Step 2, Build Magnum!!

201 posts in this topic

Posted (edited)

Hello everyone! Well I finally got my hanger done and organized and today I finally got busy working on the Magnum!  I am going to try something different, and put a Dropbox link on here so anyone can watch my progress.  Bear with me as I try to figure this out, and if it doesn't work, please let me know. Today I took apart the rolling kit I bought to prep it for painting.  I also have my new landing gear ordered and will have to do some welding like Ron Davidson had to do (using Steve's gear also). I will be putting the fuselage on a turn table that Ron let me use to do the welding and painting.  Tomorrow I hope to get a paint booth built.  So below is the picture link for my build:

 

                                                                                                               https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dmj9wxoa0qgzg4u/AAAa1iGpY_KGtFT6R1mcWFo0a?dl=0

                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

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Edited by Barry Cole
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Posted

We need more Magnum builds documented. Why not just add pics to your posts here?

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Posted

Barry,

Looks good!  You are going to love that rotisserie!

I thought of another spot to weld... where the horizontal stabilizer goes through the vertical stabilizer...you will see in the pic attached that mine had tabs that were welded along the bottom, but not the top.  I would weld tabs around the whole thing because you will have an aluminum panel that goes there.  I don't see any tabs on yours?

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Posted (edited)

Okay, I am going to add pictures of my build directly to here, additional pictures can be found on the link in the above post however :))

Today I mounted the fuselage to the turntable, then sanded and prepped it for paint. I ended up ordering a garage kit from Harbor Freight to use for a paint booth, it will be here in a few days.

10 Fuselage on turntable, sand & prep..jpg

Edited by Barry Cole
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Posted

Ron,

Thanks for the input, defiantly no tabs there! I'm sure I will be grinding paint of to weld more than once!!

 

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Posted

Today's project was to cut the push-pull tube bushings using a 1 1/8" hole saw.  Then I will press them into the fittings in the fuselage using a big c-clamp. Then drill to 9/16".

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Posted

SaWeeeet  ALWAYS EXCITING watching a project come to life.  Looking forward to your future posts.

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Posted

Today I sanded the bushings and pressed them into the fittings.  I used a bolt and a belt sander to size them.  Used a combination of dead blow hammer and c-clamp to install them. Then I installed the push pull tube and bell crank with linkage for the elevator.

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Posted

I am having a problem figuring out how to close the gap between the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical. There are tabs welded on the horizontal stabilizer, but none on the vertical. As Ron suggested, I need to weld tabs for an access cover that should go there.  Nowhere in the build manual does it address this, and Ron also said it was a pain to do, especially after the fabric is installed. The measurements between the ribs and the welded tabs does not line up either. Has anyone figured out a way to fix this problem?  I want to get all my welding done before painting the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. You can look at Ron's picture above to also get an idea. Thanks!

Photo Oct 05, 22 06 27.jpg

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Posted

Barry,

Here is the solution I came up with, without any welding required, but I think I would weld tabs at the stage you are at...

6A67C276-1746-4DED-A102-3C00B3AF772C.thuI riveted a piece of aluminum to the u-channel and drilled spaced holes across it.  I later put fast nut clips over the holes and tabs.

I just looked up one of the Magnum prototypes and it only had tabs on the horizontal stab too...

 

Ron

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Posted

I bought my KF III last November. It only has tabs welded on the bottom. At the top of the panel, the aluminum has a 90 degree bend it. The bend extends about 1 inch into the fuselage. both panels overlap each other at the top. There are 5 welded tabs on the fuselage that sheet metal screws are used to fasten the panel to the fuselage. seems to work OK. flying with the door open, I looked back and didn't notice the panel out of place. can take pictures if you would like.

Rick

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Posted

Rick, if you have a picture that would be nice. Don't go to a lot of trouble though. I just don't like the way the tabs on the horizontal lines up with the rib in the vertical. Maybe I am being to particular. Trying for a nice finished look. Seems that this has been a problem for a lot of the Magnums, I have looked at a lot of pictures of this access panel, and I'm not liking the finished look. Ron's did turn out well. 

Thanks for the pictures Ron! I think I will work on something else for a while :))

 

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Posted (edited)

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Well, Mr. FedEx brought my paint booth (cheap car port from Harbor Freight) so I got back to work on the Magnum.  I hope to put some paint on the fuselage tomorrow if all goes well. Should make a nice, cheap paint booth. I also picked up some reamers today that I had ordered so I can clean some of the holes in the fuselage.

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Edited by Barry Cole

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Posted

Yesterday I finished the paint booth and painted most of the fuselage. I will hopefully finish it today.

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Photo Oct 12, 09 56 40.jpg

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Posted

Looks great Barry!!!

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Posted (edited)

Today I put one more coat on the fuselage. I had major trouble with the primer the previous builder used, it bled through terrible.  Luckily after letting it dry overnight the one last coat covered pretty well.  I will be spraying primer on all remaining parts to cover the old zink primer the previous builder painted on using a paint brush, which also has caused some considerable sanding on parts that will show and not be covered by fabric. Paint booth works great, but I need a few more lights in it.

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Edited by Barry Cole

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Posted (edited)

Friday and Saturday this week I primed and painted various parts like door frames and window frames and any other parts that would be visible and not covered with fabric.  I should have listened to Ron when he told me to get more lights in the paint booth, I really needed it with my old eyes.  Tomorrow, I am going to install more lights!  And because I had poor lighting, I missed getting paint on some areas of certain parts, so I had some touch up to do today.  Then I began prepping all the other small metal parts which I hope to get primed and painted tomorrow.

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This picture to prove I am doing 51%..................

 

Edited by Barry Cole

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Posted

I know for sure that you can't have to much light when painting or probably anything else you do in the garage for that matter.   And don't be surprised if you keep finding spots you missed for a while.  I know I did, and I painted with white.  Keep pounding away at it, and one day you'll have an airplane. :-)  JImChuk

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Posted

Yes, and I knew better, the older I get the worser I see........  Loving the build, fun times!  The primer the previous builder used cost me a lot of time, and now I know why powder coating is so popular!!!!

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Posted

Looking good Barry!  This looks a lot better than the green goop!

Ron

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Posted

Today I installed 3 more lights in the paint booth, and wow what a difference! Finished painting all the small metal parts today. I no longer have any green parts!!! Now I will move on to assembling as much as possible on the fuselage before beginning any fabric work. I will also have some welding to do as soon as my landing gear arrives.

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Posted (edited)

Had a good day working on the Super Mag today. Got the flight controls put together on the bench, then installed.  Then I put the rudder pedals and brakes together on the bench and installed them. Installed the flaperon bell-cranks and the push pull bell crank and linkage. Then I started to install the horizontal stabilizer so tomorrow I can level and square it to the fuselage. 

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Edited by Barry Cole

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Posted

Wow! you are moving right along.  What do those rods on the passenger's rudder peddles do? They show up in the third, fifth and sixth pictures.  Mounted where a brake cylinder is on the pilot's side.  JImChuk

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Posted

Jim,

Those rods just take the place of master cylinders on the passenger side. I thought about eliminating them, but I think it makes the pedal stronger by using the rods. It is the procedure used if you are not using dual brakes. 

Barry

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Posted

Hey Barry, looks great.

Make sure you install oversize washer where the rod end eye is installed with a bolt or nut on your mixer unit. There has been cases where a failure of the rod end eye would disconnect your flight control rod...

 

You can see the oversize washers on my flap actuating eye rod ends below

Cheers, Laurent

 

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