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Hirobo Bell UH-1B |
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Hirobo Bell UH-1B |
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Fuselage Preparation ( Part 1) |
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The canopy is secured in place using masking tape so that all of the panel lines and door frames line up. Then it is a matter of drilling holes in various locations so that small screws can be used to hold the two pieces together. At this stage no extra work has been performed on the canopy since all the windows were cut in the factory. |
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The red tape illustrates the only cuts required to the canopy to simulate the air intake and starter shaft access, the other windows have already been cut in the factory. Rather than weakening the canopy further the windows above the pilot and co-pilot will not be cut out, instead they will be painted flat green to mimic the tint of the full-size. |
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The canopy is thinner than the recess moulded in the lip of the fuselage. To provide a seamless difference on the outside between the canopy and the fuselage the height difference was built up using small squares of plastic of varying thickness at each of the mounting points. Additionally the photo shows small amounts of fibreglass epoxied around the air intake and starter shaft access for increased strength. |
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The turbine exhaust is part of the fuselage moulding, the red tape marks where the surplus will be removed. |
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On the outside of the canopy small round pieces of plastic are glued in place to prevent the fibreglass cracking due to the inevitable vibration found on a helicopter. Small wooden squares are glued to the inside of the fuselage for the self-tapping fastener to bite into. The button cap head should be unobtrusive when painted. |
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The tail cover is given the same treatment as the canopy. To provide a tight fit and a positive lock a ‘tongue’ made out of balsa wood was glued to the inside leading edge which clips into the inside of the fuselage. |
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In order for the horizontal stabilisers to be removable a wooden dowel is used to offer a platform for the fins to be screwed to. Two balsa plates are then cut to fit in a moulded recess in the fuselage, a metal rod is used to establish the correct pitch of the stabilisers. |
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The assembly is then glued into place using slow curing epoxy. Time is taken to ensure that the wooden dowel exits the fuselage horizontal and perpendicular to the centre line. |
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A small self tapping screw is then inserted into the end of the wooden dowel to hold each fin in place making sure that the screw does not come through the top surface! |
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Assuming that the wooden dowel was glued in the correct position the leading edge of the fins should now line up with each other. |
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To determine where to cut the hole for the exhaust the template used earlier is modified with the engine and muffler in place. |
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The modified template is then temporarily placed on the fuselage so that the appropriate holes can be drilled. |
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The inside can then be spray painted with light grey and will be a good contrast with the exterior paint scheme. |
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Webmaster: John Neasham |
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