Phase 5 build

[Brinky]

Ta-Da...

That's not a Phase 5, I hear you say?  True, but it's what got me started.

In our last club auction, there was a very tatty looking HLG looking for a new home. Just to start the bidding, I offered £5 and ended up taking the model home, oops!

After a few months sitting in my garage, I had a closer look at it. Apart from the tatty covering, a massively warped tail and a few dings in the wing, it was basically sound. Having seen it fly in the past, I knew that it was actually a great HLG, so I decided to build a new tail, fix the dings and re-cover it.

The end result is in the picture. Not only does it look a million times better, it flies great and I really enjoyed a bit of old fashioned balsa bashing.

After finishing it, I decided I wanted to build a new balsa model, but which one? Something under 2m, acrobatic, hmmm.   Then I remembered watching a fellow club member doing some nice acrobatics with an old Phase 5 and the decision was made. Phase 5 it is.

Where to get a plan from though?  Nobody in the club had a plan I could borrow, nothing on ebay, so I thought I'd try the obvious and give Chris Foss a ring. He was really helpful and a few days later I had a nice new Phase 5 plan in my hands (and a Phase Lift plan, just in case)

So, onto the build....   (it might take a while as I'm a slow builder)

p.s. I think the HLG is a Johns Stevens Eliminator?

[Gary B]

Go for it!

 

I've got the plan but no time!!

 

Cheers

 

Gary

[timboiow]

Brinky, Yep thats a John Stevens Eliminator 60 Hlg, they were a good little machine and good on the slope when the wind disappeared (usually just as you finished climbing to the top of the slope :-) ) . You restoration looks good, let us know how shes goes.

Re the Phase 5, keep thinking about getting the plan for one of these as they receive rave reviews about their performance, so please post updates as the build progresses,,,,,,must go and ring Chris Foss and order a plan ! If you buidl aphase lift beef up the joiner system as mine died a spectacular death when it gave up at the top of the towline...ouch, but i still think it looks a graceful soarer and with a modern radio and servos in the wings it would be a great machine.

Timbo

[Brinky]

Thanks,

The Eliminator has already flown and it was out soaring an Alula :-)

The Phase 5 build is progressing nicely, wings are about 50% done. I've taken a few photos as I've been going along, so I'll post them up when I get time.

The only changes I'm planning to make to the original design, is to make it a 2 piece, 4 servo wing. Everything else is going to be as per original design. I'm even using alphatic glue instead of superglue, just for the hell of it !

I can remember watching a Phase lift flying then landing, donkeys years ago. The fuz landed first, followed by the wingtips a few seconds later as they flopped down when the speed dropped! As you say, the wing joiner system may need a bit of modernising....

Mike

[JG]

Hello All,

 

Yep i will keep a watch on this thread, good luck 

[simon_t]

Gliders at Newark have loads of the flat strip brass/Steel joiner, as used by Graupner/Multiplex, if you are looking for alternative joiner ideas for the Phase Lift.

Simon

[Brinky]

A bit more progress. I've decided to build it pretty much exactly to the plan, with the only exceptions being that I'm going to make it a 2 piece wing and put mini servos in the wings instead of bellcranks. Also just to make it a bit more old-timer-ish, I'm going to use aliphatic glue as much as possible, instead of superglue.

 

Chris Foss included instructions on how to build the Phase 5, Step 1 is to make the wing ribs using the "sandwich" method. I guess some of you "young-uns" won't have seen this, so here's a brief description.

 

You need to make a root and tip template from ply, aluminium or in my case, 2mm fibreglass board. The plan shows what size & shape they should be.

 

Here's the finished articles

 

 

Next you rough cut  the correct number of wing ribs and clamp them between the 2 templates. I did one wing at a time, simply because the only bolts I could find weren't long enough to do all the ribs in one go.

 

 

Then you just sand them to shape. If you're wondering why the ribs are an odd shape, it's because Chris's wing design is a bit different to any "normal" balsa wing  construction I've ever seen. However it will make for a very strong wing.

 

 

Once you've finished the ribs, it's time to start sticking them all together into something vaguely wing shaped. Chris's instructions say to pack up the LE and TE, to make sure you don't build in a warp.

 

 

That's enough for now, I'll post some more info at a later date.

 

[Brinky]

Hi Pete,

Yeah, I did notice that, so no problem, thanks for the warning though. I usually clamp both sets of wing ribs together in one stack and sand them in one go, but I couldn't find long enough bolts and I was too impatient to wait and go out and buy some :-)

Doing them all at the same time reduces the taper a bit, so it' worth doing if possible.

Mike

[oipigface]

sand the upper and lower edges of the ribs square

In a tapered wing, you don't want the edges square, but you do want a lesser angle than the stack gives. Construct the wing first, and correct the angles with a big long sanding block afterwards? That way you get the angle right.

[Brinky]

Yup, done that too. A long sanding block also flattens out any high spots along the wing.

 

Mike

[Brinky]

Apologies,

Progress has been painfully slow, but at last the wing is 99% finished and I've made a start on the fuz.

I also decided to invest in a SLEC building jig. Having built the jig, I think it's well worth it, as it makes building a straight fuz much easier. My Phase 5 fuz is currently in the jig and the glue is drying as we speak :-)

Hopefully progress will be a bit more rapid, now that it looks more like a model !

Mike

[igull]

Hi All

Been following this and other Phase 5 threads as I and a friend are building one at long last.

Thought you might be interested in saving some time and effort with the painful process of rib cutting, I've posted laser cut phase 5 ribsets on eBay today ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chris-Foss-Phase-5-Slope-Soarer-Rib-Sets-/291246896459?

Rib edges are guaranteed to be at 90 deg or closer LOL 

Hopefully not upset the admins with this blatant post 

Cheers

Neil

[Lucifer]

Good model (even today) build it light - they fly much better at 2 and a half pounds than at 3 and a half pounds - you can add ballast but you cant cut off a heavy bit

 

With the 4 servos you can better the original with a full crow set up

[Brinky]

Finally....

I've finished 

Here's the fuz, before I attacked it with a razor plane and sandpaper

And here's the large ball of wood shavings I created !

And the finished article. Final weight was about 3lb 6oz - I never could build light 

All I need now is for the weather to oblige and come up with a nice sunny day with a 12mph SW wind. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long....

[evad]

looks great , you must be very pleased with the results

 

 

dave  

[JG]

Morning - Looks very nice well done, i have just finished a Phase 6 Sports for some body, that was a nice build as well 

[Brinky]

Thanks,

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, hope it flies as well as it looks.

Mike

[Gromit]

Very nice Mike, I've always heard great reports of the Phase 5 performance, I look forward to hearing your flight reports  .

 

  Stu.

[Martin_N]

I spoke to Chris a few years ago and he sent me the plans, just haven't had time to build. From all he things I've heard it was an excellent design.

[00trev]

Brinky,

Yours looks very nice..

In TVSF we got the bug and there are 9 x Phase 5's currently being completed.. we are hoping 5 or 6 will make it to a mass launch in NW Wales in April.

 

The bare pic frame.. no carbon anywhere

 

Trev