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Sig Kadet MkII build

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Sig Kadet MkII build

Old 10-12-2015, 08:16 AM
  #1  
KenChoo
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Default Sig Kadet MkII build

Hi everyone,

I've decided to post yet another Kadet MkII build (as I've recently started on the kit) instead of hijacking someone else's build thread (I hope that's okay). I really enjoyed reading the earlier Kadet MkII threads though - they've given me ideas for my build and inspired me with the workmanship displayed...

Just a little background on why I'm building this kit...this was my first RC plane kit back in the mid-80's. My father bought this kit for me and I started it, getting as far as having most of the wing built along with the fin and fuselage getting about 80% done. We were going to power it with an Enya 35tv. I honestly can't remember what happened to it but I do remember it never got completed. I started flying a couple of years later by the generosity of a gentleman who gave me a shoulder-wing trainer (I only supplied the engine and radio gear). Since then I've been flying mostly pre-built/pre-owned or ARF planes so my actual building experience is virtually nil (I did build and complete a Sig Riser glider many years ago). So for some reason lately I've felt that my modelling experience has been incomplete, with only flying or assembling over the past 20-odd years in RC...that's why I decided for my foray into building to go right back to the beginning and start this Kadet!

I'm planning on taking a while with this build, partly because I want to make sure I do things right (well, as "right" as a neophyte builder like myself can), but partly also because I decided to experience this as a leisurely and enjoyable build. In line with this decision I decided to use Titebond and epoxy for gluing and abstain from CA as much as I can (I'm starting to get reactions to CA - that's why I also bought the foam safe UFO CA from Satellite City).

For my building surface, I'm using a hollow core interior door from the hardware store with some foam panels over it so I can push the pins in. I really like the Midwest push pins I bought from TowerHobbies - they feel so much better than regular T-pins to me (I bought a bunch of those too). For the powerplant, I really liked how DBD1 did his with the OS35ax and the muffler extension so that's what I ordered. And as a little bit of weirdness, I'm going to use old fashion Dubro hinges instead of the CA ones in the kit...not because I feel there's anything wrong with CA hinges, but because that's how I'd have had to do it in the 80's before the introduction of the CA ones. I'm planning on using Solartex for covering and painting it. I think that's about it at the moment.

I hope you'll all bear with me as I take my time...oh, also I apologize in advance for the poor quality pictures...I misplaced the family camera and haven't gotten around to really hunting for it yet so these are taken with my phone. :-P

Here are the first couple of pics I'm going to post - unboxing and initial construction of the right wing: starting with the assembly of the spars, then laying the plans on the building board, and then starting on the bottom planking. I've actually just finished the right wing and am starting on the left but I figured if my posts lags my actual build I can have some material to post when I really really slack off the build! (Haha)


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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-12-2015 at 01:08 PM.
Old 10-12-2015, 06:33 PM
  #2  
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I'm in. I love the Kadet. I have a Senior kit on the pile.
Old 10-12-2015, 08:19 PM
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Just a thought. Since you are an experienced flyer already, you may want to make a slight change in your build. Unless you plan on using the Kadet to help others learn to fly, I would reduce the dihedral by at least 50%. Since you already know how to fly, you don't need the self righting to be nearly as strong as what the stock 2" dihedral will give. I'm working on a Jr, a smaller version of your MkII, and have removed the dihedral all together. Since mine is going to have twin floats and larger ailerons as compared to a Mk II, I felt all the dihedral wasn't needed.
Old 10-13-2015, 02:15 AM
  #4  
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Originally Posted by Hydro Junkie
Just a thought. Since you are an experienced flyer already, you may want to make a slight change in your build. Unless you plan on using the Kadet to help others learn to fly, I would reduce the dihedral by at least 50%. Since you already know how to fly, you don't need the self righting to be nearly as strong as what the stock 2" dihedral will give. I'm working on a Jr, a smaller version of your MkII, and have removed the dihedral all together. Since mine is going to have twin floats and larger ailerons as compared to a Mk II, I felt all the dihedral wasn't needed.

I tend to agree. The modification shouldn't be difficult. I took out the dihedral and added ailerons, when I built my Kadet Senior. Converting it to a tail dragger wasn't too difficult, and may also be a consideration, here.
Old 10-13-2015, 02:48 AM
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KenChoo
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Thanks guys for chiming in...I appreciate it.

Regarding the dihedral, I did consider it but decided to try it stock and see how it would feel that way at least for this one (could always build another, right? :-). Truth be told I also wondered what my actual dihedral would end up being by using the gauge in the kit as DBD1 says his came out with less than 4 inches anyway...

Tom, I like the looks of your tail dragger Kadet but I'll go with the trike gear configuration for this one...its been a long time since I last flew trike gear and I think this'll be fun!

cheers,
Ken
Old 10-13-2015, 07:28 AM
  #6  
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I'm subscribed. The MK II is built like a tank and it is a fun build. As far as taking your time on the build, I still haven't finished mine yet. Life has had other ideas for me this past year, some good and some not good that have kept me away from it but I am ready to get back at it.
Sig does sell a wing kit for the MK II, so you can build one with the designed amount of dihedral and another with a reduced amount if you desire.
Keep the updates coming and enjoy the build!
Old 10-13-2015, 08:19 AM
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KenChoo
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Hi DBD1, glad to hear from you. I really enjoy reading your thread. That's a good tip on the wing kit, thank you! I didn't know Sig offered that. One of the things I got from your thread was having the plans cut in sections to make the build more manageable on the table. I only cut mine into two portions (basically wing which was on top, and fuse on the bottom) but it still made moving things around much easier.

I wasn't really planning on posting an update so early in the week but since I'm logged in, I'll post just two pictures on some progress: more done on the bottom surface with capstrips and the two bottom spars in place, along with the ribs being cut out and sanded to match each other.

I made the W1A ribs using the pattern in the manual by tracing it onto a piece of paper. While I was at it I also traced the patterns for the dihedral gauge and wing tip angle gauge onto paper which I then glued to some stiffer cardboard (using 3M 77), and then cutting those out. It turned out that the idea of paper templates would come in real handy when it came time to fit the shear webs, but more on that later.



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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-13-2015 at 08:24 AM.
Old 10-13-2015, 03:22 PM
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Wow. Brings back great memories. My first plane was a Sig Kadet Mark II in the early 80s. Plane flies great. Back then almost every new RC pilot learned to fly and build on this kit.
Old 10-14-2015, 10:17 AM
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I have a Kadet LT-40 in my hanger now and I have several Kadet flavors on my bucket list. Subscribed!
Old 10-15-2015, 08:45 AM
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KenChoo
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Okay, time for the next update:

So at this stage I'm getting pretty happy things are coming along so well...looks like taking my time and being comfortable with what I'm doing is paying off. Next up is preparing the wing tips, and gluing in the ribs. I didn't yet have my builder's squares I ordered from Tower Hobbies, so to align the ribs vertically I just used one of the balsa blocks in the kit...turned out quite well, but not 100% square. Not such a big deal but it would slightly impact the preparation of the shear webs. One great thing about reaching this stage is that the addition of the ribs and top spar gave the wing panel much greater rigidity (it just feels so much better in your hands).

I have to say that the thought of trimming the ends of the wing tips to a bevel filled me with anxiety at first, but when I actually got cutting it was very easy! With that and fine tuning the bevel using my sanding bar, it was much less of a hassle than I thought it would be.

The angle gauge for the tip was really handy for scribing then cutting the trailing edge and top spar to the correct angle to fit to the wing tip.

So here are the photos of the wing tips, and the tips and the ribs being glued in place, along with the top spar. (I forgot to take a photo of setting the angle of the tip so I'll post that when I get around to the left panel)...slow and steady!

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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-15-2015 at 08:48 AM.
Old 10-15-2015, 08:54 AM
  #11  
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You can't have too many squares!
Old 10-15-2015, 10:23 AM
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KenChoo
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Originally Posted by FlyerInOKC
You can't have too many squares!
Yupp-o...or sanding bars as I'm learning. :-)

btw, sorry about the orientation of that last picture...I think I forgot to turn that around.
Old 10-15-2015, 10:49 AM
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You might look into the X-Acto 3" triangle it comes in very handy. I also use the Hobbico Builders triangle set a lot.
Old 10-16-2015, 02:52 PM
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I know it's still a long way off, but I've been thinking about the finishing...I would like to duplicate the box art as much as possible but do not want to go the dope and covering route (can't finish it outdoors, and I'm not subjecting my family to the hazards of dope indoors). Nor do I wish to use film covering because it just doesn't hold up as well as I'd like over the 10 year+ timeframe (the airframe does fine but covering gets brittle and/or dull).

I was thinking of Solartex natural and painting/clearcoating over that, but I cannot get it clear in my mind how I will mask off and paint the curved patterns on the wing or do the silver outline to the black...masking over the ribs especially I think might pose a challenge? It feels as though the windshield area would be tricky too.

What to do, what to do...frisket film? 3M blue masking tape? How to do it? Or just cut out all the trim in Solartex and apply it over itself? I should also mention that I intend to brush instead of spray FWIW...

I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts you guys could offer...

On a positive note, I just found the family camera so the picture quality should improve past the rib installation on the left wing panel (just getting ready to do the top sheeting for the left panel).

Have a great weekend everyone.

Last edited by KenChoo; 10-16-2015 at 02:57 PM.
Old 10-19-2015, 07:04 AM
  #15  
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Finishing is something I like to consider early on too, but you can always switch gears when you get to that point.
Old 10-20-2015, 04:58 AM
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Hey Ken! I'm in. Love my Mk-II.
Old 10-20-2015, 07:22 AM
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Hi guys,

Thanks for keeping me company on this build! Well, here are more pictures, to finish up the right wing panel. Starting with installing the leading and trailing edges, through to the sheeting and top capstrips, then a view of the mostly-finished panel (leading edge shaped and entire panel sanded with 120 grit - I'll fine sand more after I get the left panel to this stage).

Something I learned as I did the leading edge sheet - even though the sheet wasn't difficult to get around the curve of the ribs, when I pinned it down (and I used lot's of pins - I'm learning that pins are your friends!) I really had to make sure I got my pins all the way in to keep the sheet in tight contact with the structure below. It kept wanting to pull up. So I decided for the left panel I'd moisten the top of the sheet a bit to help it bend easier and boy was that a good decision. It was much easier on the left side in that I didn't feel I had to fight to keep the sheeting down. It wasn't much water either, just 3 or 4 swipes with a damp cloth and the balsa only felt a little damp not really wet.

Speaking of the left wing panel, I built that much quicker than the right one and didn't like what that did for my build quality. I felt more rushed (my own fault) and made some little silly mistakes - none I couldn't rectify easily, but this is one of the bigger challenges for me - curbing my own impatience. It's quite important for me as a novice builder...let's hope I have the discipline to slow down from here...



P.S. I'm quite disappointed with how grainy some of my pictures turned out - it's the poor lighting in the study I'm working in, I think. Anyway, hopefully the ones with the proper camera will turn out much better. And you'll notice in one picture an interesting collection of old comics - guess what use they've been put to? (Lightweight weights!)
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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-20-2015 at 07:38 AM.
Old 10-20-2015, 07:47 AM
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I have a little trick I use on sheeting I use you may find of interest. I save up old phone books and use them to weight down the wing sheeting. They don't cost me anything and they are form fitting. Some guys I know use lead/steel shot but if the bag leaks it can be a mess. Also if the paper sticks to the wood due to some stray glue or is damaged you can pull the damaged sheets off and anything on the airplanes sands right off. Since they are one place the pressure is equal so no sagging with thin sheeting.
Old 10-20-2015, 09:30 AM
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Old phone books! Nice idea, I'll remember that one.
Old 10-20-2015, 09:41 AM
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Nice progress, great looking wing!
Old 10-21-2015, 01:18 PM
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KenChoo
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Thanks for the encouraging comments! Okay, some more pictures and update on progress...

So the left panel is off to a quick start - bottom sheeting, then spars and ribs, leading/trailing edges, then wingtip added. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. At least this time I remembered to take photos of carving the wingtip bevels (it's fun carving wood with a knife!), and using the angle gauge for the tips. I've also thrown in a picture of the step where I fine-tuned the top bevel using a sanding bar (with paper wrapped around it to protect the inner ribs, per the instruction manual).

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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-21-2015 at 01:21 PM.
Old 10-22-2015, 05:04 AM
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Ken, if you like carving build a Top Flite 182 the Hornier wingtips are a blast to carve!
Old 10-22-2015, 12:52 PM
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Top Flite 182? Who knows, maybe one day. I gotta build up to it though (pun intended). :-)

In the meantime, here are some more pics for today. I took a photo of the paper templates I drew for the shear webs...I took measurements of the bay using a ruler and two triangles. The triangles helped me to get the proper angle to cut the sides of the webs - I'd first lay one triangle vertically on the top spar, then laying an edge of the other triangle against a rib, I'd clamp those two triangles together with my fingers and take them to a piece of paper and copy the angle. The ribs were pretty square all around (except the root rib) so I didn't really have to do this, but it helped with good, tight fitting joints (see pic). I could have also used the dihedral angle gauge to help with the root rib web so this process wasn't 100% necessary...I just found it helped me.

Other than that, it's just chugging along with more sheeting and cap-stripping till I've got a left panel also completed! Next is more sanding then epoxying the two sides together.


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Last edited by KenChoo; 10-22-2015 at 01:07 PM.
Old 10-23-2015, 06:34 AM
  #24  
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Nice work Ken. It's looking good.
Old 10-23-2015, 02:37 PM
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KenChoo
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Hi DBD1, thank you very much...how's yours coming along? Is it just covering left to do? I really like the color scheme you came up with...

Last edited by KenChoo; 10-23-2015 at 03:42 PM.

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