www.lukaslacher.ch

Rc Sailplanes designed by Lukas Lacher

Home Oriolus Firefly Alcedo Larus
 
 
 

Items needed to complete Firefly

  • 1.5mm Balsasheets
  • 2mm Balsasheet
  • 1mm Aircraft Plywood
  • 2 Pcs Carbontube 3mm x 2mm ~lenght:33cm
  • 1 Pcs Carbontube 5mm x 4mm lenght:36cm
  • 10 cm of 2mm Steelwire
  • 1 Nylonscrew M3
  • 1 Notch M3
  • Bowdencables 2mm
  • Steelwire 0.8mm (for the pushers)
  • 1.2mm shrinktube
  • Oralight Coverfoil
  • 4x Servos 2 Gramm 3.7V (xinxiu)
  • 1s Lipo 180mah - 300mah
  • Smallest reciever possible :)
  • and Glue of course...etc.

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Let's get started building the Fuselage...

Check the correctness of the Parts in the Plan above and make sure you glue the formers in the right direction as shown in the pictures.

 

Start building by glueing the Formers F1 and F2 together. Do the same with Former F5 and F6. Use F7 as a template to cut out the same shape from Aircraft Plywood 1mm. Drill the hole to fit in m3 screw. Glue together F3 F7 and F8 and make sure the m3 screw fits the hole. Place the m3 Notch inside F8 and fix with medium CA.

Place Part F3 as shown in the picture in a 90° Angle to the Formers and fix with CA.

Place F4 and lock with the Formers F1 and F2. Make sure the formers are placed the same way as shown in the picture. Otherwise you will mess up aerodynamics of the Plane.

Add the Sidewalls F9 and F9b at the same time and carefully glue them using thin CA.

Put the Former F10 to Middlepart F11 and Glue it in 90° Angle together. Check the correct Position of Former F10. Upside is as shown in the Plan.

Add the Middlepart to the fuselage and carefully bend the Sidewalls. When everything looks nice and symetrical fix it with thin CA.

Apply bottompart F12.

Staple the Nosebits F13 x 7 as shown and glue them together using thin CA. Apply them to the planes Nose.

...yep like this. Also put on Part F14.

Glue Former F16 into the gap in the Sidewalls, then bend F15 over it and Glue it. Don't forget to apply F20 at the tail Section.

Build the Canopy using Parts F17 F18 and F19.

Make a little Lock using a small Part of your Bowdencable.

Sand the Fuselage until it looks nice and smooth......that's it. :)

 

Building the Wings

Make sure you build a right and a left wing :D

 
Cut your Carbontube into 2 Pieces os 33 cm Length. Put together the Leading edge and the Trailing edge as shown in the Picture and fix them using CA.
Now Glue togehter the first two Ribs and glue them to the Carbon Tube in an angle of 90°. This is important because it will affect the shape of your wing when you don't have a 90° Angle. Let the Carbon Tube stand over the Ribs to make sure no CA goes inside the Tube. You will have to push the Wing joiner inside the Tube later.
Line up all Ribs on the Carbon Tube but don't glue them yet.
Now line up the ribs on the trailing Edge, as shown in the Picture. Still no use of Glue!
Now carefully apply the leading Edge and pin down the Wing. Make sure the ribs stand nicely in a 90° Angle. When everything looks good use glue on all the Joints.
Now apply all the Parts that are needed for the Ailerons as shown in the picture. Place one of the Spars slightly drag, this will save you some sanding later.
Glue togheter 2 wingtiip Parts and then glue them to the Wing on a flat Surface.
Use some scrap Balsa to fill the Gaps at the Wing Root. Leave some Space for the Servo Cables.
Sand the Wing until everything is smooth.
Carefully cut out the aileron and glue the little round shaped Part to the Aileron as shown in the Picture. This holds the Servo Hinge later.
Cut a piece of Steelwire (2mm) of 10cm Legth and bend it in the Middle to ~8°.
Push it inside the Carbon Tube of both Wings to connect them. Slightly sand the Root Ribs to make a smooth fit of both Wings.
Glue the Wings together by using thin CA. check the fit to the Fuselage.
Drill a 3mm Hole into the Leading edge of your Wings and apply a 2cm Piece of your 3mm Carbon Tube. Check the fit to the Fuselage.
Cut a Piece of 1mm Plywood using Part F21 as template and glue it with Expoxy to the Wings. Check the correctness of the Hole. There is a small gap in the Root Rip referring the Hole for m3 Screw. Drill a Hole 3mm and connect the Wing to the Fuselage using the m3 screw. The Screw should be approx. 1 cm long.
 

Building the Tail Section

Usually the Tail is yellow because it is a lightning bug :D

 
Sand the Tails leading Edge round and smooth. Sand the Bottom part to a 40° Angle and then Glue togheter the Pieces as shown in the Picture in a 80° Angle.
Sand the Leading Edge of the Tail Units to a 45° Angle. Then cover the Pieces with Foil.
Glue the Tail to the 5mm Carbon Tube. Make sure you leave some Space of 1.5cm at the trailing Edge. Now you are ready to glue the Carbon Tube into the Fuselage. When you put the Plane upside down on a flat Surface, the V-Tail will align perfectly to the Wing.
 

Installing the Servos

I used cheap 2gr Servos from China (WINXIU) but you may modify to some other servos.

 
Insert the Bowdens into the Carbon Tube. If it goes too hard, sand en down until they fit. You may add a 3rd little Piece of Bowden at the End to line up the bowdens even. Bend the 0.8mm Steel Wires to a 90° Angle and insert them.
I bought me a set of small Servo Hinges but you might make some by yourself out of 1mm Aircraft Plywood. Apply them to the Tail Units.
Apply the Tail Units (Scotch or Tesa Strips) and connect them to the Steel Wires. Mke sure everything moves well.
Install the Servos in the Fuselage but harden the Servo Board first with thin CA. I had no such small screws so i simply glued the Servos in. Make little Z-Bends and connect them to the Steel Wires using 1.2mm Shrinktube. (Don't use a lighter to shrink the Tubes :D)
Installing the Aileron Servos is no big Issue but you will have to do it before you Cover the Wings. Line up the servos at 1500ppm, add the Hinges and then turn them up 90° so you can easely cover the wing. Afterwards you cut a Hole into the Cover and let the Hinges come down back to 1500ppm. Then install the Pushers as shown on the Picture.
 

Taring the Plane and flying...

 

Drill a Hole in the Planes Nose and set the Center of Gravity by adding some Leadbeads. The sweet Spot for the CG on my Plane is located at ~36mm measured from the leading edge.

HAPPY FLYING.....!!