WillyNillies.Info

This is a build log for my Dusty Crophopper build. I decided to try and build this sorta kit bash from materials only supplied in the kit.

I always dry fit the fuselage and make sure I have the parts figured out. This is beta kit SN: 1 so there are a couple little things I had to tweak.

Once I was happy with the fits and alignment I pressed the blind nuts into the firewall. The nuts are a little thicker than the plywood. You don't want them protruding so i just press them flat and wick some medium CA in the gap behind the nuts. Then I glue the fuselage together with thin CA and a capillary tube. I use Doug's kit bag trick. CA doesn't stick to the plastic bag the kit comes in. Cut the bag and use it to build on!

Before I glue in the last former in the tail I pinch the fuselage halves together and tape them. Then measure the fuselage width and hold the fuselage against a straight edge and make sure the seam at the tail is centered. Once I'm happy with the alignment i add some thin CA.

Next I added the wing dowel doublers (the American pie shaped parts) and the wing saddle doublers. Make sure the pie wedges are in the right way so the holes line up.

Next is sheeting the top and bottom. Also, now is a good time to decide how and when you want to install the landing gear. I opted to sheet the top of the nose and put my battery hatch on the bottom. Im using a 2S 350mah battery that will fit under there. This will give a lower center of gravity and also enable me to install the landing gear after covering. Use the 1/16 balsa supplied to cover the top and bottom. Glue on one sheet width, carefully trim leaving extra to sand, and repeat. A sanding block will quickly clean up the edges...

Next up canopy... Since I'm going for a dusty crophopper look I'm changing the canopy. I used the scraps from the horizontal stabilizer to make the windshield (face) angle steeper. Then I trimmed the canopy profile to be more like the cartoon. Tip... Tape the windshield to the sides to help you keep everything straight. Add a tiny dot of thin CA to the corners to tack it down. Once you're happy glue it down and sheet it like the fuselage. It helps to sand the edges square before you sheet it. I added a scrap of balsa to make the little brim like Dusty.

Here is my hatch setup. I have some small rubber bands I'll use to hold the hatch closed.

Next is wings... DRY FIT! Make sure you make a left and right and make sure the center spars create the dihedral when held together. Once you are sure the wings are put togetjer correctly glue them with thin CA. Then I sheet the centers. Sanding a bevelnin the leading and trailing edges of the sheeting helps it fit a little cleaner. Then I carefully sand the inside faces flush with a flat sanding surface and glue the halves together with medium CA. The kit comes with 4 wing caps so you can glue 2 on each wing tip and sand a radius on them. I decided to use one on each side glued flat and then cut a little wedge from scraps to reinforce it.

Some final sanding and the fuselage is done. I decided to install the pushrods with the z bends in the slots before I cover. Some tape will hold them inplace and I should be able to fish them out after covering. Also I used a thin scroll saw blade to slip in the pushrod slots and clearnce them a little to help the rods move freely. I ended up adding a stop of 1/16 balsa behind the wing to take up some extra space.