IMAC The new Dalton 300 SP / 330

[Robotech]

Have you posted the pictures yet?
If my wife finds out I am building a new airplane, I am in big trouble. She asked me to glue something for her, the lid one of her sugar bowls. I returned 2 hours later!! LOL!!

She has some shoes she wants me to glue the sole back on, in a few hours, I will go back out to the shop to "glue her shoe soles" back on!!

No. I can't put the red leading edge on until I get my new rolls of red. Pretty basic, all white with red wingtips and leading edge.

You know sooner or later she's going to check on you. Oh, boy. You'll have some explaining to do!

 

[orthobird]

i was able to glue the top front cross plywood. Once this was done, I set up my new table, 1st, to assure that it is flat. I am using a verified straight edge, 98" length.
The table and MDF are not level, so I had to do some shimming, with paper, and then it is 100% flat and true.

 

[orthobird]

I verified that the right and left edge of the top front segment were true. Then, I imagine, you could do one of two options: place the ply flat, and then flip motorbox onto it, and push it down with weights, or, option #2, is keep motorbox upright, and clamp it down. Because in the forward aspect of the front upper ply, there are many areas that key into it, I wanted to make sure it was completely engaged throughout, so I did option #2.

 

[orthobird]

Once I was done with that, I flipped it, and confirmed that it was completely flat and all areas were having intimate contact.

I then weighed the motorbox down, and began to place the middle segment with clamps and weights and Titebond.

 

[orthobird]

Here is the junction of the front upper ply with the middle segment.

Here is the middle segment with the tail segment:

 

[orthobird]

Once this cures, then I can obtain the aluminum angles, and place them intimately against the right and left sides of the top plywood.

 

[orthobird]

The aluminum angles are down. Everything was perfectly aligned. Again, Tony has done awesome with this kit.
Allow me to explain.
Now, with this top cross brace plywood down, and the front, middle, & tail segments glued together, there is no doubt as to where everything goes, since it all keys into this base. It is the "foundation" of the fuselage building! It is like building for dummies!
There is a tail box that keys into the ply, and you have to cut a 1/4" spruce from the tail segment to the fuselage sides /motorbox extension. This, for me, turns out to be exactly 35".

Now, the next step, which I have not done, will be to cut the two spruce 1/4" longerons to 35" and then glue in the spruce and the tail segment, at the same time, weighing down all the area, and also using the small clamps to push the spruce and the tail against the aluminum angle, so that at the completion, when i turn her over, there should be no surprises. What I mean by this, i want to see that the outer edge of the 1/4" spruce is perfectly on the edge with the plywood cross bracing.

 

[orthobird]

Awesome, got it all down. You must install F3 at this time, before you proceed.

You also have to glue in the two formers for the tail segment. (i believe F8 and F9).

So to recap, on the last step, glued on to the ply the 35" spruce, F3, F8, F9, the right and left tail pieces.

F3 is glued in.

 

[orthobird]

Total time as of now is 14 hours.

Tomorrow morning, I will glue in the other stringers and formers and the bottom cross brace ply.
You all have a great evening,

Cam

 

[Robotech]

I want to see the repair job on your wife's shoe sole. Clamps and all.

Great progress on the SP300 too. In the same time I managed to cover the bottom of another wing. Geez.