Guillows Bird Dog Build

[davidchoate]

thanx

[hunterdude]

Just realized I posted on a Scigs thread!...if he offers you advice, do that instead! Honestly model building is a journey... I am still just at the starting line. I personally have never seen Guillows kits built better than Scigs builds and still be meant to fly!...some day I hope I get just half as good:)
Thought I should post a couple problems with the pin and soak method I forgot to mention...first it is hard to do with tails as the top and bottom layers of tissue may only be 1/16" apart...the tissue will get very loose when wet this much, so much so it will touch the bottom layer and want to stick to it rather than shrink tight when dry. Also if flat is the goal we should wet both top and bottom at the same time so the structure should be up on balsa strips to allow air to circulate...this is kind of a pain....other than that, I like to weight each panel along the build prossess to see where the weight is coming from, so I build a panel a weight the bare structure then record the number then cover with tissue and record new number, then after dope or paint weigh again, in this way you very soon learn where the weight comes from. Another tip is try to avoid building more beefy than the plan. If trim flights often do damage to your model? Try to find a hay field or very tall grass as in more than 12" tall. A heavy built model must fly faster to stay air born. A model built light needs less rubber to fly so gets lighter yet...flys slower and will not hit ground as hard...sorry so long winded

[davidchoate]

its ok. the more u say the more i learn. .I figured that out about the tai, I wet it then put a weight on it with breathing space. worked good. and I have been picking up the habit of constant weighing, as i gained experience i learned what will be too heavy to fly on my intended power system. and if gets too heavy, I go to more power, and if it gets realy strange, It becomes a display model.

[davidchoate]

That is a very nice build. And than for answering our questions. I got alot from it. I'm glad you showed your old method of modifying. I see how you lightened the tail, scalloped, and decreased the former size. It gave me some ideas. I have been having no n satisfactory FF builds. If I build them right out of the box; they just weigh too much. I have bugun keeping a bowl of water on my bench too. the tips you guys gave me are helping with my warping problems. But on the small planes, I think its going to happen at times, even if perfect wood, and fit, just because everything is so small, it doesnt take alot of stress to cause a bend. I'm learning though, and am starting to be able to see where trouble might occur, and just have to be patient with it I think. Thanx again.