The weekend has come and gone, I have a few more days leave, so lets continue to add more stringers. Bottom is done, one more side to do. I tried 2 different methods of supporting the stringers. At the bottom the more scale version, but it is a bit flimsy. The method used for the sides works better. But, since no one will see it afterwards, and since it is still strong enough, I will leave it as is. This is the end of this chapter, next I might do the stabilizer/elevator section. Did I say already that the designer specifies aluminum-tubing for this? I had the wood, and I thought this makes it look a lot more like a proper plane! It’s an experimental class plane, you are allowed to deviate from the plans!
For the brazing I have settled on a 0.7mm canule, it gives me the best results (for now). Start with a bit of propane, bottle valve opened less then 5 mm on the clock face, orange valve opened to get the 1.5″ flame. Then add a bit of O2 to get it nice and hot. The flame should just be nice and blue. For the bigger jobs, you need to increase the propane a bit, but I’ve never needed more than a 5 cm flame. Most joints take around a second or 2 max to complete. As always when playing with gas and flames, you are responsible for not burning down your house!
