Saturday, November 30, 2024

Kit Airplane: Elevator

The horizontal stabilizer was constructed, but now it needs the elevator attached.

The parts as delivered by the kit...

The parts' edges were softened then placed within the skin...


More progress... (supports for the trim tab attached)


Went back to the horizontal stabilizer to add the tips...


Looking good...


Looking real good with that elevator...


Close up of the elevator horn...


And drilling the holes for the doubler between the upper and lower elevator horns..


Getting clean, aligned holes through the elevator horns and doublers was a giant pain...


And adding in a reinforcement tab to the doubler within the skin...


Additional reinforcement strips near the elevator horn to help stiffen the area...


Drilling the trim tab piano hinge...


And to the trim tab itself...


Adding a reinforcement piece (that will be under the skin at the trim motor)...


The trim motor...


Trim motor from above with reinforcement strip...


Trim motor in place...


Looks almost done, doesn't it?


Which means it's time to disassemble the entire thing to add corrosion protection...


It had been raining for a solid week with another week of rain in the forecast, but the Cortec primer needs a spread between temperature and dewpoint. Bringing the pieces in the house where it's not 100% humidity to prime... (The smell was lovely.)


Also before riveting, drilling holes for safety wires to keep the rods within the piano hinges...


The inner portion of the elevator riveted before the skin is wrapped over it...


Cleco it all back together...


And begin riveting..


Trim motor riveted...


The elevator horn connection...


Looks great!


Next up are the wings! The flap parts have been pulled out and prep work has begun on them.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

RPG: Automatic Server Detection

It has been a few years since the last update on my computer RPG, but it did have some progress this past month! It is a multiplayer game, but in prior versions you had to manually type in the IP address of the server you wanted to connect to.


Now, running servers will announce themselves over the network, and potential clients will pick up on those messages and display them as options to the player.


Instead of typing in values, just click the detected server and hit play!


Monday, September 30, 2024

Campaign Manager: Mystery on the Space Station

Another example campaign has been added to Campaign Manager, this time with a science fiction setting - Mystery on the Space Station. The party has been tasked to get a device produced on a distant space station. It will take several days to construct. so the players have some time to relax and partake in the station's community events while they wait. But odd things are happening there, and questions are arising on how the devices are built.

You can download Campaign Manager from:

https://kamoly.itch.io/campaign-manager

Monday, August 26, 2024

Kit Airplane: Horizontal Stabilizer

Following building the rudder / vertical stabilizer is the horizontal stabilizer.

The parts...


Getting the mounting points between the stabilizer and fuselage attached...


Center ribs between the spars...


Added supports for tip ribs...


Tip ribs...


Riveted the spars and center ribs together...


Positioning the horizontal stabilizer skin...


One side of horizontal stabilizer skin rivetted...


Preparing the other side of the horizontal stabilizer skin...


Some interior pictures before everything is closed up...


And another...


And another...


Opposing skin clecoed in place with piano hinge for elevator clamped...


Honestly just a really nice picture showing the trailing edge ready to go...


Horizontal skin riveted!


Next up is the elevator, and once that is fitted to the piano hinge the finishing touches on the horizontal stabilizer can be completed.

Friday, July 19, 2024

Campaign Manager: Minor Improvements

No big changes to Campaign Manager this month, but I did add several quality-of-life improvements involving sorting and volume controls.

Bigger features are on the way.

You can download Campaign Manager from:

https://kamoly.itch.io/campaign-manager


Sunday, June 30, 2024

Kit Airplane: Rudder

As mentioned in the prior kit airplane post, I wanted to rebuild the rudder to re-familiarize myself with the process and correct mistakes I had made.

The parts out ready to begin...


And so it begins again...


The spar with ribs...


Wrapping the skins on the ribs...


Got my helper...


Taping up the lead edge skin...


Fully clecoed (clecos are the temporary plugs that hold it together until we rivet)...


Completely dismantled to de-burr and prime...


Installing the upper bearing (which was quadruple checked for alignment and position - the drill bit acts as a nice way to ensure they're aligned)...


Riveting in progress...


New rudder (that will be a part of the aircraft) is complete! I'm much happier with this one and am proud with how it came out.

The upper bearing and lower horn are also attached. I'm holding off on the fairing until it's time to mount to the fuselage per the advice from Zenith.

The horizontal stabilizer construction has already begun...