Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Find out what our readers have on their building boards
mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:49 am

Wow, great to have SFA back online. I haven't touched a building board since Geneseo and this is just what I needed to sit back down and start building. But... what to build? I looked around for a while but nothing jumped out at me. So I decided to go back to the beginning. Back to the 1970's when I was just a kid watching the D.C. Maxecuters compete at a local contest. I was amazed and spent the entire day following them around watching them fly. At the end of the contest I was "awarded" a kit for being the best spectator. I promptly went home and built it and took it back to the field the next weekend. hideous plane that nobody could get to fly, and they tried! The kit was the Hi Flier Taylorcraft and I've never built it again. I've built a few other Hi Flier kits (loved the Howard DGA) and really enjoyed them. I picked up a bunch of Hi Flier kits recently, the Taylorcraft being one of them. I plan on building it right off the plan, no modifications (well, hardly any), and looking just like the box art. I'm not in a hurry so it may take a month or so but I'll try to work on it every day, even if it's only putting down one stick a day. Today I built the rudder, right off the plan. Mike
taylorcraft 1.jpg
taylorcraft 1.jpg (201.26 KiB) Viewed 10400 times
taylorcraft2.jpg
taylorcraft2.jpg (70.59 KiB) Viewed 10400 times

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:27 am

Nothing exciting, but I did get the stab built. Well, maybe not exciting, but still fun. I'm going to put some wood in ammonia and pin it down for the fuselage curves. I used to build the fuselage first but I noticed that I was ending up with a bunch of fuselages and never got around to building the wing and tail sections. So, wing and tail sections first now. (Fuselages, now that's exciting!)
Mike
Attachments
stab.jpg
stab.jpg (102.21 KiB) Viewed 10384 times

User avatar
Site Admin (Dave)
Site Admin
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:20 am

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby Site Admin (Dave) » Tue Sep 20, 2016 2:50 am

That's a nice model to build and good to see you make a start, Mike. :)

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:42 am

Thanks David, I really appreciate all the work you had to do to get SFA back up.
I built the wing to the Taylorcraft today. Nothing changed from the plan. If I were to change anything it would be the front wingtip piece. There's about an inch where the grain is going the completely wrong direction. I'll put in the dihedral and two little curved pieces after sanding. Tomorrow, starting on the fuselage! Mike
taylorcraft 4.jpg
taylorcraft 4.jpg (121.63 KiB) Viewed 10366 times
taylorcraft wingtip.jpg
taylorcraft wingtip.jpg (67.82 KiB) Viewed 10366 times

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Wed Sep 21, 2016 10:03 pm

Started on the fuselage today. One side done already, woo hoo! At this rate I'll be done in a week or two. Here's my first modification. I moved up the peg location one bay. Barely started on the second side but moving along nicely.
Mike
taylorcraft 5.jpg
taylorcraft 5.jpg (98.71 KiB) Viewed 10356 times

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Fri Sep 23, 2016 1:11 am

Here we go, fuselage mostly boxed up. I will be adding some landing gear wire as well as a balsa brace going up aprox 1/3 of the way into the fuselage. I haven't decided if I'm going to paint the fuselage before I cover it. It's not painted on the box art but it's something little that can make a big difference. I'm also going to make the styrene nose removable. I know that I'm losing some nose length but I'm not looking to get great flights out of this. Sixty seconds would be more than enough for me.
Mike
taylorcraft 6.jpg
taylorcraft 6.jpg (88.36 KiB) Viewed 10342 times

User avatar
faif2d
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 11:16 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby faif2d » Fri Sep 23, 2016 2:50 pm

I tried building one of these kits a work years ago during lunch. I quit after a time because I just could not get into the mood while at work. Your build is looking very nice.

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:21 am

I admit, I do work on models during my lunch. I like to cut out parts ahead of time for the next build. I am currently cutting out parts for the GAR Stormovik. I found a color view that I really like although it's not the nice and easy winter scheme. So far it's at the top of the list for my next build. Unfortunately my build list changes quickly, I recently cut out the parts for the GAR P-51 when it was on the top of the list... last week.
I didn't do much on the Taylorcraft yesterday and today. I added a few stringers and the instrument panel to the front. Mostly I worked on the plastic parts. Originally I was going to build the kit, that's why I built right off the plan. Believe me, it wasn't easy sticking a pin in the original plan. But, I wasn't using the original wood and the tissue is the wrong color for the box art so I started thinking of maybe saving the kit after all. I ended up making molds of the styrene parts. I wiped the inside of the styrene with vaseline and used Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty. I wasn't happy with the first set so I made a second set. One of these will work.
Mike
taylorcraft 7.jpg
taylorcraft 7.jpg (100.72 KiB) Viewed 10315 times

mescall1
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby mescall1 » Wed Sep 28, 2016 1:06 am

I started covering! I also put in the landing gear wire and made a noseplug to fit the styrene parts. I still haven't pulled the styrene but hope to do that this week. I haven't tried putting on the wing registration before I cover but I'm considering it. I've alway's put them on after covering and usually have pretty good luck doing it that way, but I can see the advantages of the other way. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Mike
taylorcraft 8.jpg
taylorcraft 8.jpg (125.4 KiB) Viewed 10301 times

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

Re: Hi Flier Taylorcraft build

Postby rgroener » Wed Sep 28, 2016 4:50 am

Nice pace and nice build. If you keep this building speed, you can fly it at the weekend;-)
Lookg great so far.
Roman


Return to “Construction Projects”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests