Back to Basics

Scary health warnings Colin, just think, if you'd used the stuff, you might not be here now. I remember R.F.Austin's model shop at Southbourne, always lots of interesting things to see.
Today, with soft haired dope mop ready and lots of newly liquefied dope to hand.....DRAT!.....I'd forgotten that I hadn't made the tips for the wings. Glued up some 1/2" and 1/4" sheet. Left them clamped up for the morning. This afternoon I marked them and sawed them to approximate profile. Couldn't help grinning as the wood went smoothly through the bandsaw, years ago it would have been a hand powered fretsaw, probably a busted blade (or two) and a wobbly and very oversized tip profile. There it was, after a couple of hours, two tip blanks trimmed and glued to the wing. After tea (yeah! old fashioned, that's me) I taped up the wing sheet at the tips, this prevents bits being sanded off the sheet and makes a good template to get the surfaces of the tip block to match the profile of the wing section. You all knew that of course, but there might be a newbie out there, and all this might seem like a very confusing way to build a model. Hopefully, all will make sense....eventually. Perhaps tomorrow I'll get to slop a coat of thinned non-shrink dope over the areas where the covering is to be ironed on.

The Kadet's tips were sanded to section, but before carving and sanding the final shape, I thought it might be a good idea to de-clutter the bench. This took a couple of days. Now I had a bit more room, and before making more mess with shavings and dust, I finished removing the original OS FS.52, fortunately I checked the engine mounting bolt holes in the newly bought OS FS.40, and although the OS website shows a difference of 2mm in hole pitch, the .40 just sat nicely on the original bolts. That has saved making a new bulkhead and fitting a new mounting. Before I re-started the Kadet build, there were a few things I needed to do. One of them was to visit the Longham Lakes to see floatplanes being flown. Fascinating! Much better than I had expected. Some time ago I had considered 3D printing an Icon A5, but I printed the Joker warmliner/glider instead. I thought I'd like to try flying off water, but I really didn't want to buy another model. The answer was in my shed and computer all the time. The Lazy Bee has been in the shed for years, and all the details for making floats were downloaded from the OuterZone a long time ago. I found there's nothing like getting on with a different project helps the enthusiasm, when a long build jades things a bit. The floats are ready to be sealed, sanded and covered. I think the motor in the Bee might do the biz. I'm going to try to fly off wet grass first, rather than fit a different motor without testing.

You keep getting diverted Brian. Finish the Kadet, get it up the field and maiden it.

The Kadet is indeed the main subject of my posts, so far it has been a five month on/off task, partly because I want to make it last, and partly because I've made a good many mistakes resulting in remaking parts and even dismantling the rear end of the fuselage to correct a case of "banana-itis". The latest hold up is due to a change of engine and the fact that I've made fitting a tank difficult for myself. One thing I have been very busy with is writing what seem like endless letters to the planning department and various other sources of possible help. Sadly, in spite of all my efforts, we have ended up with a neighbour's newly built extension. This wasn't a problem until a toilet window was positioned right opposite our kitchen window. Unfortunately we are downwind of it. The shift to a quick build of floats for the Lazy Bee wasn't planned, it just happened due to an invitation to watch float planes at Longham Lakes. I needed to do something that had quick results, hence the float build. Today, the floats and attachment bits had two coats of sanding sealer, with the appropriate sanding (400 grit paper). The final coat was of thinned PVA, this is to enable the whole structure to be covered in Litespan to match the covering on the Lazy Bee. As an aside, my first Lazy Bee was built in the 90s when it was a new arrival. I thought it would be a good model to learn to fly RC.....turned out it wasn't. However, my present Lazy Bee is the second one I've built, and in total I've built five. In fact one was for an old friend's 80th birthday....its still flying!

Hi Brian - When you went to Longham Lakes you probably met Trevor Hewson - worth looking at his website - this includes his "Lazy Bee" equipped with floats.
Interesting float arrangement with one at the tail end.

Colin.

Thanks Colin, yes I've had an email from Trevor, and as a bonus a couple of videos from the model as well. The Lazy Bee float layout is the original design by Andy Clancy. I've had some good tips about the LB floats, mainly that a lot of rubber bands are needed to stop them pitching up and down and altering the longitudinal trim. It has been encouraging to have so much positive feedback on my short note about fitting floats to a Lazy Bee.
Regards
Brian.