don january
Well-Known Member
I look back at this stage of my Taylor monoplane build and think of all the little things a builder may come across both good and bad. One of the first thing that comes to mind is the many articles I read about scarfing and glueing plywood was overwhelming. Temperature and moisture of build area was another area that held worries due to the fact that where the plane is built has no room for adjustment other then maybe turn the heater up. It is said that if the plane is built in a heated shop in the winter, then come summer sitting on the ramp the entire characteristics of the wood will change. My thought is how to control this during the build before and after covering with fabric. Another area that is concerning is where bolts pass through the wood and seems always to do damage over time regardless of how much protection is applied. Although this fuselage has been completed and covered and processed with Polyfiber material I still wonder how it will endure through an Upper Midwest winter with temperatures well below 0 degrees in an unheated hanger. A 12-1 scarf of the ply is great but if you have to locate the joint at a 5/8-inch vertical upright of the fuselage some information says this the best way to go but I also have read that a good butt joint without scarfing centered on the up right is fine also with some thinking is even better especially if the job can be done without a scarf. This particular aircraft design was built back before fiberglass and many other time saving ways available today and that is one reason I have chosen to use the Diehl wings of fiberglass build once available from a well-known supplier of days gone by. I hope any builder thinking of the challenge of building a wood design aircraft does not get discouraged from what is read or spoken by other persons and this thread is a great place to ask questions no matter how crazy they may seem to you. DJ
