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Dud's Aircraft Timber

Dudley offers aircraft wood for sale to European builders:

Swindon Aircraft Timber Company

Dud's Tips

Dud's has provided the Flitzer-Builders list with a number of helpful construction tips, which may be found at: Dud's Tips

Hi all,

I have just done a small mod on my Flitzer, with Lynn's approval, to the elevator balancer. Lynn asked me to send it out to the group.

Instead of bolting sheet lead to the cross member I have formed a small pocket as far forward as possible to give the balancing weight maximum advantage, thereby reducing the overall weight slightly.

When the elevators are finished, including paint, I will pour an epoxy resin/lead shot mixture of a predetermined amount through the hole in the rib. Any vacant void will then be filled with foam rubber or lightweight filler.

A nice little touch would be a couple of small brass screws screwed in half way to each pocket for the epoxy to key around.

To determine the weight required the elevator is hung on the tailplane temporarily and a poly bag is affixed to each balancer. Lead shot is added equally to each side to balance. The purists will then remove a few shot from each side to allow for the weight of epoxy mixture not forgetting that you will lose the weight of the bag of course but there is no need to get paranoid about total accuracy.

I used this method to good effect on the RV4 although the instructions told you to pour molten lead to make the weight.

You will note in the photo that I still built the original 1/" cross member in. I did this as it didn't take long, it may serve another purpose in the structure, and I wasn't worried about adding weight just there!

Regards to all

Duds

Group,

For those who haven't seen it, this is Dudley's Fury that he built and owned some years ago. Dudley is now building the first UK Stummelflitzer Z-1R. With workmanship like this, I wait with baited breath to see what he does with it!

Lynn

Hi all,

Just to prove I am doing sometghing herewith a couple of shots of the start of the upper starboard wing.

Just this one to finish and only another three then!

Duds

Hi Lynn,

I have just started a photographic record of the progress on the R and thought you may like to see a few shots. The upper starboard wing panel has been first stage shaped on it's upper surface and is ready to be inverted on the bench for the same treatment to the underside. This wing panel has taken an inordinate amount of time to reach this stage but of course all the preparatory work for the other three panels has been done as well.

Temporary installation of an intermediate drag wire lug at a compression strut junction Although the line has a breaking strain of at least 35 lbs I will replace it with something a little stronger.	Shows that I could not resist incorporating the wing style of trailing edge construction into the aileron. My basic trailing edge member is so sharp that it wouldn't last without ply on both sides anyway.
Shows that I wasn't thinking when I drew R10 tail riblet (or did you draw it??) and the aileron tip rib. These riblets were built (and the other six) down to the 1/4" trailing edge thickness as per all the other ribs, but of course it needs to be thicker as it's extreme rear end is at a point around the curvature of the tip bow. So, a bit of judicious packing out was called for. Lynn's washout is just that. If you squint, and get the sun behind, you can actually see it!	Shows how I built up the wing tip bow to get the upper surface to blend with it. If this were to be covered in fabric I would have no concerns as the shape is nearly there, just a bit more titivation is needed. But it is obviously to be ply covered and I have never covered a compound curve of this magnitude before. Do you think a good soaking of an oversize panel which is then clamped in place and allowed to dry is the way to go? The only alternative I can think of is to do the job in short sections, like the shell of a prawn, but it would be nice to get a progressive curve if possible. Your advice required please.
Details the trailing edge root treatment.	Shows my way of overcoming a clash between the drag bracing wire and a rib diagonal. The bracing wire may touch other diagonals (if it does I will bind with resin cord) but I will not allow it to be deflected by them.

Kind regards

Duds

PS Hope it gets warmer for Thursday! It's perishing here today.

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