Justin's Great Planes Ultra Sport 40+ Build

Outside Pics

2008-03-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of the trim that I just put on. Not perfect, but original! The top and bottom are quite different on purpose. "Bug-eye" man needs some trimming to make him fit under the canopy. I will save that for another day.

The Long Awaited Update

2008-03-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I have done quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. The covering is done and the trim work is beginning. I am very happy with the underside! I wanted a very HUGE contrast and I think I succeeded. The tail stripes are leftover trimmings from the wing pieces. They had such a cool shape that I had to use them somehow. I don't think that I could have cut them like that on purpose. I am debating if I should add 1/4" black stripes on each side of the green, I think it might give it a more finished appearance.

The top, on the other hand, will be completely different. I will have to wait to do it because Tower Hobbies sent me the wrong stuff and I just realized it. You will have to wait and see what this twisted mind comes up with.

Check out my NEW pilot! Bee Man was too small and not vi sable enough so he got bumped for this fine looking fellow. He reminds me of what all Jr. High teachers feel on the inside!!!!

Yes...I Suck.

2008-02-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well I have done quite a bit except post my progress. The tank is in and the plumbing is done. The cowl turned out better than I thought-not perfect-but OK. If it explodes into two pieces, I will order a fiberglass one and be done with it. I have the belly pan on and the covering has begun. I am trying to do a better job than on the last plane.

Teaser Spy Photos!

2008-02-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Here is some pics of everything put together. I just couldn't stand it, I had to do it. The tail blocks are back on and I think it is in line with the fuse. Everything comes back apart and now I will begin building the wind attachment stuff.

Setbacks, Setbacks

2008-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally got a little done. One of my novice mistakes was to make a bannana fuse. The tail was about 1/8" off to one side! I decided to hack the tail blocks off and add a little wood to make the rear end match the plans. Here are some pics of the fuel tank and its Rube Goldberg fuel line routing. I have also installed the EZ fueler and the front sheeting. I put a small piece of monokote around the fueler so that it will be eaiser to cover that area later. The servo rails are now in place and they seem to line up with the pushrods well.

Tail Work

2008-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Brrrr......It's too cold in the garage to do much. I glued the blocks on the rear and then shaped them to match the rest of the fuse. The tail is just in place to see if it fits. I am still trying to decide about the motor placement. I have noticed that the fuse has a twist in it. I don't really know what is up, but I'm not crazy about being outside when it is so cold. Oh well, I guess that is what makes building so interesting.

Give me some skin, man!

2008-01-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the progress this afternoon. I have sheeted the turtle deck but decided to wait on the front portion until I decide what to do with the engine mounting. My choices:

1. Mount the engine upside down with the tank in place and hope for the best.

2. Leave the tank in place and mount the engine sideways (probably what I'll do).

3. Try to move the tank lower and mount the engine upside down.

If I mount the engine sideways, I might be able to use swap the position of the pushrods, but that will be another day.

MLK Day update

2008-01-21T08:15:00.001-08:00

No school today!! Here are a couple of pics I took this morning. It now resembles a plane! I now am waiting to hear from GP about engine placement/tank height before I sheet the front but I might try to sheet the turtle deck this afternoon. I am also trying to decide where to mount the E-Z fueler.

Progress continues (slowly)

2008-01-20T19:38:00.001-08:00

I finally got back into working on the plane. Here you can see the extra push rod tube I added to route the antenna wire to the rear of the plane. I also added a piece of light ply behind former F1 for added support after someone on the Internet told me that that is a weak point. The plane has the tank installed and the upper formers in place. I will get out there tomorrow and take some pics before trying to sheet the top.

The Fuse is forming

2008-01-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

Progress has slowed a bit. Work started back up and time is limited. Miles has started helping me and that too makes it a bit slower. That's OK, it is neat to have him in the garage. Here are pics of the progress after my latest screw-ups. I broke a push rod tube but was able to find a brass tube that would slide right over the cracked portion and sure it up. I am pretty sure that it will work fine. I also glued some strips on the wrong side of the fuse. Oh well, the good thing about wood is that you can hack it off and glue new. I also have a pilot! Bee guy looks ready to fly, doesn't he?

Brrr...It's cold!

2008-01-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight I installed the wing dowels and assembled the fuse sides. Yes that is the kitchen table. It was below freezing and the epoxy would never set. Wax paper will keep me out of trouble with my wife.

The two become one

2008-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Both wings are finally done and now I am ready to join them. The epoxy was too cold in the garage, so I will bring it in and let it warm up, then join the wing tonight. This is the last night of my vacation so the build will slow down a bit.

Rock and Roll-Wing 2!!

2007-12-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

After a couple of hours today I got most of the left wing framed up. The landing gear block is epoxied in place and the leading edge is next to go on. After the initial learning curve, this wing will go together pretty quickly. Tonight is new year's, so the build will have to wait.

Finally! It is a Wing!

2007-12-30T14:16:00.001-08:00

Well the sheeting is on, the leading edge is on and shaped, and the wing tip is on and shaped. I think that I created about 20 pounds of balsa dust (cough, cough). The aileron is on and lines up much better that my PT-40's. Hopefully this plane will track straight. A few more details, some more sanding and then I do it all over again for the other wing.

The top is sheeted

2007-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

I got the top side sheeted this evening. No big screw-ups like yesterday. Here also is the last pic of the bottom side's guts. I hope to get all the sheeting on tomorrow. Be sure to click on the pics to see a larger view.

It looks a little more like a wing

2007-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Here is the wing with the servo tray and landing gear block installed. I decided to go with the fixed trike landing gear. I also installed the leading edge piece and sanded it to shape. After cutting up the wrong piece of balsa, I thought that it would be best to go to bed. Stay tuned.

Wing construction begins.

2007-12-23T20:06:00.001-08:00

I started the wing this evening. I won't get much done over the next couple of days due to Xmas. Time to get out of the garage and visit with some family. I also found out that one of my hardwood spars is too short. We don't have a local hobby shop, so I might have to make a trip. I will try the GP people first. I have dealt with them a couple of times and they are very nice. They stand behind their product.

Nice Butt!

2007-12-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the Stab and Rudder. Sheeted, shaped, and hinged. Wing construction is next.

The Build Begins!

2007-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

After building and flying a Great Planes PT-40 for awhile, I decided it was time to upgrade. Here is the saga of the GP Ultra Sport 40+ kit.

Here are the tail sections before sheeting.