Total Construction Time: 3h 00min
Radio: Jeti DS-12
Receiver: Jeti EX R7 w/vario
Battery: 300mAh 6.6v
Servo:
Build Start Date: 1/28/24
First Flight:
Weight:
Build Notes: UltraCoat Covering (Transparent White & Transparent Clear)
Repair Notes:
Errata: RC Groups Dynaflite Skeeter Build Log - RC Network.de Build Log
Skeeter Plan Free Download
Radio control sailplane.
Hand launch glider model.
Wingspan 55-1/4 in, wing area 336.3 sq in.
Airfoil S3021.
“The Skeeter is an attractive, easy to build, all wood polyhedral Hand Launched Glider (HLG). With its 55-1/2 inch wingspan and Selig 3021 airfoil, the Skeeter is a real winner. You will have many hours of fun with this little ship and never have to chase a Hi-Start.”
The kit arrived today in good shape. I copied the blueprints at a blueprint shop, $3 but it took three tries to get it right. Actually the first one was good and the last three were not to scale so I have a good back up. I bought the 10-24 tap and a couple of nylon screws as the ones in the kit have to be 20+ years old.
My Workmate bench should arrive tomorrow so I’ll be building tomorrow night.
For now I wait on the electric internals.
I’ll read the instructions a couple of times. Already planning to re-do the joiners and the center section of the wing and the front former that the wing plugs into. Other than that, I’ll keep it pretty stock.
Transparent white and clear for the wing, transparent white for the fuse and tail feathers.
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I don't like breaking pieces as I punch them out of the sheets, I do not like having to make a new piece or glue it together. I like making the kit as light as possible and as perfect as I can manage. This Skeeter kit is at lease 25-30 years old. The balsa looks good, it came from California so I'm sure it wasn't baked like it could have been in an attic in Yuma, AZ. The wood feels good, it isn't brittle, and I was able to punch out 99% of the pieces without having to repair. I did have to make a slight repari on the leading-edge piece of the elevator, the sharp end that you glue together to make the whole of the elevator, the sharp end broke at the tip. I was able to find the small piece and glue it together.
Altogether I am happy knowing all the ribs where separated and in good shape. I forgot that I have to cut the two-piece trailing edge out of stock but that's no big deal as I have done it before.
Already I'm thinking how to attack the wing plug in at the front middle of the leading edge. It calls for a 3/16" hardwood dowel (supplied) and it's a good-looking piece. The plans call for a hole to be drilled after the two center panels will be glued together.
Nope.
...and ribs number one and two are very thin. I don't want the mess of making a hole with a drill bit, I'll cut ribs number 1 on each side out of thin ply and cap those ribs with the original ribs. I'll figure out half of 3/16 and that's the thickness of premium ply I will use. That's what I did last time.
I like to balance my wing. That is, when it's laying on it's center dihedral, the wing balances. I started doing this on #003, the Bird of Time. I would rough measure wood from both wing halves and swap wood to make both wings as close to weight as possible. When the wing was finished before covering, I would again balance on the center dihedral and if the wing was heavy on one side, I would take a small quartz crystal and glue it to the tip of the light side to balance the wing.
It was all theory.
I'm not sure I'm going to final balance my wing this time. I'm going to ask my expert friends if they do it. I'm probably overthinking it. I think alot while building and I enjoy it. It's almost like therapy for me to concentrate on something I enjoy doing.
So I've pushed off now, thirty-five minutes of wing prep.
Yesss, doing it. I built up the wing plug in post. The plans call for drilling just two thin rips, nope. So I added in another #1 rib made of premium ply and pre hollowed it for lightness and strength. My detail work came out nice, I'm doing well after 25 years. During that time, I was building bamboo fly rods working with 10,000ths of an inch so my detail work just transfers.
I'm getting acquainted with the plans and construction. I enjoy the Skeeter and it's a simple one to build and perfect for my return.
My Workmate bench is delayed so I'm not building panels yet.
I'm also looking for a Scroll Saw, I can't stand using a jeweler's saw, it just cuts so slowly.
I'm basically building on my kitchen table now.
I'll have to move into the office study, this is going to be good.
I took a few minutes and made a W1 root rib angle jig since I added in the ply center. The plans call for literally nothing but sanding, ugh. So I plotted the length of center section, split the indicated rise if one side is laying flat. I did this in light cardboard stock, cut it out and cut it down and labeled it.
Took about 15 minutes added to the existing time, now I’m at 3 hours total time.
Next move is to start pinning balsa to paper.
I’ll do that next.
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