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  1. R

    Thatcher CX4

    You are correct, I am using a 54 x 44 prop. I have never been up to 8-9K MSL, I usually fly between 3-4K MSL and I cruise125 MPH @ 3000 RPM's. I would say that the 54 x 44 is a cruise prop and not a climb prop but my friends are always impressed by the climb performance when I leave from the...
  2. R

    Thatcher CX4

    My empty weight is 582 lbs which gives me a maximum pilot weight of 203 lbs with the plane full of fuel. Roger
  3. R

    Thatcher CX4

    I'm back. I haven't been on here for a while and I just noticed the responses to my post. I did build the Thatcher CX4 and you can see a picture of the finished airplane above in mcrae0104's post. I will give a brief overview of my build.... It took me about 1-1/2 years to built the plane...
  4. R

    Thatcher CX4

    I have a question for you Aeronautical Engineers, especially Orion. I have been looking at the Thatcher CX4 as a possible next project. I love the look of the airplane but I would like another opinion on how strong the spar design looks. There are pictures of the wing being tested to 5.7G on...
  5. R

    Canopy question.

    Thanks guys. That answsers my question. Roger
  6. R

    Canopy question.

    I wasn't sure where to put this question, but here goes. What is the best way to protect a canopy while you cut and fit it? Is there some type of protective coating you can put on it? Thanks Roger
  7. R

    Okay, new discussion: welding

    While your on the subject... How do you gas weld Aluminum? I tried once with NO luck. Thanks, Roger
  8. R

    Adding counterbalances to elevator

    I am building a Beryl "similur to a Cap 10". The plans call for no counter balances on the elevators but the rudder has one. I have added the balance "horns" to the elevators to match the look of the rudder but I don't really want to add the weights required to truly balance "about 4 pounds per...
  9. R

    Molding a canopy.

    Update. I have been Vacuuming test shots and moving the heaters arround to see what effects the varying temperatures have on the shape. I think I found the "sweet spot" for the heaters to get the desired shape I'm looking for. I'm still having one problem maybe one of you can help me with. My...
  10. R

    Molding a canopy.

    Update: I made a new heat box out of particle board and 2x2 lumber, glued and screwed together. The new "airtight box" is lined with foam insulation. I wired in my heating elements, light, and two fans to circulate the air for a more even heating. This box is airtight so I can use a vacuum to...
  11. R

    Molding a canopy.

    LOL... Yes but my heat box is far from air tight. I have been running tests moving the heaters and using fans to move the air around inside the box. This made the temperature more even inside the box but I think I will still have problems with hot spots with only two heaters in the ends of...
  12. R

    Molding a canopy.

    I tried an experiment last night to see if my problem was a cool air problem. I made an air deflector and installed it into the box where my air is inserted into the heat box. The deflector pushed the air outward to the ends of the box. When I pulled the sample the center looked great and the...
  13. R

    Molding a canopy.

    I cut down the height of my heat box and insulated the floor this weekend. The box reached the "magic" 300 degree mark easy. I made a small sample mold and pulled a shot of .100 acrylic to test the shape of my mold. The test sample heated great and it was very easy to blow to the desired height...
  14. R

    Molding a canopy.

    That's a very imformative article. It looks like I'm doing everything right so far. His box is smaller than mine, I think I will cut down the height of mine and insulate the top and bottom of the box. I will try again this weekend and see if we can reach about 300 degrees. Roger
  15. R

    Molding a canopy.

    I finally got a chance to try out my heat box. It took about an hour to come up to 240 degrees and stoped. I had several air leaks that I stoped and the then the temperature went up to 260 degrees and stoped. The sides of the box felt like they were insulated good but I could feel lots of heat...
  16. R

    Molding a canopy.

    Thanks Will, I had someone else tell me to heat it slow at first to remove any mosture but he wasn't sure how hot or how long. This helps alot. I wired my heat box up this weekend and it seemed to work ok. I need to get a thermometer and see if the two heaters I am using will get the box up to...
  17. R

    Molding a canopy.

    Thanks for the comments guys. I am going to try my luck with one attempt and see how it goes. I bought an old used house oven this weekend and removed the thermostat,oven light and window to use on my box. I am going to assemble the heat box and see if it will heat up to the 400 degrees I need...
  18. R

    Molding a canopy.

    Does anyone here have any expirence free blowing Acrylic canopies? I am going to attempt to form my own canopy. I have a heat box built that is 4' x 4' x 10' long and I have found some 220 volt ceramic heating elements to heat the box with. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Thanks, Roger
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