Nitroplanes Pitts Model 12 20cc Build Continues

The joy continues!  The past couple of days have seen some progress. Here's some work over the pat couple of days.

 

Put the wheel struts on. These babies are some sturdy underpants. The kit comes with some really good quality upper fairings that are made of fiberglass. I wish the Phoenix Waco had come with something like these. There's some rubber tubing to use along their edges. More on that when I install them.

Sorta on her legs. Won't put the wheels and pants on for now.

This is the Pitts next to the 20cc Phoenix Waco. When the cowling goes on she will be several inches longer.

I permanently joined the lower wing halves.

On an aside I painted the tips of the Master Airscrew 15x7x3 prop I have on hand. This is the same one I use on the PulseXT with its 20cc engine. 

Aileron servos are all on their hardpoints ready to install. These generic servos are really amazing quality.

I didn't do this with the Waco, but the YouTube video of the Pitts with a 20cc engine shows the canopy popping off despite the latch. This suggests there is some kinda internal air pressure, so I decided to put a exit vent on the back underside. I had one from a previous build hanging around.

With that "popping off of the canopy" I also wanted to add a couple strong magnets to help secure it.

That's them in the corner. 

I don't have a lot of faith in wings joined with a short wood beam rather than a wing tube, because one of my PulseXT 40's folded like a diaper pulling out of an easy loop. Since then any design with that I tend to want to put a couple layers of thin fiberglass on the underside. I peeled back the cote, taped it off, sanded it (there was an epoxy sine from the joining seen here).

Sanded smooth.

I used 15 min epoxy thinned with alcohol, painted the wood with it, laid down a sheet of fiberglass cloth, layered it with more epoxy, laid the second sheet, and more epoxy. Smoothed it out.

 Letting it dry. Once it's dry enough I will cut the edges clean and pull the tape, let it dry a day or two, then cote it after a light sanding.

This is the fine fiberglass cloth I used. It is kinda hard to work with in that it un-weaves with even the slightest traction.

Today the RCGF-USA 20cc engine arrived today! I am expecting the ZYHobby fuel tank, and the rudder and elevator servos to arrive today as well, along with the voltage regulator, so I hope to make some progress. It will be a few days before the flag-and-pin switch arrives.