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New nose for Wizard Compact?


Jerry Lunt

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Jerry Lunt

I have some 2½ Wizard Compact gliders.  No 1 is in perfect condition, still having little air time.

No.2 has a busted fuselage which I wish to re-build, needing a complete new nose section of the fuselage as part of it was buried c/w battery somewhere on Ashes Hollow.  I have been viewing videos on the Easy Composites website on moulding.

The ½ is an early Vee tail version fuselage which I have again broken the nose from, but is sound and which is shown in the attached pictures.  I can easily re-attach this to that fuselage but before I do I want to use it (maybe) as a pattern for a new nose for No2.

The nose section is made in 2 parts, top n bottom and you can see the join line in the 1st picture.  The top part would start with a complete flat deck I think, to be opened out for Rx, servos etc at some point, probably prior to joining the 2 halves.  It is made in glass fibre, not carbon.

I’m wondering whether to use this nose part and take moulds off it using the Easy Composites Epoxy Mould Making Starter Kit – Regular, or if I should maybe make a nose pattern first using polyurethane foam, then make moulds.

Experienced advice would be appreciated.

Jerry.

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Ask around for  Wizard fuse?

Contact Milan and ask him to make another? perhaps he is occasionally making?

 luk.struhal@gmail.com

😊

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Hi Jerry, I’ll jump in as no reply from those probably more knowledgeable than me.

Looks like it may have some Kevlar in the layup (dull yellow colour) not that it impacts on the moulding process.

I presume the bulkheads either end of the servo tray are to be added after the moulding is made.

Better to cut the aperture after the two parts are joined. This will prevent twisting during the joining.  Better still, I would favour making it in one piece with the mould split line following the same one as on the original.

Do you want to sacrifice this nose to make a mould? I think this would be easier, and you can make as many new noses from a successful mould.

To make the ‘plug’ I would insert a length of 8mm dowel in the length of the nose cone, use any means to hold it reasonably central where it pokes out from the rear (long enough to handle the nose when it is being painted). Fill the damaged nose with 2 pack PU foam, then carve it to the finished shape where the servo cutout is. This will fill in the various cutouts and damaged areas. Once this is done, fill and smooth the exposed foam surfaces. This includes the open end around the dowel. Make sure this end is slightly conical so the part can be removed from the mould. Drill a hole through the free end of the dowel to pot a string loop through (for hanging it up while paint dries.

Various sites will tell you not to use ‘car paint rattle cans’ for fear of the vapour taking weeks to vent from the paint. I have used Halfords enamel rattle cans with good results, only waiting a couple of days. I spray with a hi build primer first. Then when dry (a few hours) sand it with 220 grit virtually back to the surface. Then spray with a different colour primer. Flatten with 400 grit wet/dry but stop when you start to see the previous colour peeping through. Continue primer spraying and flatting until your happy with the surface. Then apply the gloss enamel. It is much easier to get a full wet coat without runs compared to the car paints.

Hint: keep rotating the plug in all directions (holding it by the dowel) while the paint skin is drying to eliminate runs.

Super hint: shake the can thoroughly then put It in hot water for a couple of minutes before spraying. Increased pressure = finer spray without spitting.

then your ready to progress to the the next stage of mould making......

Just seen slopelope has posted, so I’ll stop here for now.

Neil P

 

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isoaritfirst

As an alternative Jerry, why mould a inner nose at all. 
simply cut the inner nose away and install a ply keel. 
Have a look at Tragi 702 fuselages If you don’t know what I mean. 
dead easy to do, in comparison to trying to mould something. 

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Jerry Lunt

Thanks for the responses Guys.  Neil, I will PM you.

Mike, is this what you mean?

Tragi_701_nose.jpg.feb06fcbc3970fc5ec4d87adbf768a23.jpg

As the Wizard has its ballast tube entry at the bottom of the fuselage, I guess I would need to insert a horizontal "keel".  That actually would probably work OK.

I have rushed into spending money at Easy Composites for the moulding starter kit.

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isoaritfirst

yep like that, later versions of that model had a ballast tube. it started between the control rods. 

same could be used for wizard, just make a new ballast tube, and insert it where ever it will fit.

 

 

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isoaritfirst

1451242561_0.jpg.4f51a4a04e5b2908c45ee851bd58fb0e.jpg

Found this picture from a later version the TRagi 704.  - vertical keel, . Access for ballast is from opposite side.

 

The keel was very light glass over foam, but had a strong I- beam profile with a strong edge all around the outside.

I guess this shape could be made by wetting out carbon tows, placing in position then fitting a well "oiled" nose cone, and leaving vertically for it to form inside the cone.

Might be tricky trying to get the nose off if you got it wrong though..

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Jerry Lunt

Thanks Mike.  I have several options I can consider and will be having a discussion with Neil later today (I hope).

This is my fuselage as it stands now.  The red one is the one I got from Phil T many years ago and it was pretty battered then.  I did a repair thread on RCMF, don't know if it's still there.  So that ballast tube I know is very securely attached and will be difficult to replace. . . . probably  🥴  It again needs a repair half way down the fus but I have the jig I made originally.  I got it out of the loft yesterday and applied some stiffening pieces underneath, using my good fuselage to make sure all the seats fitted properly.  The black fuselage is one given to me some time ago also and is for the vee-tail version.  I intend to return the nose section to that one.

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I will continue here when I decide what method to use.

EDIT:  Discussion with Neil and receipt of some explanatory pictures from him has made moulding a new nose section much more plausible, but I think I will need some additional materials from Easy Composites.

I kind of like Mike's solution but am drawn to moulding a new section of fuselage because I would prefer it that way.  One significant difficulty is going to be the spigot  of the new nose which inserts into the old red fuselage.  There, I simply cut off the remaining part of the original nose which additionally had been reinforced inside with carbon so the "ID" of that is much smaller then the "OD" of the pattern nose and it is going to be difficult to get that right in my mould.

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