Radio: Jeti DS-12 Special Edition Carbon Grey
Receiver: Receiver EX R7
Battery: 300mAh 6.6v
Servo: CHAServo DS06 - KST X06H
Build Start Date: February 4, 2024
Total build time: 30 hours (as of 4/6/2024)
First Flight:
Weight:
Build Notes: UltraCoat Light
Repair Notes:
Errata: RC Groups Yellow Jacket Build Log - Yellow Jacket Rudder Elevator Spoiler Sailplane - RC Groups Yellow Jacket 2m Competition
I picked up my kit from an F3L contest that the SWSS was hosting at "the Sod Farm." Corky Miller, the designer and guy behind Sonoran Laser Arts and I arraigned for a meeting and in short order, I had my kit. The Yellow Jacket is well represented at the club, my old friend Charlie Morris flys one and he is as good as they get. I asked Corky a few questions, mainly was there anything he needed to tell me in person, he suggested saran wrap over the plans and said the mid-section had washout. I saw this on the plans as I unrolled them at home.
I'm going to put the Skeeter aside and immediately get started on the YJ. My understanding is that in a couple of months with a fairly consistent effort, I should be finished.
That sounds great to me.
The kit looks great, bundles of parts together already taken out of their sheeting. The carbon boom is awesome and I can't wait to get it on the board and starting to put pieces together...
First real "put things together" day. I've been getting everything ready, bought storage bins and organized but ran out of things to do there so I cut the boom! Wrapped the cut in blue masking tape and slowly cut with a precision hand saw. It came out well, slight sanding and smooth. I then glued the ply on the fuselage sides and weighted. First time I have ever used wood glue, Tightbond. It's messy, gets everywhere but I feel like I like it. I've got the sides under weight. I glued the nose block laminates and they are clamped and looking good. Looks like my granite countertop is going to be one place I work. I like making sailplanes in the kitchen. All that I've made in there have turned out excellent.
I did laminate the pod page, it's going to get moved around and near glue, glad I did.
Oh, I cut up my plans to fit the door panel.
Tomorrow morning, I will tackle glueing the fuse bottom and other little things off of the pod page.
So many steps! But I remember that I need to think ahead. The servos that I've chosen are micro and the servo tray has holes much too big. I also decided to use the rearward tray to facilitate the standard length connection wire supplied. I'll move the battery and receiver forward to get that weight forward as well.
The description also called for the nose to be glued to the fuze bottom and I had already glued on the fuse stringers to the front end! I had to do some work on the glue surface to integrate the stringers into the nose glue area. I like my idea much better.
Progress is coming along fine, the lack of instructions are not that big of a deal. The online build logs and forum support are excellent.
I'm no stranger to putting together a lot of pieces of wood and making them straight. I remember about 15 years ago; I was making bamboo fly rods. Amazing efforts, this one rod had 18 pieces of three different types of wood, the idea was to make them come to a point with NO gaps and I nailed it. HERE is a video of it. I took my mind back to that and what I remember was the sound track.
Yeah, put Ozzy on and glue it up.
I usually get physically ill on glue day, nerves. Today was no exception. I have a lot to think about, I absolutely needed to get everything straight. I had dry fit/sanded many times and everything looked good. I did symmetrical sanding of the boom formers and I knew that one small drop of glue in there would spell trouble down the line. I put everything in place in two different areas. I kept positive saying to myself that I've done this before.
Everything in place and que up Iron Man and start the timer.
I didn't mix enough epoxy.
I was behind the clock too.
But everything fit and I had more clamps than I needed.
It turned out fine, straight and true.
Phew, dry, on to the next thing.
2/24/2024 - I'm looking at my progress and I wonder how long this is going to take. But then I look at my start date and how much I have gotten done and I'm less inclined to pessimistic views. I've got things straight and this is the first kit I've put together without a booklet of instructions, this type of build is new to me, and I haven't built a glider in over 25 years. I'm able to put in one day a week and maybe a hour here or there during the week.
So I'm doing good.
I know the fuselage will be finished in a few weeks. The rudder and elevator will go quick, and I'll start on the mid-panel of the wing so I can button down the glueing in of the tail boom to make sure the back end is true. I have to think ahead so that I don't miss critical steps. Glueing down the boom wing hold down pylon would not be the thing to do. I'll need that center wing panel bolted down on the fuse and that back screw nearly sits up against the boom on its forward former. No way I'm going to epoxy that in and not accidentally bond the boom angle down. I want to level it with the wing as a finished unit. That to me is the way to do it.
The micro glue tips really helped with glueing in these small nylon nuts. I've never used them and a lot of the new materials are excellent. But I have to learn them.
I am.
My hands were able to guide the tip around that nut and the glue tip is fine and about 5 inches long. It accentuates any movement. I found that I was using the breathing technique that I use when long distance shooting.
Got some critical pieces glued together. The forward wing mount is the only thing I can epoxy into the fuse. I went to the hardware store and found slotted nylon screws instead of the phillips head that Corky supplied. I'm going to use a nylon screw to hold the hatch down. I'll drill out and tap threads into a plywood former then lock those threads with cyanoacrylate. No metal. I want to build this light and a short nylon screw, and a bit of ply is going to be less weight than magnets.
I'm doing well, just need to be patient.
I've got an idea for my covering. I need to run it by the Morris bros. Old friends since skateboarding as a young kid. We have been gliding in parallel but by far, they are champions where I am just a hobbyist. They will be able to comment on its effectiveness as it's going to be unique however, I have not seen this type of design.
Elevator build is done. I'm really surprised at the pylon that this will sit on. It's square. It won't be square after I'm done with it. I'll put an aero shape to it. Also, found my first piece that was way off. Lazer cut? No biggie. I'm super happy with the kit quality though. So much support online. I've ordered the magnets for the hatch. I bought balsa to re-do the hatch as there is a cut in the stock one but I changed the nose a bit rendering the hatch front too short.
Anyway, well on my way.
I'm happy to get started on the middle panel of the wing. After I finish that, I can bolt on the wing, set the elevator level to the wing and then finish out the aft end of the pod, gluing it down and then finish out with balsa.
The nose is going to be shaped. I'm excited to do it, one of my favorite sanding chores. I've seen a lot of Yellow Jackets. Most have modified the width to very minimal and the nose on those must be super easy to shape. My fuse was left stock. My next one, if I go that route will be to narrow the fuse. The volume is nice for radio gear but now that I have got my components to fit, I know how narrow I can go.
Finally! I'm back at the bench, er, door panel. I kind of like the panel I made. I bring it to the kitchen table or the island and it's heavy, doesn't get bumped and because it is substantial, it really is a thing and it is just flat and there, hard to describe.
But I like it.
I have collected pictures from the various build threads and have sort of a running plan with pictures. I actually got out the instructions today and folded them so they were not so long. I'm pretty much building it out of my head with the plan formed from looking at the pictures I collected. The instruction plan that Corky put on the blueprint has excellent tips.
I'm looking forward to getting the wing panels done. I want to be flying at least by the fall.
I did the interview with Vincent and it came out well. I've talked with him about purchasing a ARF 2m which he said I was on the list. That will be a few hundred but it may just be the wing I fly first, don't know, don't care. They are both in the same category and I'm going to fly both anyway...
3/22/24 Building the middle wing panel has been easy but tedious. The door panel has made it easy but it takes repeated precision motions that demand attention. I cut the elongated cyanoacrylate tips down and that helps but doing the spar glue filets on both sides, circumferentially, well, it’s hard especially when the fumes are so close that I can feel my eye lids trying to adhere to my eyeballs!
The structure is done, now I have to work on joiners, sheeting and getting the bolt holes in alignment with the wing mounts on the fuse and using an aluminum tube to line the hole.
Making progress.
Tomorrow, I’ve been invited to the field to fly!
3/23/2024 I went to the SWSS “Fun Fly” and I got to fly, I got about 15 mins of stick and it was a story, click HERE.
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| Lucy wants to go for a walk… |
The box is filling up!
I store completed sections in it.
My plan is to complete the structure of the wing. Then set the boom, then fill and sand. Paint the pod, cover the wing and tail feathers.
Done.
I’m about 2/3rds done.
I’m slow, methodical and meticulous. My finish work is almost up to par however I see my peers builds and my finish work is clean in comparison.
But some of the most sloppy builders fly so well.
It’s all good.
My respirator really helps. No more Cyanoacrylate headache. My nose still works afterwards.
Super excited.
Oh, since I’m converted now to the church of the Radian, I’ll stop building as soon as the Frankenradian components arrive. I need to bone up on stick time. I’m fully a follower, a convert.
…and my Frankenradian will be the sweet flying calling card for R/C Soaring.
Just the left tip panel left. That will go quick. I’ll build it tomorrow. I picked up my GS 2m YJ today. I talked to the designer. Funny, I told him about how I was building in the washout, his method was nearly the same. He actually was giving me the components to build. I’ll put it together and post.
I saw the laser cutter that my kit was produced from, very cool!
I’m happy to know the guy that designed it.
To me, that is very special.
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