1/3 scale Grunau Baby IIb by Schneider - Fuselage
This kit is manufactured by Guenther Schneider in Austria.
After having built, flown, and crashed my Krick 1/4 scale Grunau Baby , I wanted to have another one, but being a believer of the "bigger-is-better" theory, I started to look for options. Initially it looked like I would have to go with a plan build, until I found a reference to Mr Schneider's kit on the german RC-Network discussion board.
Apart from the Baby kit, he also makes a DFS Habicht kit, with 3.88m span, and a Piper Pawnee with 2.2m span.
The kits are CNC-router-cut, all from 3mm liteply, and are true builder's kits.
The Grunau Baby kit contains the following :
A whole bunch ( I did not count them) of 3mm liteply panels with all the parts ( formers, ribs, etc.etc.) The parts for the fuselage formes and upper and lower fuselage keels are doubled, so that they end up being 6mm thick
Spruce strip material
0.6mm plywood for fuse planking and wing sheeting
Material for wing struts
Material for wing joiner and wing attachment points ( 3mm aluminium)
Fitting for wing struts.
Everything else, such as hinges, control arms, pushrods, etc. has to be supplied additionally.
Also, there are no instructions included, this kit is intended for experienced modelers
Kit contents :
"Plans and instructions" :
Parts for fuselage formers, the following 4 pics show a test fit of the forward part, a Multiplex 7 mini IPD rx is put in for size reference.
Mr Schneider suggested building the forward and aft parts of the fuselage separately, and join them later.However, I was
concermed about getting the fuselage really straight that way, so instead I built it in the jig box, which I had already
used once for the Bergfalke fuselage.
Here the fuselage in the jig box :
Fuselage structure framed up, removed from the jig box:
Rudder control system:
As I did on my other scale ships, here I also am using a pull-pull setup, with a bellcrank at the servo end, so that the wire tension is not applied to the servo bearings.
On this occasion, however, I also installed a bellcrank on the rudder end, for 2 reasons :
1. So that the wire tension would not have to be absorbed by the rudder hinge points either,
2. So that the ruddder is easily and quickly removed and installed
In order to be able to access the rudder drive system later on, I incorporated an access panel :
Installed
Elevator servo wiring and antenna guide tube
All the wiring will be below the cockpit floor, out of view, also the rx gets it's compartment in the "basement"
Homemade tow release and tow release servo installation :
Next, I made and installed the wiring harness in the fuselage for the aileron and spoiler servos. The connectors are Multiplex
5 pin connectors, the sockets are fixed in the fuselage side, the plugs from the wing will be connected by hand when
assembling the plane.
connectors harness wiring "belowdecks" rx, with almost all the connections only battery
tow release and vario connectors are missing at this point
Couldn't resist, just had to put it together to see what it looked like: BIIIG !!
Here, I have started planking the fuselage. I started with the aft bottom of the fuselage, and planked it halfway down the fuse, then
planked the aft sides, and started on the top part.
On the upper stringers, I installed these balsa strips, to give the sheeting more area to attach to.
They are square balsa stock, which then are sanded to the fuselage contour.
Aft top fuselage planking ready :
Here the fuselage is almost closed up, canopy is made, nut still needs to be cut out and have the
windshield installed, and I have started on the cockpit detailing
The spoiler handle doubles as rx on/off switch
Fuselage Wings Empennage Airbrakes RC gear installation