new plane, no dope!

Here is my new plane, the Rattler, for the RO-Jett 40 RE and pipe. I wanted a top notch competitive plane for Expert and designed this one with that in mind.I also wanted it to be easy to build and will probably kit it and add to the RO-Jett line of products. It uses the Granderson "Diva" airfoil. This came about after flying Dee Rice's Oriental Plus with Ro-Jett 40 and pipe. His flew as good or better than any plane I have ever flown and the power package was perfect for the plane.
I also decided to use no Dope anywhere on this plane. I had used dope for raw wood and putting on silkspan on previous planes and moved to automotive after that. I am not patient with drying times and wanted to move faster than ever. I finished the wing and tail before putting into the fuse. This is normal(up to primer or base coat) and not different, but, the raw wood was done with Polycrylic and then covered with poly-span put on with polycrylic. The covering was put on with the perimeter glued down with polycrylic and let dry. The Polyspan is then shrunk with a heat gun and 2 cots of PC on top of that. Primer was next.
Fuse was 1 coat of PC on raw wood then fin and nose glassed with 3/4 ounce cloth and PC. with a coat of PC on entire fuse.
The stab was done with carbon veil and PC so as to try all materials on the project.
I am in love with this system. I let each coat of PC dry for about 2 hours and sand. As with most urethanes, there is a sanding window. To early and gum, to late and it is so hard a cat couldn't scratch it. One other note, use a good brush! When glassing I used a foam brush but for coating you want a really good brush. The foam brush was so I could work the glass with something a little stiffer.
The primer is and will be air dry automotive fast build up fast drying. The paint is PPG 2 stage system, base coat-clear coat. I can do most of the finishing in 2 to 3 evening(most of it masking) and shoot 4 colors and lettering.
Try IT!

That's a good looking ship, Rattler. Love that turtleback, and the wing and stab shape.
Interesting prep, can't wait to see it in paint.

'no hope without dope?'

Kewl....

PC doesn't cost near as much as CA, eh?

Much easier too.

As with most urethanes, there is a
>sanding window.

Not to pick, but Polycrylic is an acrylic, not urethane.

'no dope', now thems there are some words that are musics to my ears!!

Polyurethane-acrylic, Poly-crylic- get it?

Maverick,

In Chevelle's posting, where he speaks of folding a wing on his new model, Ted and others have some kinda, sorta negative things to say about your covering material of choice. Worth a look even if your model is by now complete.

LAST EDITED ON Jun-25-03 AT 06:24 AM (CDT)
 
Hey Dan, I have used this on 2 other planes but with dope. I also do not believe in depending on the covering to support the wing. I do not mind the 6 to 10 grams it takes to beef up the center internally as well as outside. I am surprised at the people that will try and save 4 grams by using smaller spars and no internal structure that really is not that difficult or heavy to build in. I overlap the center covering enough to more than cover the fuse area. Must be my Formula One days. A little end grain balsa and carbon go a long way to help me relax in those hard corners! Also with the poly-span it is the open bays that may loosen slightly, although I have not had this happen as Ted has-yet!, and the center is really nailed down with 2 coats of PC. Which by the way really hardens up the wood. The PC is very stable once it hardens and is not affected by the heat. I had my doubts about water based urethanes, but no more.
Richard Oliver

>although I have not had this happen as Ted has-yet!, and the
>center is really nailed down with 2 coats of PC. Which by
>the way really hardens up the wood. The PC is very stable
>once it hardens and is not affected by the heat. I had my
>doubts about water based urethanes, but no more.
>Richard Oliver

Richard;

Just to confirm, you are using the polycrylic that comes in the blue can, right?

I am curious as to which variation you are using (gloss, semi-gloss, or satin).

>Maverick,
>
>In Chevelle's posting, where he speaks of folding a wing on
>his new model, Ted and others have some kinda, sorta
>negative things to say about your covering material of
>choice. Worth a look even if your model is by now complete.
>
>Dan Rutherford

Dan,

I have personally seen probably, oh, 20 models cover in Polyspan, including my own Shear Panic, Unassuming, Doug's Nats Plane, Furias, Blue and Yellow Bear, Blue and Red Bear, Steve's carbon tail Bear, Steve's retract Bear, Shaman, Mike Scott's yellow Bear, Mike's new plane, and about a million other planes built by Bill Wilson.

I have never seen the fabric go slack on any of these, even in 100 degree heat. I have no idea the circumstances behind the story you mentioned, but I certainly do not feel the results are typical.

I used Polyspan for the first time in my life on my Legacy. It has shown NO tendency to loosen up. I used only butyrate on the open bays, however, so I must have gotten better tautness. Used Nitrate as the base everywhere else.

>Polyurethane-acrylic, Poly-crylic- get it?

I try not to refer to Polycrylic as a urethene, since it leads to only confusion. Going back in history, urethanes are typically catalyzed, or dry incredibly slowly to achieve a rock hard surface. There are also many comptability issues that accompany urethanes. Many acrylics on the other hand (including lacquers) do not require hardeners to achieve a very hard surface in a short period of time.

I really thing the Poly in Polycrylic is simply a marketing tool to help people realize that that the product could be substituted for many of the functions of the hardware story polyurethanes. I do not think there is any chemistry linkages between Polycrylic and "urethane", no more so than there is between a lacquer and urethanes.

Many of the new premium housepaints that are vavailable from various companies are acrylic now. Heck, I was looking at an asphalt sealer that was 100% acrylic. I think the reason PC works so well is because it is NOT a urethane.

BTW I am glad the method is working for you. Your work is always stunningly good. See you at the the NAts!

Brad, to wish it does not make it so. I would prefer that people not be misled. Water based urethanes were a big break through when put on the market. Polycrylic is defiantly a URETHANE. The paint that you are using on you plane is an acrylic-urethane. Catalyzing paint does not make it something else. Hear you flew well in Dallas, look forward to your flying well in open at the Nat's.