As I got close to finishing the lower wing it became obvious that an important detail of kit engineering had been overlooked. The plans indicate that the entire lower wing center section as well as the innermost rib bay of each lower wing outer panel are to be sheeted with 1/16″ balsa. The usual method […]
The outboard (main) panels of the lower wing are built the same way as the upper wing, with two changes. The upper panels are swept back and have no ailerons, while the lower panels are straight with ailerons cut in. Just as with the upper wing, I spaced the front and rear spars off the […]
Let’s get started on the lower wing. Unlike the upper wing, which consists of two outboard panels which are each swept back in relation to a center section, the lower wing is straight (unswept) , but the outer panels still attach to a center section which is built separately. With the upper wing I had […]
The motor came back , all fixed and ready to go back into the airplane…and I want to tell you about that. This particular motor is a Scorpion 4025-12 brushless outrunner from Innov8tive Designs. I used the Waco SRE “scale-out” project as my first opportunity to use a Scorpion motor/ESC system. Everythings performs as advertised, […]
Remember when you were a kid, found some new treasure you managed to buy and bring home (an airplane kit, maybe?) , and how you wanted to start working on it RIGHT NOW? OK, I know, you’re not a kid any more but you still feel the same way sometimes? So do I, and that’s […]
I have already let on that I am a pushover for the real old time kits, the stick-and-tissue jobs that those of us who were kids during the ’40’s and 50’s learned to build with. In those days, even if you knew what you were doing, your only options were to preserve the plane as […]
The next step in building the upper wing is the shaping and sanding. I have heard guys who want to be model builders complaining that they “don’t like sanding”. I don’t get it…while putting all the pieces together in the right relationship is great, I especially enjoy the process of trimming and carving and sanding […]
The next step is the assembly of the outer panels to the center section and the addition of some braces and gussets prior to final sanding. I started the assembly by lining up both outer panels in exact alignment with the center section, in position over the plan, with the center section spaced up off […]
We’ll start building the outer wing panels with the top left and right…they are a bit less complex because there are ailerons only on the bottom wing. As with the center section, I am using a magnetic building board system. I have placed spacers between both the front and rear spars and the building […]
The Great Lakes 2T-1A trainer is a biplane. The lower wing includes ailerons, some dihedral, and no sweepback.the upper wing has no ailerons, more dihedral, and pronounced sweep with a straight center section. The plan presents one drawn superimposed over the other, so that you must pay attention to exactly what you are working with. […]