Firewall replacement questions

[coupe1942]

Yippy, yippy, yippy! Got in my first real flight today and my first real crash, too. Part of the learning process and I am still pumped up about the whole thing, despite the setback. Nothing that can't be repaired, but a learning curve for me, for sure.  I had thought that the controls just didn't seem to be what they should have been for the rudder and the elevator. Left side of the rudder just didn't seem to swing as far as it should. (I didn't listen to my inner voice though). The controls were a bit sluggish (overly so to me), but I expected that with the Rate button set to lo for a beginner. Any rate, I guess I was just totally amazed as the bird took off for the very first time. I had used a parking lot for a runway, as the field was not freshly mown and the grass just seemed too high to me. The rocky road next to the field was waaay to rocky in my opinion, so I went for using the parking lot area, instead.

Any rate, the crash does not deter me in the least. Just trying to put things back in working order to go for it once again. My stock wing snapped on the left side. Small chunk of foam out at the corner of the plastic in the middle. I have a spare wing, so no real problems in changing that and I suspect the wing can still be repaired with some carbon fiber rods or such. The cowl took a beating and the prop got scuffed enough to swap it out for sure.  The firewall took the brunt of the hit and cracked enough that it will have to be replaced. My question is actually more about the firewall more than anything else. I see the four pegs to insert into the foam of the fuselage, but I really could not tell if the plastic firewall was originally hot glued into place on the fuselage or not. I got it off with minimal pulling off the foam beneath it, but before I replace the firewall with a spare one I have, I wanted to know if I need to glue it in place with any special glue or not?

As I stood there watching the plane in front of me take its maiden flight, it was really a great feeling. I knew full well when it was veering off to the right that I needed height and some more speed, but the controls just didn't react very quickly and pow! I guess I was  a bit mesmerized by the SC actually getting up into the air on its own and just reacted too slowly myself, too. My Mobius was attached, but the micro-sd card was ejected during the crash, so no video of the big event. I found the card, but unfortunately, I had not turned on the camera during pre-flight check. :-( Like they say at my sidecar site I go to all the time, "No photos and it never happened." I am up for another go and don't feel this is a major setback in the least. I have some Plasty-coat on my wing tips and I learned that any scuffs can be removed easily by peeling back the original stuff and simply spraying over it again. It covers as if it were always there and can even be completely removed with no real problems to the foam beneath it.

Guess I'll have to ask some additional questions regarding the best manner to repair the broken wing, but I have a spare and will probably go right to that to get the bird flying once again. I do want to get that new firewall into place in the correct orientation first though.  I actually am in a very good mood over this first flight. I feel I learned a few things from it, even though it was an "ouchie moment" for me.  :-)

[kenninny]

from the factory the firewall is put on with adheasive caulk, but you can use hot glue, epoxy, CA, foam tac,
or any foam safe glue, the same with the wings. If you tape the leading edge of the wing you won't lose
chunks of foam out of the wing, check your gear box for cracks too. But cograds on your first flight even
if it was a bad landing. you will improve with time, the slower response of the controls is normal for
a beginner, but as you get better you can move the clevis from the outer most hole to one of the other
hole for a quicker responce

[jklong03]

Coupe, great first flight believe me many have ended much worse! Slap that new wing on, set the controls how you feel comfortable. Glue new firewall on with Gorilla Glue and remember to spritz both surfaces with water. I used rubber bands behind the landing gear and looped over the firewall in several places to make it seat securely. Double check your prop shaft for any tweaks, double check your CG again and go fly. Just try your best to stay ahead of the plane and not be reactive to what it has already done.

You will get there! I am here for you buddy!

[coupe1942]

Yeah, I watched some YouTube videos regarding wing repair and Gorilla glue last night. I gave myself a break last night and didn't attempt to do anything at all, as that always gives me a fresh start and less problems when I get involved into the repair process. The chunk that came out on the wing was on the trailing edge at the end of the crack. Everyone said not to put tape on the trailing edge at all, so that was exactly what I did. No tape back there at all. I never found the little foam piece, but I can probably configure something as a fill back there. Not a really big chunk, but noticeable to me, none the less. Now that I have my answers, I am set to give the repairs and all another go this morning. I initially sat things up by the book in the control arms and the hole they connect to. I realize the other holes will give more response, but I figured as a newbie, the last hole would be best for me to start out with. I really believe most of my smack down was the result of me sort of being taken back by the thing quickly hopping into the air and taking flight. Man, that was so very cool. Oh, well, thanks for the advise and support. Another thing this has caused is me having to clean off my table I usually work on. Man, have I ever gotten messy lately with all the tools and such spread out on it. I'll have to clear space so I can work on that large wing there. :-) Got to go find some tooth pics, too.

[coupe1942]

Glad you mentioned the prop shaft, as mine was indeed bent a bit. I have some questions about that, too. The shaft is housed inside the gearbox and has some small collars or bearings on the shaft and a small plastic collar that goes into the nose of the gearbox. They are held in place there with the one nut. Just checking myself in the order the pieces go onto that shaft and into the gearbox nose piece. Is it the two metal collars, then the plastic one (which seems to be a spacer) and then the nut?

Also, I hate to pitch a good part that can be kept as a spare, so can I simply bend the stock shaft back straight in my vise or would that create any problems as balance or anything? Thanks for any info on this.

[coupe1942]

I got the shaft back into the gear box and repaired my wing with Gorilla Glue. (That stuff really does expand. I must have cleaned off the excess a dozen times while it dried and will still have to do some finish sanding before done.) I got the new firewall attached and even added some carbon fiber rods for support of the front cowl area while at it. I have not plugged in the leads to the motor just yet. HZ sure does not give you a lot of slack in any wires to anything, do they?  :-)

Still need the answer to the bearings on the gear box shaft. Is there supposed to be two inserted on the shaft before the plastic collar is then put on and the nut? I am sort of thinking that I may not have the two metal bearings pushed down as far as they should go into the plastic housing. I put a set of AA batteries onto the motor leads and it spun about with no problems noted.

Any rate, just have some finish work to do and I should be ready to go once again. Hopefully with better results next time though. :-)





 

[coupe1942]

Well, bruised and battered and somewhat broken, she is back together and just about ready to try some flight time once again. My driveway was blocked in today by a tree service my neighbor had used, so no way to get to the fly field and try her out once again. Hopefully tomorrow will see her up in the sky once more and not so inclined to spend time in the "airplane hospital" as she has done since her maiden voyage. I am anxious to see if the repaired wing is sound or not. I'd go to my spare wing, but I really wanted to see if this one survived my attempt at repairs. Crossing my fingers that all goes well tomorrow.... and hope to remember my camera being turned on this time. :-)

[coupe1942]

Murph helped me out with his support.  He did a "blessing of the planes" for me, so I should be good to go.  :-)

[kenninny]

One of the metal collar. goes on the rear of the gear box behind the white gear

[coupe1942]

I sure wish that I had seen this photo of someone else's firewall before I set mine into place in the repairs. I had thought about this in the past, but forgot to make the mod before locking down my new firewall. I like the idea of being able to remove the motor and not have to actually pull the firewall off the fuselage in order to do so. See the arrows to the bolts and nut setup that allow for this in the photo attached. This won't prevent having a cracked plastic firewall in a crash, but if you decide to swap motors, this is sure going to make it easier than pulling out the firewall and any foam attached to it.

 

[ted]

Hey, coupe1942, just found this thread of yours. You've done an excellent job documenting everything so the rest of us can learn from your experiences. Nice pictures. Especially liked your description of your feeling when you saw your SC take to flight.
I too, take off from a parking lot, but then I fly over the adjacent open field where I have more room. Finally, I come back to the parking lot for a landing.
I think I have some pictures taken on the day of my crash a week ago - they're still in the camera and I have never looked at them or downloaded them to my computer yet. If they turn out, I'll share them.

[coupe1942]

I had held that firewall into place for several minutes after I had shot on some hot glue to attach it to the SC foam. It was not too hot to hold and I thought I had held it in place long enough. The next day I was putting on the cowl and then saw that the upper left corner was not 100% as tight to the foam as I would like. The firewall was solid though, so I didn't try to remove it or do anything to reposition it. I didn't want to risk breaking the seal and destroying any more foam. I was searching through all the zillion posts at other rc sites and came across that photo above of the modified firewall. If I had it all over to do again, I'd sure put in some screws in that manner as a mod. Wish I had viewed it beforehand. I try to take photos of my good work or my goofs. Some folk relate better to photos than an explanation with a thousand words used. I know I do. A crash can be embarrassing, but also humbling and informative if you learn from it. I am hoping to get out later today and go again for the second time. Good, bad or ugly, I am hoping to get some film of that, too. I honestly believe that I was fully mesmerized in just the first few moments of flight that day. I am sure hoping my repairs are all going to work well, but I will be starting out at a different area on this go. Going to see how high is too high for my new 3" front wheels this time.

Thanks.