Updates

Bill Grenoble Denny Maize Joel FonerPublished on October 30, 1998

June 25, 2000

  • CORES and MORE: Added new page, with info on a couple of folks who will cut Terminator cores and provide “short kit” components

August 11, 1999:

  • WING: Fixed link problem with leading edge templates (thanks to Bruce Kimball for finding this one).

August 2, 1999:

  • INTRO PAGE: Added a section titled “Is the Terminator right for me?”

July 31, 1999:

Thanks to Dan Griscom for these clarifications and additions.

  • WING: Added leading edge templates
  • WING: Added instructions for using 3M77 spray contact cement for balsa sheeted wings
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added a new dimensioned drawing for the fuselage pod.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added clearer directions for adding triangle stock and assembly jig construction.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added an alternate boom alignment method
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added detail to notes on installation of wing hold-downs
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Replaced tail diagrams with smaller (faster download) images, altered instructions to show v-tail mounted under tailboom for alignment simplicity.
  • OPTIONS: Added “Tinting Water-Based Polyurethane”, a note on how to get tinted finishes with polyurethane with practically no weight gain
  • PARTS LIST: Added a parts list!

February 22, 1999:

  • GETTING STARTED: Updated wing area - it turns out to be 387 sq inches per description, not an even 400 sq in. (oops!)
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Removed the reference to the Avia home page, since they have been quite difficult to get a hold of either by phone or email.
  • WING: Noted that the location of the front wing bolt is about 3/4" from the LE with the rear bolt about 5" aft of the front bolt.
  • WING: Clarified construction sequence, and moved gluing the wing sections together to after the section on finishing the wing
  • OPTIONS: Added an options page, and added “Bill’s Terminator Tips” and “How to Bag a 4 oz Wing” to it. This page will be the place for advanced techniques and “hop-ups” to the basic Terminator design. Don’t feel like you have to try these on your first one - they’re probably best left for a bit later when you feel more comfortable with the basic techniques.

January 29, 1999:

  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Updated the Avia Sports web page address (they’ve moved again!)

January 10, 1999:

  • WING: Added a note that you need to have the CompuFoil 98 Airfoil Library to print templates from the loft files on the web site (.lft files). The Terminator uses an airfoil that is shipped with the CompuFoil Airfoil Library, but is not in the core CompuFoil product.

December 21, 1998:

  • GETTING STARTED: Added a section with information on two video tapes that demonstrate cutting foam cores and doing vacuum bagging.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added information about two models of Avia kite spars that are useful for tail booms, with a link to the Avia home page that has technical and ordering information (you can get these in limited quantities if your local archery shops are unwilling to sell small numbers of arrowshafts).
  • WING: Added a section titled “What Kind of Foam Should I Use?”

November 15, 1998:

  • MISC: Separated construction notes into separate pages for faster downloading and easier navigation
  • WING: Emphasized the need to check the dimensions of printed PDF airfoil templates to ensure that your printer is rendering these templates at accurate sizes.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added a note about using food coloring as a tint for the urethane on the fuselage, as an optional way to add some color without adding a bunch of weight (paint is a no-no!)

November 14, 1998:

  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Clarified tail boom length - should be 26.5"-27" from wing leading edge to end of tail boom, with ruddervator hinge line aligned to end of tail boom.
  • WING: Added a link to “Bill’s Terminator Bagged Tips” to the VACUUM BAGGED FIBERGLASS OPTION section - Bill lets his special tip design out of the bag!

November 11, 1998:

  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added a picture of several fuselage pod designs we’ve tried in the fuselage construction section.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added a discussion in the v-tail construction section regarding incidence of the tails, and added a note to try both leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE) shims while figuring out the proper incidence.

November 5, 1998:

  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added PDF diagram of a conventional tail design for the Terminator.

November 4, 1998:

  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Replaced v-tail construction diagram with a new one that has no border to reduce the size a bit and allow easier printing on printers that do not allow narrow margins.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Added note about tail boom length in the fuselage section.
  • WING: Added a PKZip archive with all of the CompuFoil LFT files for easier downloading

October 30, 1998:

  • WING: Added tip dihedral amount to specifications and wing construction sections (oops!) - should be 4" under each wingtip, with a flat center section.
  • WING: Added “Assembling the Wing”, which describes how to join the wing sections together.
  • WING: Added “Wing Hold-Downs”, which describes the wing bolts and wood washers added to the wing.
  • MISC: Added a link to the Adobe Acrobat Reader Download Site at the top of the document.
  • FUSELAGE/TAIL: Clarified fuselage fiberglassing - attachment is done with the water-based urethane.