RCP Mig29 V4 NAMCV2 Build log - Part 1

Hi everyone -

I finally got my butt in gear and got some foam cut out this afternoon.  Just need to cut out the KF4 airfoils next, but those can wait a bit as they are going on in a later stage of the build.

In the picture below you can see my carbon reinforcement setup.  In the wing plate, I am using 4mm carbon rod for the main wing spar, the section as shown is 16.5" long.  For extra reinforcement that has been working really well in my previous two Mig29 V4 variants, I am using 3mm carbon tube along the leading edge.  I cut the channel about 5/8" back from the leading edge so that when I attach the KF4 airfoils and then bevel and sand them back for my symmetrical leading edge, the carbon tube won't be affected.  Those two sections are 12.5" long each.  You can also see my modified ailerons attached as well.

I am using 5.5" sections of 3mm carbon fibre tube on the elevons shown above, they are hinged with fibreglass drywall tape and Foam Tac.  On the back deck plate, I have already cut off about an inch of foam to help prevent the Elevon Polar Pitch Effect (EPPE) or fish tail turns in crosswinds that can sometimes occur with the stock back plate.  I also moved the tabs (indicated by the pencil in the picture) and corresponding slots in the side fuselage back about an inch to ensure good solid assembly when I get to that point since I removed an inch of deck plate in order to open up the prop slot considerably.

In this picture below, you can see that I have cut some triangular vent holes on the sides of the fuselage (behind where the bulkhead will attach to the fuselage) as well as one each on top and bottom of the fuselage to aid in air flow through the electronics bay.  Cooler weather is on it's way before too much longer, but I always like to have good airflow going through the electronics bay anyway.

As I mentioned in a previous post I am really hoping to keep this plane good and light, so I used thinly spread Foam Tac glue opposite the score lines on the fuselage, they act as a very light hinge when I go to make the score and fold part of the assembly.  I like to just make a very small impression in the foam and then run a thin bead along that line and then squeegee off the excess.  You can see the shiny lines where the glue has dried and is ready for folding.

Since I like to have a little extra strength along the score lines of the intakes/nacelles, I have had really good success with using one inch strips of fibreglass drywall tape and Foam Tac glue, as I reported in my last post, 201 flights on my stock Mig29 V4 and that joint is as strong as the day I built it... :)

In the next picture, you can see the rudder setup I ended up going with, quite a bit larger than stock and my previous NAMC modified Mig29 V4.  I didn't completely cut out the little slot that you can see below the rudder, next step is to symmetrically shape and sand the trailing edge of the rudder, wing and the leading edge of the vert stab as well as the front and back of the prop slot.  I find this much easier to do when they are still flat pieces of foam before assembly.  I left the little slot in as it is easier to sand that way and prevents small sections of foam like that between the slot and the bottom of the rudder from getting broken during sanding.

So quite a bit of work accomplished today, as mentioned, next is some fussy sanding of some leading and trailing edges, but I have been finding this well worth it.  I find it makes the plane much quieter, more efficient and slipperier through the air.  

Now that hopefully I am on a bit of a roll, I'll keep the build moving along at a good pace... :)

Cheers,

Scott