There are just so many details to go over! So many features, and so much to like. First, let me say I don’t see any damage anywhere. And, second the wings and ailerons are built up; they feel light to me. The fuse doesn’t feel light… but… but it does have the canopy (which is finished) attached, and it is way stout around the landing gear plate and engine box. Some other things… the canopy is installed with machine bolts using… get this… sealing washers (if you’ve followed my reviews you know I’ve been using sealing washers since 2001)! Machine bolts and sealing washers are also included for the cowl. There are strings in the wings for the aileron extensions, I saw foam tires to keep the weight down, the landing gear had a big lightening hole/slot in it… the wing tube felt light. The canopy came bolted on and the fit was real nice. The wheel pant’s glass and paint looked nice and they feel light, too. The quality of everything looked really excellent, can’t believe it costs less than a $1000:
There’s really alot to say about the picture below… first is the size of the elevator versus the stab, you can see the stab is small and the elevator huge. Check out the covering and the prep of the sheeting underneath it… it’s really much nicer than any of the wooden ARFs I’ve dealt with. That’s the covering job right out of the box… the prep on the wood and the covering job looks excellent everywhere I have looked at it. As advertised, the hinges are glued in and they are smooth, too. I thought this plane was going to be real good… but it’s actually looking real great:
Here was a big concern… with the hinges already glued in… and having a 1/64″ gap… would there be enough throw? Well? Looks like plenty of throw to me:
This pic shows, again, the quality of the sheeting itself and its preparation… and the excellent covering job. You get an idea of the large size of the ailerons, too:
We have the size, but do we have the throw? Here’s a picture of the aileron just flopped over of its own accord:
And, here it is with a little pressure being applied to hold it over “bevel to bevel.” I think this will do:
Here’s the root end of a wing… you can see the ends of the string for the aileron servo extensions there. To say these planes are manufactured cleanly is an understatement, as you can see:
I’ve had trouble with wing retention method on some brand planes in the past. But, here the anti-rotation dowels and the retention bolts are solid and there is an extra ply plate behind the already ply root rib for the retention bolt anchor:
Large size aluminum anti-rotation dowels ain’t goin’ no place:
Here’s a pic of the landing gear, showing that lightening hole I mentioned:
Here’s the pants… strong but light glass work… three colors, too:
I tell ya’… everything, and I mean everything, so far has been first rate custom builder quality:
Aeroworks does the wheel pant mounting exactly the way I’ve done in my reviews for years. Sweet!:
I feel the same way about the cowl as all the other parts of this plane, just can’t imagine how they could be any nicer:
It comes with a cowl ring installed, too… adds rigidity, nice touch:
I found this bag of foam, cable ties, and Velcro straps in the box, too. Everything but the kitchen sink:
These included engine mounting templates sure are going to make the engine mounting go fast:
Here’s some pics of the hardware that comes with it… I’m planning on using it all… building this plane stock:
Hardware that shows on the outside of the plane, like the stab attachment bolts, are stainless steel button heads:
Aeroworks really didn’t miss a trick on this one! You just gotta be impressed:
Pretty cool, again, Aeroworks thought of everything and then some:
My friend Jimmy came over to take a look at the plane. First thing he said was ”Wow, Joe, these bolts just lineup in the canopy so great!”:
Looks like the back of the hatch is removable to add a pilot:
Like Aeroworks advertises, “quick build”, the holes are drilled for the tailwheel and it just bolts on:
Rudder pull/pull wire exit holes, already cut out… and with plastic tube glued in and cut flush:
The manual is very complete, with lots of clear high resolution pictures. It comes on CD:
While Jimmy was bolting on the wings he said, “Look at that, they just screw right in! Everything fits like its suppose to! The bolts just go right IN! Joe, these bolts just went in dead nuts!” I then asked Jimmy how the wing tubes fit, he said, “Awesome, just PERFECT!”:
We got it all together to the point I had my Wild Hare R/C 35% Extra-300 when I weighed it. The WH weighed 15.5 lbs assembled to this same point. Drum roll please. This one does weigh more, 1/2 lbs more to be precise… it’s 16 pounds. The canopy on the WH was lighter, and the landing gear was, too. I might go with a CF landing gear and see if I can’t make up that 8oz or even more, probably… just with the CG landing gear alone. The wing tube seems light, so I’ll probably just stay with it. Picking it up for the weigh in, and looking at all the parts, I had thought it would be around 15 lbs, but nope. Anyway, we’ll do a final weight when we’re done (probably 12 hours actual assembly time, it looks like). And, put it in the air and see how light it flies on the wings. It sure looks and feels like it will fly light… just have to wait and see… but I’m optimistic:
When Jimmy shows up to help he knows the right things to bring with him:
Jimmy’s gonna help me get started with the assembly. He bolted on the landing gear (blind nuts came already installed, holes were pre-drilled, as well). Jimmy said the bolts all lined up perfect and bottomed out easily by finger tightening… then he just snugged them up with the wrench. Jimmy working away in his Aeroworks cap:
Jimmy said the landing gear plate is epoxy’d in solid, and I watched him put a drop of ZAP Thin CA in the wood screw holes for the landing gear hatch cover he’s about to put back on:
When Jimmy screwed on the hatch he said the fit of the hatch was “JUST PERFECT!”:
Jimmy’s got the landing gear skirts on. The skirts are pre-drilled and the landing gear is pre-drilled and tapped:
This plane is not afraid of very clear, close-up pictures:
Next Jimmy started putting the servos and linkages on the wings. Going with Hitec 5955 Digital Servos all around, on this plane:
Going with the stock pushrods and control horns. But gonna try out the new 3mm servo screws from MicroFasteners:
Mat (Dunny) came over this morning and we drove over to USPS to pick up a new fire breath’n 3W-106 engine:
There’s so many steps you normally have putting together a plane, even with an ARF, marking holes, drilling holes, putting in blind nuts, etc. But, on this model you keep discovering that many of those assembly/build steps are already done for you. Here’s just one more example… I always check for adequate wood under the servo screws and often have to add some doubled up ply or hardwood under the servo screw area. Well?… once again, went to do something I normally have to do, and low and behold it was already done. And, done the way I would do it. Gotta love it:
You don’t get to do much cut’n, dremel’n, drill’n, or gluing on this QB. One of the rare times is the rudder. I think due to its height they don’t glue the hinges in for you on that one surface:
Normally I like to leave a decent size gap on the hinges of ARFs… 3/32″ works good for me. But, with the counterbalance alignment to the vertical stab to consider… this hinge gap had to be tight:
Mat handled this for me… first thing he did was dremel down an 1/8″ or so into the pre-drilled hinge holes so as to have the hinge knuckle fit in there nicely without any binding:
Mat lubed up the knuckles and then mixed up some 30min Z-POXY from ZAP. He used a small dowel to put the 30min Z-POXY in the holes… first he glued the hinges in the rudder, then when that had hardened, he glued the rudder with hinges into the vertical stab. Wiped up any excess glue with denatured alcohol… and that was about that:
Also included is a complete cut-vinyl graphics package… just don’t know how Aeroworks includes all this for the price:
The QB comes with a nice fuel tank with plenty of tygon fuel line for getting the plumbing done. It also comes with pre-cut tubes for setting up the stopper and also for setting up a piece of tube mid carb line in the tank. Very complete:
Nothing wrong with the included tank, but I have a couple of DUBRO 32oz-ers in the shop, so I’ll go with one of these. And, might try out one of these Fromeco “Tourniquets”, I think they’re calling them?:
I generally run canisters, but thought I’d give standard mufflers a go on this QB. These are Supersonics from Aircraft International:
I taped on the template for the 3W-106. I think the manual shows to use it for marking, but I used it for a drill guide:
I ran a 1/16″ bit through then a 1/8″ bit through, verifying they stayed center in the template holes. Then I drilled the 13/64″ hole and removed the template:
Finally I drilled the holes out with a 19/64 bit to have them ready for the Micro-Fasteners 1/4-20 blind nuts. I pushed the blind nuts into place. Then got the DA template and drilled out the holes so 1/4-20 bolts would pass through easily:
Then I used some full-thread 1/4-20 bolts… with some fender washers… to pull the blind nuts in tight without messing up the firewall wood on either side. I like to use ZAP Thin CA at this point to keep the blind nuts permanently in place:
At this point it occurs to me that I never checked Aerowork’s template at all. I never even put it up to the engine. So, I grab the engine and it slips on just like butter. Meaning Aeroworks did their job right with the template:
No hassl’n coming up with some engine standoffs… the QB provides 24 aluminum standoffs for you to use as needed. I check the manual and it said one row of spacers was all I needed for the 3W-106:
The template had the right bolt pattern for a 3W-106, sure… but that doesn’t guaranty the engine is properly lined up with the cowl! I grabbed the cowl and anxiously took a look see. Dead nuts, again!:
I was cutting on the cowl with the Dremel and thought I would mention that (and you may know this already, but) DUBRO makes cut off wheels that work great:
Now I know some of you macho guys put your socks up with thumbtacks, drink a 12-pack before lunch, and this might have you pulling back from me a bit … but… but Baby Powder is real nice in the workshop. 
I pack it in my pores on my arms before I go dremel’n away on fiberglass or carbon fiber. If your pores are packed with Baby Powder the glass can’t get into them… and I smell nice, too. lol:
Aerowork’s spaces the motor out for a nice healthy 1/8″ gap… an 1/8″ gap is good with me and about where I usually space things. I’m checking here with a 6″ spinner, but I have a TruTurn coming:
I generally always have to glue up some of the joints on a new ARF. I had ZAP bottle in hand, but couldn’t find a bad glue joint:
Even though the motor box is glued and sealed up solid… they still pinned it for a little extra security:
Aerowork’s installs the blind nuts for the landing gear in place for you. And, they glue up everything solid down there, too:
Aeroworks has a pre-installed antenna tube down the right side of the plane:
Again, with plywood doubled up under the servo screw locations:
It’s actually one piece of ply underneath there that is cut out for both rudder servos:
Oh… and for the 2 RX guys… there are holes running down the left side of the fuse for you already:
I am embarrassed to say… but I spent the day thinking about bolts. I wanted 2″ or 2-1/2″ grade 8, fully threaded, bolts:
I got Micro-Fasteners to start carrying them in the 1/4-20 size. Part numbers will be SCA1432FT and SCA1440FT:
The fuse is designed around canisters. And, the kit includes balsa sheets for closing off different formers to provide good airflow:
Here’s the holdup! I always start with the graphics, but forgot to order these until a couple of days ago. Kirbys Kustom is the best!:
I’ve been wanting a TruTurn anodized spinner since they came out! I ordered a 4″ gold one for this plane! But, 4-1/4″ might be nice, too:
These Kirbys graphics give my plane its own unique look:
I applied some more…:
… and even more.:
Pages: 1 2
