For a while now I've been looking for a replacement for my well-used Cargo Twin which met its demise a couple of years ago. Finally I found this:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... -and-Video
A plan for the Canadair CL-415 water-bomber seaplane. It's of similar size, so the motors, radio gear and wiring can be used unchanged. Although the plan provides for use as a seaplane, my version will be land-based only, with wheels.
The first step was cutting out the parts from a sheet of Depron on the needle cutter.
Cutting under way
- Cutting under way
Fuselage parts
- Fuselage parts
Fuselage started. The packing tape allows Depron to be highly curved without cracking.
Likewise, packing tape plus deep scoring on the inside allows Depron to be bent right back on itself, so each wing half is made from a single piece bent around the LE. Here the wing plus 8mm CF tube spar is ready to have servos and wiring fitted.
Lower tail (also bent from a single piece) being glued in.
Lower tail
- Lower tail
Upper tail fin, horizontal stab and bullet fitted.
Upper tail
- Upper tail
Wing-tip floats are CNC cut from blue foam with ply formers in the middle. They push into ply slots in the wing and are held in by magnets, as they need to be removable for transport and storage.
Floats
- Floats
Engine nacelles in place. Originally these were as in the plan, but I then decided to cut the fronts off and make 3D-printed cowls which are slightly more scale-like.
Original nacelles
- Original nacelles
3D printed cowls
- 3D printed cowls
So this is the current state. Just the U/C to finish and then covering and painting. Unlike the Cargo Twin, which was uncovered Depron and suffered badly from dents & nicks, this will be covered with tissue and lightweight glass cloth, applied with Poly-C, which should provide some 'ding resistance'.
Ian.
