My first F1D

[Skymon]

OK here it is, a documented journey through an F1D build.
This is a little different to the usual 'how to' threads.
I have no previous experience building one of these planes, so I've not got anything to 'teach'.
You can watch me struggle through the buid, learn new processes, make mistakes, get stuck, try again, etc.
Hopefully the thread will prove to be an inspiration to anyone else who feels like giving these planes a go.


So initial steps.
I downloaded a bunch of plans, there are a lot out there. INAV, F1D blog and HPA are good places to look.
I did a big table of the dimensions of the plane and the wood and tried to work out if there was a pattern or a formula.
There isn't really.

Wings are constrained by the max dimensions and fuselages tend to be about 750mm long.

In the end I decided to follow a published plan from Ivan Treger.
It has a world record and it looks nice and clean in it's lines.

I looked up the wood and ordered it from Nick Aikman.
Then I set about working out what other parts I need:

Here's the initial steps in my kitchen while I cook the weekend breakfast.

Pic 1 is the plans in A3 and A4 and the wood. I listed the weird stuff like boron, carbon and tungsten wire.
Pic 2 shows me testing the boom wood in a pretty rudimentary manner.
Pic 3 shows the Motorstick wood - I had two pieces that are almost exactly identical, very nice.
then the plan itself.

[LASTWOODSMAN]

Hi Skymon !  You are INSPIRING ME ...      I am looking forward to following your first F1d build, as I have never built one - but I have seen the flights and they are pretty hypnotizing !            And thank you for this invitation "You can watch me struggle through the buid, learn new processes, make mistakes, get stuck, try again, etc."     LOL  - I will do just that.   Thank you again,  I will be following this one.   Thanks for posting everything in your build.  It will be great to follow.   

LASTWOODSMAN

[ffadict]

Dito on the inspiration Skymon. I am slowly working my way through the mini-quark after seeing your build.

[Skymon]

OK - distinct lack of progress.
Mainly based on the fact that my partner organised a secret 50th Birthday trip to Madrid for a week.
That's over now and this is my progress...


Balsa blocks for props have arrived!

Time to start carving..

I'm using a neat spread sheet devised by Bob Bailey to create the points needed to carve the blocks.

S

[Crossup]

Could you point us at the spreadsheet?

[calgoddard]

Skymon -

Yuan Kang Lee, a world F1D champion, has created and published an excellent step-by-step guide for building an F1D. I think it is geared toward a novice in F1D.

I don't have the link handy but someone else will probably post the same.

You couldn't find a better resource than Kang's guide. If you are lucky, he will be following your build.

Good luck with your build. F1D is the pinnacle of indoor free flight. These models are truly elegant in flight. 

[Skymon]

Prop spread sheet is here:
http://indoorduration-gbr.co.uk/#/make-propellers/4591896868

[THB]

Hi Skymon - all the best with your build. In 2010 I started a similar first-timer build and ended up going to World Champs in 2012, 2014 & 2018. Look forward to hearing about your journey. cheers
Tim

[Rossclements]

https://thef1dblog.wordpress.com/2015/06/14/f1d-plan-construction-information/
That's the link to all the F1D building stuff, check out the rest of the site for some tips on F1D basics too.

Ross

[mkirda]

I have only just started these, but they should also help:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPRArS87a-qaOlUtGpnNGQ/

Regards.
Mike Kirda

[piecost]

Mike,

I watched some of your videos last night. Along with Joshua's videos and Kang's instructions; there are some fantastic resources online. Thanks guys.

I look forward to this build

[mkirda]

Any suggestions for future topics?
Will take any/all feedback.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

[Skymon]

Rigging with invisible wire!
making square things round
applying boron to things that are not straight
rolling and gluing booms
Boom and stick joint areas
prop shaft rubber hook forms


just for starters:)

[mkirda]

Thanks!

[flydean1]

Also Mike, you seem to be plugged in to rare material sources.

 I'm looking for that material which has infinite strength and negligible weight. 

I think it comes from an obscure district in the Far Eastern country of Shangri La and is called unobtainium.

[mkirda]

 

[mkirda]

rolling and gluing booms
just for starters:)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPRArS87a-qaOlUtGpnNGQ/
Episodes 9, 10 and 12 cover this, although not explicitly boom seam gluing.
Motorstick and stub seam gluing techniques are the same as a tailboom, so didn't think it really necessary for a tailboom video.

Mike

[Skymon]

OK, so it's been ages since I started this thread. 50th Birthday activities have derailed my progress somewhat.
But, I am now back in the game!

My boom form arrived today, from Free flight supplies, a chuck glider tapered fuse section.
I also have been kindly donated some boron by a fellow local flier, which was very much appreciated.

So now I have a complete F1D, just in basic kit form.

I will be doing some building over the weekend and hope to post progress on Monday.
Thanks for watching:)

Si

[Dave Jackson]

Hi Si

I too am encouraged by your F1D build and am interested in how things proceed.


Also I am embarking on the same journey - building my first F1D. You are a little ahead - I am still assembling the tools and materials required.

I look forward to your progress

Cheers
Dave

[THB]

Hi Dave - if you are building an F1D in NZ your probably know Bill and Kay Long? they competed at West Baden as the first NZ team.
If not, I can put you in touch
cheers
Tim

[Dave Jackson]

Hi Tim

That is a great photo of Kaye and Bill.

I know both of them as I used to fly with then in Christchurch.
I am now in Whangarei but keep in contact with them.

If all goes to plan I hope to join them at the next world champs.

Dave

[THB]

Good to hear from you Dave - there's a heap more pix here:
https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/O3CAO5PSay1JQ5bHYHfoomu6bOwXpDclqV8haMe4LKB
These pics were taken by an amateur photographer called Charles Cantrell (thanks Charles!)
Wish you all the best with your F1D ambitions - it's a really nice group of people who are very free with sharing info
cheers
THB

[Skymon]

Some progress has been made!
I’ve not been at the workbench much lately.
We’ve had some very strange weather conditions in the UK recently – it’s been sunny.
This has meant I’ve been out in the back yard and camping in the forest.

This week saw me attend my regular monthly indoor flying session and that visit necessitated a bit of work. I needed a new prop for the LPP.

That meant I had to get my tools out. The session was a great success and fired me up to get back on the F1D trail.

I spent last night making up motor stick and boom blanks.

I used the tried and tested method of wrapping up the blank in layers of tissue around a suitable former. The former I used for the motor stick was an arrow shaft and for the boom I used a tapered glider boom that I got from Free Flight Supplies.

Because I had a few issues last time with cutting the wood to shape after rolling, I opted to cut the blanks to size prior to wrapping this time.

I calculated the width required using the old Pi d formula, not forgetting to add my wood thickness to the d. I used what looks to be pretty standard sizes for the wood. The stick used 35 thou C grain and the boom 25 thou C grain. Both bits of wood were low 4lb density.

Standard procedure for the forming. Soak the sheet in hot water. Wet the tissue and do half a wrap of the former. Add the wood in, making sure it was parallel. Wrap up the wood in the tissue. Roll a few times to tighten up the wrap. Hold it all together with some tape. Bake it.

Both stick and boom are now drying off and the sticking starts tonight.

[Skymon]

Sticking the motor tube together.
It's tight on the mandrel, I should add 0.25mm to the width for the next one.
Nothing particularly out of the ordinary or tricky so far, just keep things neat and tidy and take time.

I found adding all of the extra parts to the tube to be the tricky part of the F1R.

That's coming up next, so I will move slowly and make sure I jig everything.

S

[Olbill]

I calculated the width required using the old Pi d formula, not forgetting to add my wood thickness to the d. I used what looks to be pretty standard sizes for the wood. The stick used 35 thou C grain and the boom 25 thou C grain. Both bits of wood were low 4lb density.

What units are you using? I can't make these sizes work in either mm or inches.