The Aerosente Glider Workshop

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 39

Some finishing steps work pictures: Airbrakes  are set up. I made a new nose , the previous one didn't have the correct shape. It is  plain balsa now, like expected by Tom. It is covered  with fiber glass cloth. The tow release system is included in it, as  well as 300g g extra lead  for  balance. I built  an  hinged  canopy. R/C elements are settled, ( 15kg torque servos for release and rudder) everything is hidden when seat  and panel instruments are  installed.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Good flights in 2012l

Marc

 

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 38

Hi friends, here are  the last pictures of the building. The wooden Lady is completed. Next step : covering and painting. I send you a hello from France, the last picture is showing the vintage and the modern, only 60 years between these two gliders, the Laister Lawrence tech IV and the Ventus 2CX. ( I like  new sailplanes too !!)

The best to all of you:

 

 

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 37

I am busy with the long and not very spectacular step : planking wings, ribs caps and gussets,airbrakes..but here is what a LT IV should look like, I guess, much work is remaining before maiden flight..:

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 36

I started  to plank wings with 0,6mm plywood.As the wings are covered and painted, I have chosen to  build a false balsa leading edge and to place  plywood panels instead  of  wrapping the whole front part of wings as I usually do on plywood varnished models. This method will be faster. A hard  wood leading edge   will be installed after planking. Where panels join, I placed   extra ribs to  increase glueing surface . The panels are not simply placed side by side  , their edges are sanded to allow them to be slightly superposed on about 3mm, see pictures.It 's important  for wings strength and reaction in the air. There will be 20 panels for a wing. ,top and bottom. At the curvature, the panels are  narrow  to  keep the smooth curvature and the right shape of the wing.

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 35

The ailerons have been completed. I have assembled  the gull winged LT IV  on my favourite airfield.

She looks  great indeed. Next  step, planking of the wings...

 

 

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 34

The ailerons are being built. The basic structure  is  built along the trailing edge  of the outer panels of  wing.So all ribs come face to face and the  whashout naturally comes  with a 3mm wedge under rib 42. A 3mm vertical grain  balsa infill  is glued  against 3mm spars.  Then the structure receives  the  balsa trailing edge which is sanded  to  shape ( 3mm balsa infill between 2  0,6mm plywood strips) Tip blocks  are  added  and  sanded too and planked  with 0,6 plywood. I have added  diagonal ribs that ere  not featured on Tom's drawings  but  he will add them later  for we have a document showing it. Anyway this  will give stiffness  to  the ailerons

 

Next step, glueing the balsa leading edge of the ailerons, plywood parts on TE and LE, gussets ,caps and  hinges

Getting Busy - It's That Time of Year

Shipped six kits today. It's that time of year - build season - our busy season.

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 33

The work on the outer panels is well advanced. No need to use the plan. I first glued the rear ribs on the spar using a square and the I glued the tail of the ribs on the TE using a template that gives equal distance. The trailing edge of these panels is made with 2 3x3mm spars glued on strips of plywood (0,6mmx11mm) that protudes about 3mm to provide a gap for the aileron leading edge. A 3mm balsa strip joins the spars between ribs and there will be also a 3mm balsa infill with vertical grain between the spars; The ailerons will be built in the same way in the prolongation of the outer panel with a 1,6 ° washout along their trailing edge.

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 32

The work on the wings is going on ,Tom, and your dream to  see the wings on the fuse is progressively coming true !

I have built the inner panel flat and  square to  the jig without any difficulty ( ribs 1 to 14), everything fits well. Some adjustment  on the drag  spar is necessary to fit  correctly with all ribs ( 2 to 8) Don't forget ( as Idid first !) to drill a hole on its  end to allow a passage for radio wires. I have made some minor modifications of my own such as  the  rib 18 which has  been doubled  with  1mm plywood. The root junction aileron  is often a weak area. The trailing edge is made  with  two strips of 0,6mm plywood, 12mm wide, and  a  balsa infill to  provide the good shape. You will notice the nice curved shape  that  the trailing edge naturally takes   (ribs 14 to 18) I will add  triangular piecs to reinforce the glueing of  all rear ribs to the spar.

building the 1:3 Lawrence Tech IV note 31

 
The work has  begun with the last step of the  building : the wings. The spars  had  already been built as  you have seen. I first verified  the right  junction of the 2 first root ribs with the fuse  and  placed the incidence indexing parts. Then I glued  all the front ribs ( w1 to w44) with the spar  flat on the jig. No problem except I forgot to shape the  top and bottom spar caps to  the right depth at the extremity  but this  can be done later. I verified  the good  alignment of the ribs  by tracing  a  data line on the spar and with a stick as a false leading edge when glue  is drying and then glued  the definitive leading edge. The result is nice to look at. i like  the smooth  curve of the  gull wing.