Guillow's newb and forum member

[rasterops]

Hey Everyone,

I'm new here so I thought I'd introduce myself.

I built a couple of model aircraft when I was a kid. They've all disappeared unfortunately. Most were plastic and I have decided to venture into balsa as a new hobby and build at a larger scale.

I just bought a DC3 (804) Kit. Can't wait to start building was but thinking about the following after doing a bit of research:

1. What is the best glue to use. Consensus seems to be PVA if you're happy to wait for it to dry because its flexible as compared to CA?
2. How can I prepare it for possible RC conversion? Should I just decide before building to avoid pain later on?
3. What is the best build platform for accuracy and how to avoid warping during construction. I've seen some recommendations about ceiling tile and steel plate with magnets.
4. Is there any way to build with tissue and achieve a smooth appearance (avoid the ribbed look) by applying a filler, primer or epoxy over the tissue while maintaining the ability to paint and apply decals later?

I'll probably create a seperate thread for the build to share with everybody but it would be great to get everybody's feedback on these questions as I'm sure some of you have asked yourself similar questions.

Thanks!

[Bill Gaylord]

The DC3 flies well at 19+oz with fuse and some wing sheeting. I cheated the span 2", but it really didn't need it. I use CA for most everything. I probably could have selected a bit lighter wood for the sheeting, and may have used 1/16" on the fuse. I now use light grade 1/32" sheet for everything, and Coverite Microlite covering, often using Rustoleum American Accents spray paint. Their silver works well, and will cover with little paint, where the painted Microlite will end up lighter than the Econokote that I used. This model flew lighter than any model of it's size that Ive built, given the weight. The launch/landing speeds were very manageable, flying with 200 class outrunners on 3s lipo. Other things done again would be what I do now with subjects like this where aft weight can be an issue, such as mounting the tail servos against the fuse keels, far up in the nose. My model doesn't need anywhere near the large 3s-1300 for power and good flight times, but it needs it for balance. Lighter covering such as the painted Microlite I now used (versus Monokote/Econokote/Parklite etc) may only shave a few grams tail weight, but that can add up to 1/2 or more of reduced nose ballast weight needed. I recently built and flew a sheeted fuse Sterling P26 with no ballast needed, using a tiny 3s-480 lipo. Light 1/32" sheet, painted Microlite, and gear mounted forward made it possible.

On wing warping, you can do some final tweaking after removing the wing from the board, by twisting the wing while simultaneously gluing in the bottom stringers with instant set thin CA. I've managed to correct several degrees of washout/washin error, using the method. Of course there's no substitute for being consistent with your pinning and construction methods used while building both wing panels. It gets trickier with non flat bottom airfoil sections, while the Guillow's flat bottom sections make life a bit easier.

[rasterops]

Thanks a lot for the tips Bill. They will definitely be useful. Your DC-3 looks great!