This is the BUILD page of this model; there is a STORY (please read it – click HERE) to go along with the model. You can find the Short Kit on my site (click HERE).
For this build, I cut the pieces from “heavy” wood (11+ pound balsa), I used domestic tissue, and a plastic prop. This was to build without stressing “building light”, but building as a normal customer or builder might.
I used my favorite Supermarket tissue paper, brand named “FLOMO”. Both the silver and the red weighed out to around 19 grams per square meter. This is heavier than Esaki, but not terrible. The red has a shiny side, but has less of an apparent grain than the FLOMO white. The silver FLOMO is nearly identical to silver Esaki. I highly recommned the silver fro any silver tissue that you might need. It is just like Eskai silver in that you need to spray the water mist on the dull side as the silver seems to be a “sealed” coloring applied. Note that the silver, even with the applied surface is no heavier than the red (dyed) tissue. I did not mist the silver on the rear feathers, but pre-shrunk the tissue to avoid warping.
this tissue costs a couple bucks for a package
This build is completely straight-forward, as the fuselage and wings are straight and square, with the exception of the fin, and those curves are made from cut pieces. The most unusual part is the retract gear (!) – you will need to bend three pieces of wire to specific size and shape and then solder them together, keeping the relative positions close. This is not too hard – I did it on my first try. I did modify the lever arm actuator, eliminating it and choosing to connect my rubber to the cross bar of the landing gear. I used a single strand of rubber, anchored rearward, to pull the gear back. I was worried that the pull would be too strong to allow the model to sit for ROG without the gear springing shut, but as I was finishing the model, it became evident that it would be heavy enough to keep it open for ROG (final weight without rubber is 21 grams). The fuselage has been sprayed with two light coats of Rustoleum Gloss Clear and there is nothing on the silver.
Here is a video showing the retract action.
Here is a short video of test flights
Here are build photos:
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