E-Tracer build

[Dirtypool]

Hi.

I am going to start the build on my E-Tracer and will need some help. Can someone who has built one please post some pictures of your servo pockets, linkages, horn installation, and motor mount installation? I have only seen some info on the Tracer thread but still have questions.

I am going to glue the tails on but need to get the ball/horn sorted first.

I have KST X10 mini wing servos for the wings. I am going to run traditional linkage on this one. It is my first powered glider.

I'll post pics as I go.

Thanks.

Rob

 

[Dirtypool]

Some pics

I’ll need to add a brace for these servos for the third screw.


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[Dirtypool]

I guess these are one pic at a time.

Kit contents. I am not using the X08 servos. They just happened to be on the table.


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[Dirtypool]

The servo pockets are on the bottom of the wing. When I cut the surface for the horn, it will stick out of this side (bottom). Do I need to align the clevis hole on the horn with the hinge line?

Left and right side of the fuse did not get the same paint job.

Here, I am marking the section to remove for the ball/linkage to poke through. I'll see if I can get the ball horn glued in after the tail is in place. I will practice this before gluing anything. If I can get it, then I won't need to cut any additional area out of the fuse.

 

[Dirtypool]

Trying to get this cleared off my bench first... Longshot 4.

 

[Dirtypool]

I test fit the ball horn and as you can see, the ball is too far in the fuse, so I drilled another hole outboard of the original hole in the control surface and it moved to an acceptable position I believe. Not gluing anything yet though.

 

[Dirtypool]

Nothing glued yet, but I have them placed. I will mount the servos and see where the pushrods and ball links end up first.

 

[Dirtypool]

Question: When gluing the tail on, do you also scuff and glue the flat surface at the root? Or, do you just glue the carbon rods?

 

[Jarron]

Unless you plan on traveling with it, go ahead and glue them on, definitely rough up the roots. If you ever intend to travel with it, use a strip of hockey tape on the bottom of the joint to hold in place.

 

[Dirtypool]

Are the wings retained with tape also?

 

[Wayne]

Yes, that is correct. Don't need much, and does not need to be anything fancy.

 

[Dirtypool]

Thank you.

So should I epoxy the tail on? I don’t see a need to take it off. And I may be running 600-800 watts on it.


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[Wayne]

It is rather common for folks to do that. If it already has a very tight fit, then no need. She will be fine with 800 watts. As long as the prop is well balanced the electric setup should not try to push wings or tails off. But on landings or flying slope lift you can start to bump the wings off. In a rough landing (dragged a tip) the tape may well tear and allow the wing to slide a bit. This is actually ideal as it is absorbing some of that shock load and letting things move.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Dirtypool]

It is rather common for folks to do that. If it already has a very tight fit, then no need. She will be fine with 800 watts. As long as the prop is well balanced the electric setup should not try to push wings or tails off. But on landings or flying slope lift you can start to bump the wings off. In a rough landing (dragged a tip) the tape may well tear and allow the wing to slide a bit. This is actually ideal as it is absorbing some of that shock load and letting things move.

Hope this helps a bit.

Thanks Wayne.
I’ll glue the tail and tape the wing.

I am going to cut the nose and put a new firewall in. Is there a method to make sure my angle is correct on the firewall? Should it be zero or have down/right thrust?


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[Wayne]

I personally like ZERO on this sort of model. She will pull up some under power.

(Another opinion from the shop is 1.5 degrees down and maybe 1 to 1.5 right.)

 

[Dirtypool]

I personally like ZERO on this sort of model. She will pull up some under power.

(Another opinion from the shop is 1.5 degrees down and maybe 1 to 1.5 right.)

Ok.
Not sure how to measure that. Maybe I’ll get it as close as I can and then if I notice a problem I can shim it afterwards.
I just don’t know how to set such a small angle on the firewall


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[Dirtypool]

Before and after.

Do I need to make a piece to fill in the top section where the firewall does not meet the fuselage?

Or, was I supposed to cut less and form the fuse to the firewall?

 

[Jarron]

Before and after.

Do I need to make a piece to fill in the top section where the firewall does not meet the fuselage?

Or, was I supposed to cut less and form the fuse to the firewall?


View attachment 21190View attachment 21191

Very nice! However it looks like you've gone a little overboard with the cutting here. In the future, you're really meant to install your firewall from inside the nose after you've gradually sanded/cut the nose back to where it fits with roughly 1-2mm of overhang in front of it, that way you can put a nice fillet of epoxy around the inside edge. You can also sand in a chamfer on the firewall outer edge to help get it forwards and definitely sand the inside of the nose where the firewall will go for better adhesion. May I ask what adhesive you're using? As long as it isn't microballoons (which is not really for structural use) you should be okay, but this is a very critical area and we have seen these fail, it is very messy. Without buying a new fuselage, you could cut up some fiberglass into flox (chopped), then mix those in with your epoxy, seal off the front of the nose with tape and then thoroughly coat the back of the firewall and the firewall to nose joint. Keep the nose facing down so it all cures flat.

 

[Wayne]

Another option - We can order a custom firewall to tol solve this issue for you. It would be about $35. I'd like to know the inside and outside diameters horizontally and vertically. It will be something like this:

 

[Dirtypool]

It is actually about 1mm with a fillet. Ignore my messy epoxy. I didn’t want to smooth it out for fear of moving the firewall.

I measured twice and still cut a little too far. It fit in there but could have used a little more pressure to fit. I pushed it in from the back but perhaps after the cut the fuse flexed more easily since the material in front was gone. There is a small fillet on the front and back sides. I didn’t want to get any on the contact surface with the motor.

I use hysol and BVM aeropoxy. I also have West for certain applications. In this instance I used Hysol with 20 min work time.

I have some chopped glass and some carbon I can mix in with West Systems epoxy that I can use to fill the nose section.

My other concern is the prop clearance when folded back. I may put the motor on and see how that looks.



Also-
In doing wing prep, I noticed 3 or 4 of the clevis’ just slide over the threads.

Thanks.


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