Images

Original Box with the graphics.
Original Contents with the
"Covering is the Plans" design.
Closeup of the box contents and kit parts.
Original Plans Next To The Edited Ones.
the two fuselage frame sides.
The two fuse sides being attached.
the two fuse sides being attached.
The fuse before pinching the tail together.
The wing laid out on the grided cutting matt.
One completed wing side.
The upgraded wing next to the original wing plan.
Laying out the graphics for the wings.
Attaching the printed tissue to the right wing.
Closeup of the printed tissue on the wing.
Wing with printed tissue before trimming.
Completed covered wing.
Completed fuse, before covering.
Stabilizer on building board, glue drying.
Completed rudder, part of horizontal stab.
Note pencil as size reference.
Completed tail wing dry fitted on fuse.
Closeup of covered tail wing.
Major parts dry-fitted on fuselage.
Gluing tail fin together, hopefully square.
Attaching printed tissue to fuselage.
Covered fuselage.
Covered fuselage with tail fin in place.
Wing dry-fitted on mostly complete fuse.
Fuse with motor installed, wing dry-fitted.
Another picture of the completed airframe.
Note the under camber airfoil.
Top view of airframe with motor installed.
Plane with Landing Gear installed.
Nearly Complete plane resting on landing gear.
~RichTodt

Description

This is my conversion of the SIG Parasol. It is a simple rubber band powered free flight profile kit with a built-up wing. Having really liked the package graphics, I bought the kit with the intentions of completing it as designed. After having the kit for a while, I decided to build up the fuse and make it 3 dimensional instead of flat.

I started by scanning in the original "build on the plan" tissue and editing it, adding stringers and longerons as needed. I took the file to an office store and had them print a couple of copies.

The wing as designed was flat. I did some research on different airfoil shapes, and decided on an under-camber, using the one for the 'Hangar Rat', an even simpler derivative of the Parasol.

Instead of using the traditional building board with pins method, I used a metal plate and magnets. For the most part, I like this way much better. The one con being, ironically, the magnets themselves. When using metal tools or parts near one of them, it either pulls the magnet off of the board or pulls it to the magnet. Other than that, this method works very well, and I've completed several models using it.

The build began by making two fuselage sides over the plans. The two sides were then connected at a width of 1 1/4". the formers for the front and cockpits were made by cutting and fitting as needed, using the plans as a reference.

The wing was built by laying the pieces out on a grided cutting matt instead of a drawn plan. The ribs were made by slicing them out of 1/16" balsa with a hobby knife and a template. The template was fashioned out of 1/8" inch plywood and made to the airfoil shape shown on the Hangar Rat plans. After building the sides and middle section, they were joined at the dihedral shown in the kit directions.

The tail section was completed as shown on the plans, adding control hinge breaks and additional support as needed.

The covering is thin silkspan. PhotoShop was used to make the graphics, then they were printed by using 3m artist spray to tack the silkspan onto a backer page then sending it through a bubblejet printer. Color added, with no additional weight.

Then everything got a light coat of Krylon Crystal Clear.

Copyright 2011 Richard A. Todt.

Hosted by www.richtodt.com.