PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANK GRANELLI
The finish is outstanding. The rudder and wing surfaces (above left) are pre- attached using metal hinges. Note the clear cowl on the right side that makes cutting access holes so easy. The elevator hinges are installed after stab
Assembling the Fw 190A: wing first
So let’s get started on building the Fw 190A. AirBorne’s construction is usually “conventional ARF” and this airplane is no exception. Since the construction is so con- ventional and the airplane is meant for ex- perienced pilots, only parts that differ from the norm or useful tips will be covered in de- tail here. This airplane is intended for inter- mediate, or above, pilots and should not be your first low-wing aircraft.
Except for the Futaba retract servo, all control tasks were handled by six Bluebird DMS-621 servos from BP Hobbies support@
bphobbies.com. These dual ball bearing ser- vos produce 109 ounce-inches of torque and are lightning fast at .10 seconds/60 degrees (6 volts). Better yet, they retail for just $15.00 each. I tried them here and was im- pressed.
So, let’s start assembling (hard to call it “building” as most of the work was per- formed by AirBorne) the Focke-Wulf start- ing with the wing since the instruction book- let starts there. The aileron servos mount on the synthetic beams are already attached to the aileron covers. Be sure to slip a card “spacer” between the servo and the cover be- fore drilling the mounting holes. This pre- vents the servo from touching the cover, re- ducing vibration. Attach a 9-inch extension and route the servo wire out the center
mounting. AirBorne kits always package all hardware separately (above right) by function. You will never find tail wheel hardware mixed in with control horns. Even control horns are packaged separately by control surface.
holes. This is easiest to do before the wing halves are joined.
When drilling the four cover mounting holes in the wing, protect the wing’s interior upper surface from accidental “drill through” by placing a ¼-inch plywood scrap under the tabs and then drill the holes. Should the drill accidentally punch through the hole, it will not damage the wing’s upper surface. Use 1- inch servo arms for proper clearance. The wing halves slide over a dihedral brace. Use your favorite wing joining tech- nique. Mine is to use 30-minute epoxy brushed into both brace slots (the round brush handle will have to be flattened to fit into the slots) and apply 12-minute epoxy to a center rib. The wing halves are then joined and held together by clamping the front wing holding tabs together and by using rubber bands attached to metal bolts placed in the rear wing mounting bolt holes. Then apply low-tack masking tape stretched across the seam on top and bottom. Once the wing is set, attach the control horns; a task made simple as the factory drilled marks on the underside of the ailerons. Install the flap and retract servos in the wing. The dual flap control rod is fac- tory joined and allows one servo to operate both flaps through torque rods factory mounted in the wing. Use a low-profile re- tract servo such as the Futaba FP-S136G shown on the retracts.
The wheel covers are mounted by screw- ing to a grooved, inside retainer. The axles rest inside the groves. Drill the four bolt holes in the retainer first. Position one set as far towards the wheels as possible to clear the wheel well when retracted. If the air- plane is flown from a grass runway, trim the wheel ends of the covers upwards by 1⁄2 inch. If your runway is grass, install a 1⁄16-inch plywood spacer under the rear landing gear mounting plates to tilt the gear forward. This, and shortening the gear covers, helps prevent landing.
noseovers during takeoff and
The lower holes are placed as far away from the wheel so the protruding bolts fit into the axle spring’s wing slot. This allows the cover to nest tightly against the wing. Once the holes are drilled, place the retainer against the cover and mark where to drill the matching holes. Then bolt it all together and check clearances.
Assembling the fuselage Cut the covering from the stabilizer mounting slots in the middle and fold back both sides. Once the stabilizer is mounted, fold the covering back into place as shown and iron in place (best iron temperature is about 290 degrees). This forms a fuel-proof fillet that looks great and seals the area. While the manufacturer has already re- moved the covering from the vertical fin slot
Cut the stabilizer slot in the center (at left) and peel back the covering. Mount the stabilizer. Once dry, fold the covering down (above) onto the stab and iron in place for a nice looking fillet that is fuel proof.
FLYING MODELS 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68