Tupolev tu95 1:10

[Karl mander]

Hi

Attached is a picture of my latest project a Don Smith tu95 Tupolev bear, at 1/10 scale is 17 foot span.
I've started this as I need to test the engines/ balance the Dornier 335 which I can't do until the weather improves.
This week I've produced the right wing frame, having doubled up with ply the wing ribs where the joining tube goes through( it's my model and I'll over engineer it if I want to).
The biggest problem is fitting the wing on my workbench which I've managed to extend. Each wing is 10 foot long(17 foot swept span).
My choice of engine has yet to be decided, my original choice of four zenoah 23s is not going to be enough.

[frank fearn]

You sure get through em Karl.. never seen or heard of it until I just Googled him.....what a project...very unusual...have you hand cut?

[Karl mander]

Hi

The kit has been cut by belair , it's good in that everything is perfectly cut, but as I'm used to building my own way takes a bit if getting used to.

I've now top sheeted one wing so will soon try and build the adjoining wing.
The wing is built around the central cross spar, 91" long, requiring a single price of 3/8 spruce . This is braced against the wing spars by 1/8 ply.
On the plan the wing spars them selves are not braced together , however I shall create a wing brace to give extra strength.
The wing and fuselage are 3 piece..
The inner nacelle are 68" long- the biggest challenge will be getting it in the van.

[Mike Booth]

Wow what a project.
It reminds of two events I witnessed on the Cornish coast.
The first was in 1976, looking up whilst sunbathing on the cliffs near Landsend.
I saw two aircraft very high up in the clear blue.

Luckily I had my father's binoculars with me and was soon gazing at a 'Russian Bear' being escorted by an English Electric Lightening though UK airspace.
I was mesmerised for some minutes as it seemed like they were in space.

The other event six years later at almost the same location
, I will write up in general discussion topics.

[Karl mander]

I've now started on the port wing and the major problem is the size of the centre section and fitting it on my workbench!
The plans that I am working on are all copies , thus why I'm working directly on top of then.

[Karl mander]

Laborious task of spar web (1/8 lite ply)complete. The central spar will be keyed into wing spars with 1/8 ply.

[Karl mander]

Work slowly continues on the tu95.
As the model will be over 20kg the wing structure had its first scrutiny over the weekend. A few issues were brought up and resolved allowing me to continue sheeting the wing.
I'm keen to sheet the wing as this will allow the test fitting of the wing/fuselage brace. This goes completely around the wing and has to be fitted before the nacelles(photo shows fuselage/wing brace).
The fuselage , which is in three sections,is built in halves over the plan. The two halves of the centre section of the fuselage must be glued together on the wing, i.e the wing will go through both sides - tricky!

[Karl mander]

Hi
Work continues on the bear, I've spent this week doing all the fiddly bits essential before sheeting the underside of the wing . This has included securing the outer wing panels, and dry fitting the nacelle spines.
Fitting the nacelle spines was essential as there were a number of errors with the plan/ cut pieces that had to be rectified( this is my third Don Smith model and they're normally spot on), this took forever.
I've also strengthened the cross spar by laminating it with 1/2" ply.

[Karl mander]

Update on the bear-

The wing is now sheeted and I've started work on the nacelles.
I've shown the structure of the inner nacelle which is shaped like a ants **** with a multitude of contours .
I'm using my normal technique of putting 1/8 hard balsa stringers on the formers then sheeting with 3/32.
I won't be able to fit any of the nacelles until I fit the central fuselage section as it will have to be slid up the wing and into place.
As you can see from the photo it's not small.

[frank fearn]

Fantastic Karl, pleased to see Chief Test Pilot approves...

[ian redshaw]

Thats looking superb, those inner nacelles look like those peanut brown sweets you could get as a kid!!

http://www.confectionaffection.net/pasc ... tAodcAwAbw

yummy!

Ian.

[James Stewart]

What a shape, does anyone else think it looks a sinister aircraft? Fantastic work bud.

[Karl mander]

Thanks for the comments gents, I still think the inner nacelle looks like a ants bum!

[James Stewart]

Ye its pretty similar. How difficult was it to shape the balsa to that nacelle frame?

[Mike Booth]

Awesome.

[Karl mander]

As you can see from the photos I like to build using 1/8 hard balsa stringers to make the frame work which I then cover with medium 3/32 balsa cut to fit the frame work.
I like this method as the 3/32 balsa is malleable yet with the hard balsa stringers gives a strong skin. Cutting the slots is time consuming , especially as the belair kit formers are all 1/8 ply they take some elbow grease to cut. However the 1/8 balsa stringers are a lot easier to push my pins through.
I find this a lot easier than wetting wood and trying to bend it to fit I always ended up with snapped sheets of wood.

[Phil Clark]

Try some Ammonia karl.......far more effective than water

[Robin Woodhead]

Yes Phil it is.

But you try buying it at a retail outlet, they consider you as a terrorist syspect.

Do you purchase in bulk?

Robin

[Karl mander]

Outer nacelles on the way to completion, a lot easier than the inner nacelles.

[Phil Clark]

Yes Phil it is.

But you try buying it at a retail outlet, they consider you as a terrorist syspect.

Do you purchase in bulk?

Robin

Last bottle I got came (IIRC) from French hypermarket.......1ltr bottle, 100% ammonia, straight off the shelf.

........it is next to impossible to find in the UK

Phil