luck! I have only recently found this group, having downloaded pdf plans free some months ago, so am disappointed to see that is almost inactive. Anyway in case anyone visits the group I am based in Devon in the UK and in the middle of building four crucifix-tailed Bugs. First set-back. Having bought the 1/8th dowell for the leading edges, by post, there is no good "builders" model shop in the vicinity, it was obviously pretty poor stuff, weak and kinked because the grain of the wood it was made from went in all directions. I have some bamboo barbeque skewers for use on vintage planes but these are only 9 or12 inches long. However I discover that these can easily be spliced together to make longer lengths. It is easier with more than two lengths to join, I had two for each wing on three planes i.e. twelve lengths to make six l/e. ( I had got two lengths of suitable dowell for the fourth, or first, Bug.) You need skewers of similar diameter for this to work well. I taped the skewers together side by side into a flat formation and chiselled one end to make a one-sided taper, this needs to be about an inch long or a little more. The taper can be then dressed to a nice smooth, FLAT surface with a file or similar. When you separate the skewers and reverse each pair the tapers will mate together to make a seamless join. I rolled a short length of masking tape round each join to hold it steady and dribbled some cyano into it. Fantastic! I now had six long lengths of superior strong and bendy wood. I thought this might add a lot of weight but even though I did not choose the Contest-grade wood specified the planes are coming out at a tiny bit over the three and a half ounces shown on the plan. I had a lot of bother getting the servos linked to the control surfaces but overcame this by having a separate length of push-rod wire connected to the servos another to the rudder or elevator and soldering the joins in short lengths of brass tube in the cavity underneath the wing. I sourced 120 mAh batteries at a very good price and these weigh just 15gm with leads. Servos are 5gm Tower Pro. Covering is Solarfilm Solite. First side arm launches were interesting, I had not done this before but I am now getting the hang of it. So far no lengthy flights though. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]