K.I.S.S. Phase II
View showing bottom side of the empennage mounting platform (above). Mounting of triangular cross member (at right) for the pylon/cabin at the rear (use epoxy here for strength).
quickly. Then it will be time to form and glue the rounded sheet wrapping of the upper front fuselage just behind the engine. The section here is a simple constant flat wrap around a radius. A simple enough job for a experienced modeler, but something that might be new to the beginner. Which is why this shape was chosen here for you to stretch your wings and try something a little new. I usually pre-form the sheet balsa blank around a proper size mandrel (wood, plastic or metal, preferably non stick) by soaking the blank in hot tap water on one side and allowing it to curl for a few minutes until it is easy to bend and then forming around the mandrel and securing the piece using either Scotch Magic or masking tape until dry and holding most of the forming shape. Then I trim carefully and start gluing in place on the top of the fuselage as shown. Just the one thickness of ¹⁄₁₆-inch sheet seems to be enough to do the job. After it is glued in place it’s time to add the sides for the “engine cowling”. Although not very aerodynamic and not very different from some of the “Old Timer” models de-
signed in the 1930s, they are simple to make, are sturdy and add greatly to the model’s ap- pearance (some things and ideas are just hard to improve upon). Start by gluing the inside face to the firewall and the remainder of the outside sheet that comes forward of the firewall. Then add the outside sheet of the fairing to bring up to full thickness, sand and you are done. Not much to that job. Finally, check the fit of the fuel tank from the underside that is still open and also fab- ricate a hatch for the bottom of the fuselage. Add the ¹⁄₁₆ ply landing gear mount doublers. Once this is done you can finally start to add some of the top and bottom flat sheeting. Start with the top first between the cabin and the horizontal stabilizer mounting bot- tom sheeting of the rear fuselage. But before gluing on the top and bottom sheeting you will want to finally install the pushrod supports, switch installation, re- ceiver installation, fuel tank installation, re- ceiver battery and hatch installation and landing gear attachment installation. This may seem like a lot of work that will not appear to get very much done very quick-
ly, but you will find that it’s just like finish carpentry in a house. If you don’t do it the house will suffer. Notice also how much more complicated this fuselage is than the fuse- lage for the original K.I.S.S. We are now adding additional complexity because of ad- ditional requirements. This is what is known in engineering as requirements creep. Some- thing that afflicted Howard Hughes while he was trying to build his H-4 Hercules flying boat.
Once the flat sheeting is on the top and the bottom of the fuselage it’s time to start sanding down the rough edges and getting the fuselage ready to cover with the MonoKote or other covering of your choice. Heat shrink plastic coatings are fairly easy to apply with a good iron, especially if the fuselage is a relatively simple flat sided one with only a simple flat wrapped portion here and there like this offering and there are not a lot of noxious fumes for the beginner to contend with.
Tissue or silk covering, if you have ever seen a good job, is aesthetically very beauti- ful and really classifies as a work of art. But
Empennage mounted to its platform (above) with controls final installed. Metal tube exhaust extension (at right) final installed by insertion into silicone exhaust tubing.
46 AUGUST 2013
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