1/2 scale Astro hog build (sig plans)

[spitfire]

I have recieved the plans from Sky Sharkster for the astro hog, I am pretty excited about it, I am going to start building it once I get some more trailing edge stock and leading edge mateirial...

Thanks Ron (Sky Sharkster) for taking the time to send me the plans.


I found a picture on the net of an astro hog, then I did a really quick and pretty sloppy Gimp job to it, and I came up with the colors I am planning on using, blue and yellow!


SPIT.

[Sky Sharkster]

Hi Spit,
Thanks, happy to help out.
Glad you got the plans OK, they're very complete, every former, rib, lots of detail. I lightened mine quite a bit and had to move (or delete) several formers for the battery and motor.
Good luck with the build, it's a beautiful aircraft and flies great!
Your color scheme is good, it looks like it's ready to do some stunts.
Ron

[aramid]

I really need to get started on my mini Hog, as well. I've got a different set of plans, and I've scaled mine so it's actually a 60% Hog - that seemed a better fit for the 2200 mAh batteries I use in pretty much everything else.

Anyway, I was a bit bored when I read this post, and since you did a hasty job on the recolored image, I went ahead and did another one. No real point, but I like messing around with images - I've done several color schemes by stealing someone else's pattern and checking it out with a few different color combos in the Gimp.

I hope to see some progress soon! With any luck, you can make all the mistakes for me, and my build will be smooth and straightforward.

[spitfire]

Originally Posted by aramid

I really need to get started on my mini Hog, as well. I've got a different set of plans, and I've scaled mine so it's actually a 60% Hog - that seemed a better fit for the 2200 mAh batteries I use in pretty much everything else.

Anyway, I was a bit bored when I read this post, and since you did a hasty job on the recolored image, I went ahead and did another one. No real point, but I like messing around with images - I've done several color schemes by stealing someone else's pattern and checking it out with a few different color combos in the Gimp.

I hope to see some progress soon! With any luck, you can make all the mistakes for me, and my build will be smooth and straightforward.

not likely, you are building from a different set of plans

nice gimping! (tehe) I would have done better... but I really didn't have the motive... it all looks real good except, I would prefer the blue be light like the one in the picture... but thats personal preferences...


SPIT.

[spitfire]

and a progress update!

I made.....




....The pattern rib! now I might be able to make the rest of the ribs!

I already posted an update on the pocket rocket thread, of where I have been the last few months, so I'll make it brief.

quit working on models a while back due to ruff funding... but I hope that I will be back to stay now... I just have to remember what the heck I was doing, haha.

[spitfire]

well, apperently, I have planes that are higher priority, and after the the scratchbuilt aerobatic plane I am building now, and the pocket rocket, I should be able to get back to work on this plane before I dive into other projects...

http://www.mountainmodels.com/produc...roducts_id=201

er... or maybe not... heheh.


I did cut out all the ribs... to scared to finish them, I have a bad history of really ing up ribs...

Spit.

[texasclouds]

I'm subscribed! I like the Hogs...especially the Bipe.

[Bladders]

Hi Sharkster, I have had a Cad plan for some time - missing all the details - called Astro Hog 2000 (1.8m span). No real information (ribs, di-hedral etc), so I bought a hand drawn plan and accompanying information - same lack of information. I found someone on line who promised heaps of information and a plan, but a year later I still have nothing. Can you share what you have with me, email would be good, as I live in Australia. My email is martyr(at)bigpond.net.au

[pd1]

Here's the plans for the original.
Scroll down to second post.

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59833

Maybe you could scale them to the size you need.

Paul

[spitfire]

Here we go again...

Originally Posted by spitfire

...I did cut out all the ribs...

What?! You mean I didn't have to do it all over? Forgot about that...

Not the best work certainly, but at least it's a rather large improvement over my previous feeble attempts at producing flying machines.

So... I like Titebond II, I just find it more pleasant to work with for the most part, with one big exception...

... Getting all the little balsa pieces to stay together long enough for the glue to dry; Which seems redundant, because that is what the glue is for.

I decided to try dental floss to tie things together. Not as good as honest to God clamps, but a marginal improvement over pens; You've just to look out for stretch in the lines.

The wing, as it sits, is almost finished. But I'll be posting the pictures of the progress up to this point gradually; I just don't want to jinx it!

[spitfire]

I don't like the color scheme in the first post. Pretty much the reason why I chose it in the first place was because we had those colors on hand and nothing else. I'm planning on doculam PET anyway so I can choose more liberally. I'm thinking more like the black and white one that Paul Bradley made, I liked it back then too but I didn't want to seem like a copy-cat (I don't care anymore). So either that or something completely different (How specific!), blue and white looks gorgeous in my mind but I also feel those are the worst colors for RC plans. We'll see...

So, to get the patterns off the plans I just wrestled them into my scanner and copied the parts I needed. For the pattern rib, I diluted a bit of Titebond with water and brushed the paper onto some plywood, then carefully cut it with an exacto and sanded to shape. I would have used spray adhesive but I didn't have any. I started making plywood patterns for all the bulkheads, but then realized that since I'm only making one of each that would be overkill and painful for my index finger -Cutting plywood with an exacto hurts!-

Got some Elmers adhesive spray for the rest of the parts, worked wonders on balsa! Stays in place while cutting and easy to peel off. Not perfect but what is?



Not the highest quality balsa right here...




Turns out the can itself makes for a great, round sanding block too.



Laminated wingtips, all balsa. Plywood's too heavy. Cross grained, double ply 3/32 balsa is plenty stout.






The pens weren't holding the tips together well. Hmm... What's big and heavy? Oh I know! Textbooks and technical manuals!



Should have been more careful about them swaying under the weight though...



It worked out in the end.

(Link to higher resolution quality album: http://imgur.com/a/gwwmV)

[Bill G]

Nice to see one of these built as a scratch build. The Hog is always a good looking model. When I first saw the thread, I thought, "An Astro Hog at 1/2 scale with a 15 foot wingspan, cool!" Must have used a lot of paper, printing the enlarged plans. I then remembered that it is not an actual scale model of a full scale plane, and that it's a 1/2A scale model.

[soarrich]

[QUOTE=spitfire;902418]


Got some Elmers adhesive spray for the rest of the parts, worked wonders on balsa! Stays in place while cutting and easy to peel off. Not perfect but what is?



[/QUOTE=spitfire;902418]

If you copy plans with a Xerox machine you can just iron the copy onto the balsa like the old Sig printed balsa kits.

[rcers]

Awesome project. I think someone out there is kitting this size now too. Yep here it is...

http://www.bmjrmodels.com/shop?page=...category_id=31

Keep us updated - great project!

Mike