Text Box: Y0-3A

Text Box: Low Altitude Silent Aircraft.

Text Box: Patch Worn By Pilots

 

Text Box: Let’s Get Started shall we?

The kit arrived with no issues and everything was well packed.  Since this was a “short-kit” an additional order of balsa and hardwood had to be ordered from National Balsa to completed the wood requirements.  More fiddly bits, such as retracts, wire, pushrods, servos, and such will be needed as well, but I’ll order those as the build begins. 

I began by binding the edges of the 1/16th sheet balsa together

 

 

Text Box: Wing transfer

Text Box: The Wing

Text Box: This is a first for me, building on a balsa sheet.  Usually the plans call for the ribs and formers to be built to the leading and trailing edges, and then once completed—the wing is sheeted.  I had to scratch my head for a few minutes to figure out how

Text Box: I was going to have the rib locations shown and still have a big sheet of balsa covering everything up!  Keith had his own way of doing it I, on the other hand, did the Acetone transfer trick.  As you can see with the picture to the left - it worked out pretty well.  I now have the entire wing plan on the balsa sheet - albeit the writing is reversed. To begin, I started with the 3/16ths Spruce called for in the plans.  You will laminate 3 layers with the ply's stopping at marked distances on the plans

                                                                        

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So, I wanted something to build something that would allow me to have a power glider at the field, yet not something that you see everyday.....

I ordered the Keith Sparks Y0-3A to fulfill that niche.  This is a short kit, with all the hard cuts done, and a plethora of plastic - all well done I may add.

You can check out Keith's build log here.  So as not to put my build all over his, I decided to create my own web page detailing the build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: I got ahead of the picture taking, but I'll show you the gluing process on the first layer.  It is weighted down and aligned on the balsa in the picture.  If you click on it, you'll get a bigger picture. The 36" spruce spare was not long enough to go from end to end, so as I am laying down the spars I will have to be careful to stagger the butt splices.  I had actual thought of that and have all the pieces cut to fit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Here you can see the dried laminations.  This is the second layer.  Notice how the butt-joints are staggered.  The initial glue I used for the balsa to spruce was Titebond, but on the laminations I am using a finishing epoxy that give me plenty of time to work with the spruce, but it is also made of laminations.  It is very thin, and take 30 minutes to set.  I applied the epoxy to the spar with a small paint brush and also coated the second layer as well.        

 

 

 

Click here for page 2....

 

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