The Satin Doll build

[Franny]

Hi All,

In my searches through various kit sites provided by The Sky Sharkster for something to build, a cute little bi-plane caught my eye called "The Satin Doll". It is one of a number of kits from "Spirit of Yesteryear" -> http://www.soy.on.ca/Plane2.html

So, here are a few pictures from my construction. The kits are complete down to the wheels and the string for the Pull-Pull rudder! I found the wood quality to be pretty good, except that the spars could have been harder and the stringers as well. There were several inaccuracies in the instructions and a few important details left off the plans which caused me a bit of head scratching from time to time, but most builders with a moderate set of skills would be able to charge ahead. I think I might send my corrections back to SOY in the hopes that they will make a few changes to the print.

The original Satin Doll was designed for rubber power. At fist thought that sounds like a great conversion opportunity, but now that I think about it, a rubber powered model has almost no weight up front (thus the long snout) and there is no need for a roomy nose to accommodate an outrunner motor. But, this kit was "pre-converted" in that it is intended for RC electric with a brushed or direct drive motor. I chose a tried and true E-Flight 400 with a CC 18A ESC and a 1350mA 3S lipo.

I'll go ahead and post a few times so you can see my progress. That brushed pink and white is just darling, and I probably shouldn't been such a wimp and duplicated it... I went for a bit of a vintage feel, but as par for me, I went a little overboard. Anyway, here we go...

Franny

[Franny]

The Fuselage is pretty standard stick and doubler, but it was a bit sketchy as to whether the doubler goes on the inside or outside. I finally settled on inside and I *think* that was correct... Alignment wasn't all that bad, but only one former was notched so make sure you have that big triangle ready when it all gets pulled together. Here are some photos:

[Franny]

Well, I guess I didn't take too many photos of the wing construction, but it actually was pretty straight forward. The bottom wing is sheeted on the bottom center section and the top wing on the top center. The plans call to sand down a thick piece of balsa as a joiner as the spars are swept and meet at an angle in the center. I bailed on this idea and used some thin strong ply that was easily bent to the sweep angle. I think this will be way stronger. The bottom wing's bottom center section sheeting has to be bent up quite a bit to follow the contour of the undercarriage. The center ribs have this cut into them but I must have dorked it a bit as I had to do a bunch of sanding and adding soft balsa to get it right. Also, the trailing edge curves around to meet the center section. That joint was pretty weird. I modified the plans a bit and opted to attach both wings with a single nylon bolt and two leading edge dowels each. The top wing canopy cut-out was a bit weird as well. Not too strong, so I beefed that up a little. There are no struts or rigging so I'd rather not fold a wing. I also added the obligatory gussets where needed. It is a fairly delicate and extremely light model so lots of strength isn't called for, but stress points can be addressed with out much weight gain.

Here are a few pictures of the first assembly. I covered the horizontal stab and attached it in that order.

[Franny]

The kit actually comes with two motor mounts neither of which I could use... I didn't want to reverse the shaft on my motor, so I had to come up with a firewall and location that would allow me to mount it facing forward. This makes alignment a bit tricky, but since the prop is attached with the compression chuck, I had a little longitudinal lee way. I cut a new firewall (rectangular) from a bit of ply and mounted the motor to it. Then I fitted it to the fuse sides so that is was a bit of a tight fit. It was a bit loose, so I had to go back and add a bit of wood to the sides and try again. After I had it pretty close, I checked the fit and alignment of the balsa nose block. I fitted the prop and, more importantly, the spinner back and re-aligned the motor on its mount. Once all was good, It glued it in. Once the front nose block was installed and the round thin ply spinner ring was glued in, it became evident that if I ever have to remove the motor, it will be a big pain! I'll probably have to remove the motor mount first and I might be able to tumble it out the front hatch. Anyway, no need to dwell on such negative thoughts... Some photos:

[Franny]

The kit called for elevator and rudder only. That seems reasonable as this isn't exactly a pattern bi-plane. Plus, I wanted to stay as stock as possible. It was that last point that I spent many hours on in vain... The elevators are swept so their solution was to run a thick steel rod through each control horn and through the fuselage. This would just need to be swung back and forth to operate the two elevator half’s together. The control rod was to run inside the fuse and have a yoke of sorts at the end to stabilize and operate the steel rod. This looked really cool and kept the control mechanism hidden inside the fuse for the most part, but proved very difficulty to set up. If the control rod rotated or swung side to side at all, the elevators would move independently of each other. I deemed that bad. After mucking with it for many hours I finally realized it just wouldn't be consistent enough and bagged that idea and went with the much less hip "Y" pushrod. That worked just fine. One side got a "Z" bend and the other a threaded clevis. There is a threaded clevis at the servo connection as well. It all ended well... The rudder makes up for the hipness lost by being pull-pull. That seems to work really well and looks vintage/scale. The only deal with that is that the rudder servo really should be centered in the fuse. Not too hard with all that room. Oh,... I also added a tail wheel. It was a little tricky in that it had to travel up through the fuse and stab to get to the rudder. I used a bit of aluminimum tubing as a bearing. Seems to work pretty well. So,... more photos...

[Franny]

Well,

Here are the finished photos... Now don't laugh too hard at my scheme. Like I said, I did go a little overboard. The patch on the nose is to help hide that terrifically difficult compound curve nose. It is a cute little thing... Actually not all that small; - over a 41"wingspan. Now it isn't polite to ask her weight UNLESS it is a very flattering characteristic. All ready to fly, she weighs in at 17.5 Oz. Not too bad. Too light and it is like flying a leaf. To heavy and, well... we won't go there. At any rate, I'm not too sure when I'll get to maiden her as the weather here in Denver is a mess. Maybe this weekend? We'll see.

So, as a conclusion, it is a very nice kit and great fun to build. It is awfully cute and how can you pass up all those sweeping curves. It is a vibe that the Duke himself couldn't pass up!

Thanks for reading!

Franny

[vax6335]

Wow, that's a really unique design. I kinda like that. Be sure to get some flying photos!

[Franny]

Thanks Andy... Kinda strange, but it is growing on me. I'll be sure to post flying photos when I get them.

f

[Sky Sharkster]

Hey, Franny, way to go! Love those swept elliptical surfaces...maybe it was inspired by DeHavilland? Nice build photos, lots of sticks! Great color scheme.
So if the Duke is piloting, is Johnny Hodges the navigator? Billy Strayhorn Co-Pilot?
Hope the weather breaks, this sub-freezing spell is no fun. Good thing we stocked up on kits!
Talk to you soon!
Ron

[Franny]

Thanks Ron! Well, just like the tune, there were some tough changes and it comes out a little weird when I was, but it's a classic. It should get to a balmy 34deg on Sunday, but sunny! Right... so the Taube next or the Stearman... Hmmm... choices, choices...

Franny

[Geoff_Gino]

Franny

As usual your builds are fantastic - that's a good looking model.

[Franny]

Hey, thanks! So, not too over the top?

f

[Dereck]

Hi Franny
Lovely job, that colour scheme is a delight and goes well with the model's unique shape.

I have vague memories of the Doll's first appearances - a fair while back, the SOY kit is more recent than the original plan.

The prototype was, IIRC, covered in a pale pink shade of doped silk, somewhat akin to the SOY electric RC prototype. However, the day someone comes up with a plastic covering that looks like doped silk, even I'll be buying some!

I definitely forget the size of rubber motor and prop used, but both would have made your eyes water. Be interesting to hear how yours does on a prop that is miniscule compared to the FF original.

Good luck with the test flights, she'll look great cruising around low and slow

Dereck

[Franny]

Thanks Dereck,

I debated on the covering quite a bit. I guess in the end I lost my nerve and went with the tried and true plastic film. I had trouble finding covering and adhesive locally and I have a bunch of spare covering.

Yeah, I bet the original prop was huge. This prop/motor/battery combo works really well for me and at over 100W per pound, it is vastly overpowered. I worked a bit on that last of the finishing last night and had to actually stow the battery behind the CG! I was amazed... She got her bigger tires and now her all up flying weight is 17.5 oz. I'm kind of wondering how that lifting stab is going to work out, but I'm getting used to the Viking and I don't imagine it will be all that strange. I'll post some pictures when the flying field switches back to green/brown from white.

Franny

[Eric_N57105]

Great job, Franny. I was attracted to the Satin Doll the first time I saw the SOY site. The pink & white color scheme was a bit too "girlie" for me, but for some reason, she looked a whole lot like the old cartoon character Pepe Le Peu with that black prop looking like his mustache. So maybe a black and white version vaguely looking like a skunk would be fun.

Eric

[Dereck]

Hi Franny
Not that I've done the lifting stab thing - but a zillion copies of the "Telemaster" can't be wrong - but I understand that it worked well in FF because free flight models are pretty much 'steady speed' operators, in that they settle down to one speed in the climb and when the fire went out, much the same speed downhill on the glide.

Something like the Doll is going to be much the same unless you really force the issue - full power dives, for example. But that's hardly likely to be an issue.

Eric - go for it! We need classy looking models with individualistic finishes. We already have enough ugly!

Dereck

[BillM]

Franny
Nice job. I have a kit waiting its turn on the building board. I plan on a pink and light blue color scheme. What other colors would be proper on a Satin Doll?

BM

[Franny]

Hi Bill,

Well, I guess a satin color would be appropriate... I think the pink should be a light pink - mine is a bit intense. Maybe go for a softer look; a bit light and airy. Let me know how it goes! Can't wait to see it.

The weather looks good this Saturday so keep your finger's crossed.

Thanks,

Franny

[Franny]

Hi Eric,

Right... Pepe Le Peu would be great fun! Can't wait to see it!

Franny

[dersteinmeister]

Nice, Franny. Good to see there are still some builders around!

Pete

[Crash Test Dummy]

Very nice looking plane!!

CTD

[Franny]

Hi All,

Well, we maidened the Doll today... I'd love to report that it was a smashing success, but there was a bit of a problem. Right after launch, it was pretty obvious that it wanted to roll right with a bit of authority... Since it only has rudder and no ailerons, that made things pretty interesting... She would bury her nose in the left turns and bank over 45deg in a right turn. The first flight was without incident though and after coaxing her around in a circle several times, she landed well enough. Well, Ron and I were scratching our heads until he spotted that the left elevator was a tad lower than the right. That was easily adjusted and we gave it another go. The nose pitching was a bit better, but that strong right roll was still there... Once again, she came in for a nice touch down. We went on with the rest of the day's flying talking about adding ailerons or maybe just differential "elevons" or something. As we were leaving, I mentioned that there have been several of these built and the flew well according to the folks at Spirit of Yesteryear so I had Ron take a close inspection to see if he could see anything drastically wrong and he did... Much to my horror, he found a bad warp in the top left wing which probably added four or five degrees of incidence which would account for the strong right roll. Funny, I just checked it out a couple days ago and all seemed fine, but that wing is completely sealed and it has been really dry lately. At any rate, All I have to do is give the wing a little lovin' with the heat gun and we'll be back in business. I'll let you know how it goes from here. To tide you over, here are a few action photos of miss Doll in the air and yours truly as well as a visitor we had out looking for a mid morning snack. Enjoy!

Thanks! And thanks again to Ron (Sky Sharkster) for all the help!!

Franny

[Sky Sharkster]

Hi Franny, Glad I was there to see the maiden and lend a hand. You did a fine job on the build and even with the trim problems, your flying was great. The model looks beautiful in the air and once you get that wing flattened out should be even better.
Lots of times after covering the iron-on "settles" into a new (read; "Warped") position, all the other panels were flat.
Your work on the "Doll" sure impressed the bystanders!
Ron

[Franny]

Ok, in our last episode, the Doll had a mind of her own and was determine to turn right. After Ron found that warp, it was an easy thing to correct so we gave it a second "first" go and she flew great! Really great!! Very responsive and straight as an arrow! Great look in the air too! She even performed a couple loops for us. She is such a show off... The rise-off-ground went really well and the landings were slow and controlled. I think we have a real winner here! If you are looking for that old-time look, a simple three channel 400 size great flyer, and head turner, This is your gal! She could easily become one of your real favorites! I believe I have some more photos so I'll post them when I download them.

Thanks,

Franny

[obxflyer]

Franny; I just got a look at your plane covered and in flight. In a word, beautiful, you have done a fantastic job on your plane. The flight shots look great. Happy to see someone building. BC

[Franny]

Hey, thanks OBX! Yeah, she is a great little flyer. Great fun and reliable. I have flown her several times since those photos and she is always a joy. You just can get an ARF like this and she always gets attention at the field. She wouldn't have it any other way ;)

Thanks,

Franny

[Bill G]

Ok, in our last episode, the Doll had a mind of her own and was determine to turn right. After Ron found that warp, it was an easy thing to correct so we gave it a second "first" go and she flew great! Really great!! Very responsive and straight as an arrow! Great look in the air too! She even performed a couple loops for us. She is such a show off... The rise-off-ground went really well and the landings were slow and controlled. I think we have a real winner here! If you are looking for that old-time look, a simple three channel 400 size great flyer, and head turner, This is your gal! She could easily become one of your real favorites! I believe I have some more photos so I'll post them when I download them.

Thanks,

Franny
Nice build! I always like the unusual/vintage subjects.

I pay much more attention to wing straightness myself, after an incident with a micro Guillows Cessna 150. Through sheer luck, I landed it safely. The most bizzarre flying sidewinder I ever flew. It had degree or so off incidence on a wing panel, slight warpage, slight left thrust (which I had planned to correct), and best yet:eek:, a slightly misaligned rudder that worked in conjunction with the other problems.

After correcting the problems, it is one of the nicest flyers I have.
I look at these experiences as a good thing now, since they simply help us avoid them in our future builds.

Not sure how the top wing went together on your plane, but I found from the Cessna that the planes that require the panels to be installed individually make incidence setting tricky.

As Sky stated also, I used to shrink covering to correct panels, but I've found it always relaxes eventually. Especially Microlite. Wing accuraccy was not originally one of my stellar areas.:eek:

Bill

[Franny]

Thanks Bill,

She has been good ever since. Just one of those things... Finish up on Monday and then have to wait a week or two unaware that things have settled. The rudder on my Triplane is a real potato chip... I get it straightened and a few hours later it is a mess again. Totally straight when it was built, but now it's a mess. Funny, we build out of wood and polymers and neither is very stable with time. Always a good idea to check everything over pretty carefully now and then.

Thanks,

Franny

[Bill G]

Thanks Bill,

She has been good ever since. Just one of those things... Finish up on Monday and then have to wait a week or two unaware that things have settled. The rudder on my Triplane is a real potato chip... I get it straightened and a few hours later it is a mess again. Totally straight when it was built, but now it's a mess. Funny, we build out of wood and polymers and neither is very stable with time. Always a good idea to check everything over pretty carefully now and then.

Thanks,

Franny
Yeah, I hear that. When I built my DR1 rudder, I added a few extra formers and a band of CF around the perimeter. Still, getting all the wings to stay in alignment is nearly impossible.:eek:

Bill

[FL Knifemaker]

While searching for SOY planes, I found this thread. Beautiful build!! I'm thinking about their Pushy Cat for a second AP plane.

[Brian C]

Hi Franny,

I'm a relative noob to the electric game and I want to help out a friend (without computer skills) who is currently building a SOY Satin Doll. We've been encouraged by your building skills, and the success you've had with yours.

I think we have what we need to duplicate your success from your build log. Do not recall seeing which prop you used on yours. Looks like an APC, can you steer us towards the right one. What kind of flight times were you getting with your setup? Is your Doll still flying, I did not see a link to it on your website.

Thanks for sharing your build with us.

Brian C

[Franny]

Hi Brian,

Yes, the Doll is still flying... In fact. I've learned quite a bit from my many flights. It is an airplane with quite a flight envelope actually. It can catch a thermal and just float or it can zoom on by performing loops, barrel rolls, and even fly inverted!

I do have an additional suggestion about the forward landing gear mount: Use small straps to anchor it to the bulkhead and don't rely on just glue. I have had that break loose a few times on rough landings. As is typical with any biplane, be sure not to slow down too much on landings.

You asked about the prop; it is a 9X6 slo-fly powered by an E-Flight 400 motor and a 1300mAh three cell lipo which is mounted just above the bottom wing to balance that long nose. My website link is here: http://www.frannybrodigan.com/Satin_Doll.asp and I can get you specific photos if you like. Flight times are varied depending on flight style, but 10-15min or so per battery. Oh, one more thing... You might want to add some cooling for the motor as mine gets a bit warm with almost no flow at all. It hasen't complained yet though. I did a LMR (limited motor run) test a bit ago and with 20 seconds of run time I got a 4 min, 30 sec flight! not bad! Just hold almost full up and it slows waaay down and just hangs there.

I really do enjoy this airplane and it is a big hit at the field. Your friend will love it!

Please post photos so we can see and let me know what I can do to help.

Franny

[mowerman]

In a hobby that is almost entirely male dominated Franny shows that the girls can do as well as the boys.
A great build.
The Lady is a STAR.

[Franny]

Awww... The Mowerman is very sweet...

Yeah, I wish there were more girls involved. I have tried to begin warping the neighborhood girls a bit, but the competition is really rough!! I guess I forgot what being a teenager was like! Still, airplanes are WAY cooler than The Jonas Brothers. I still think I have a pretty long road with that one though... Wish me luck!!

Thanks again "M"

Franny

[mowerman]

Sweet? Me?
Steady Franny even My wife doesn't call me sweet.(but don't stop yet)
Seriously why not start a thread about the work of other lady modlers?
Here in UK there is the pink ladies racing team who compete in Mini Goodyear team racing to mention just an example. Perhaps more could get in touch and put forward thier points of view.

Mowerman

[Voyager2lcats]

Edited on my own initiative. Resolving to respond in a constructive manner.:)

Sweet? Me?
Steady Franny even My wife doesn't call me sweet.(but don't stop yet)
Seriously why not start a thread about the work of other lady modlers?
Here in UK there is the pink ladies racing team who compete in Mini Goodyear team racing to mention just an example. Perhaps more could get in touch and put forward thier points of view.

Mowerman

[mowerman]

The photo I rated 3 was a nice sharp image but showed the oposite wingtip to the one under repair.
If you cant take the heat stay out of the kitchen.

[Bill G]

If you cant take the heat stay out of the kitchen.I thought it was the Photo Gallery and not the kitchen.
There's another RC site that is analogous to the "kitchen" characterization. May be a better fit.:D