Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Find out what our readers have on their building boards
User avatar
g_kandylakis
Posts: 99
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:49 pm
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece and Tuttlingen Baden Württemberg

Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby g_kandylakis » Sun May 21, 2017 7:22 am

Here is something from the old SFA, some of you might remember...

Since I never got to finish it, it is still an open project, so I thought about posting a little more on it.

The model was roughly finished (no dummy engine and no details) and I was able to do some test flying, which proved promising. Duration was short, but that was never my aim, with such a funny looking airplane...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdgX3PGppno

The model was put aside as I worked on my Bellanca research. The test flights were good, but revealed a major weekness. I chose to make the landing skids ot of laminated basswood. While strong enough for normal flying and landing, the could not stand up to a sudden landing shock and broke just before the front lg strut. Once broken they needed replacement. I tried repairing and reenforcing with wire inside, but they were too sensitive. So the model was put aside.

Then, recently, I was thinking about the coming Intescale event and how I have no new peanut to fly. My Vendome has done its part, so is due for competition retirement. The Lizzie would be a good replacement, especially since it only needed finishing and of course a solution to the landing skid problem. After some experimenting I managed to do the skinds out of carbon fiber, planked with very thin basswood. Although not tested, they seem much stronger than the previous version and I am optimistic the will stand the stress.
Attachments
DSC09470.JPG
DSC09470.JPG (89.08 KiB) Viewed 19251 times
free flight & micro RC

User avatar
g_kandylakis
Posts: 99
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:49 pm
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece and Tuttlingen Baden Württemberg

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby g_kandylakis » Sun May 21, 2017 7:37 am

The main missing detail was the dummy engine.

a balsa crankcase was turned and aluminium tubing was glued as a base for each cylinder.
Inside the aluminium tubing I added equal weights of lead, to reach the needed front balast for balancing purposes. The complete noseblock assembly weighs 2 grams...

Cylinders were again turned balsa, wraped with thread (two pieces, then the one was removed). Given the scale of the model at approx. 1:26, the cylinder fins looked realistic enough.

A dummy propeller was also carved. By the time I took the pictures it was already varnished.

DSC08436.JPG
DSC08436.JPG (342.14 KiB) Viewed 19250 times


DSC08441.JPG
DSC08441.JPG (300.72 KiB) Viewed 19250 times


DSC08438.JPG
DSC08438.JPG (276.76 KiB) Viewed 19250 times



Simple wire pushrods were added and the whole engine was painted in gun metal.
DSC08445.JPG
DSC08445.JPG (289.09 KiB) Viewed 19250 times


next it was dry brushed with aluminium, which gave it a more realistic metallic look
DSC08447.JPG
DSC08447.JPG (311.21 KiB) Viewed 19250 times


More will follow...

George
free flight & micro RC

rgroener
Posts: 74
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 5:30 am

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby rgroener » Sun May 21, 2017 10:03 am

George, looks geat and the dummy engine is the cherry on the cake!
Roman

User avatar
g_kandylakis
Posts: 99
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:49 pm
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece and Tuttlingen Baden Württemberg

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby g_kandylakis » Sun May 21, 2017 3:11 pm

Thanks Roman,

and this is the current status:

Pilot carved from pink foam, dummy prop fittings done, still missing a windscreen, a fitting on the cowling and the fuselage step...

20170521_165704.jpg
20170521_165704.jpg (348.68 KiB) Viewed 19234 times


20170521_165615.jpg
20170521_165615.jpg (269.52 KiB) Viewed 19234 times


20170521_165635.jpg
20170521_165635.jpg (238.4 KiB) Viewed 19234 times


20170521_165856.jpg
20170521_165856.jpg (240.82 KiB) Viewed 19234 times


For the engine I chose to make it floating on the main axle, so that it might rotate with the slipstream. Not that anyone might notice it in flight, it just seemed better, plus it is fun spinning it on the ground :D

20170521_165744.jpg
20170521_165744.jpg (342.01 KiB) Viewed 19234 times

20170521_165807.jpg
20170521_165807.jpg (294.94 KiB) Viewed 19234 times
free flight & micro RC

User avatar
Pete Fardell
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 9:36 am
Location: Hull UK

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby Pete Fardell » Sun May 21, 2017 3:29 pm

That looks wonderful, George! Yet another priceless gem from the Kandylakis stable.
(Good idea on the wheel skids, which may be the perfect solution to a perennial problem.)

Monz
Posts: 57
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:44 pm

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby Monz » Mon May 22, 2017 4:48 pm

Very nice George!

User avatar
Tim H
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby Tim H » Tue May 23, 2017 12:17 am

Very impressive George! And the main question, how much does it weigh?
I'm always impressed with how good modelers like yourself can build structures so thin and light without them warping badly. Mine do even after pre-shrinking and banana oil finishes etc.

Tim

User avatar
g_kandylakis
Posts: 99
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:49 pm
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece and Tuttlingen Baden Württemberg

Re: Grahame White Lizzie peanut

Postby g_kandylakis » Tue May 23, 2017 8:47 pm

Hi Tim,

weight with flying prop is 12,6 grams, of which 4,3 are the flying prop and the dummy engine, balast included. When I did the initial test flights I used bluetac as balast. I tried to make the engine as heavy as the bluetac.

I hope this will be the flying weight, with rubber extra, of course. Still, there is plenty of wing area for a peanut, so I hope it manages some circuits...

George
free flight & micro RC


Return to “Construction Projects”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests