Mike Kelly's Sunderland

Mike Kelly's Sunderland (Scroll down for latest updates)

MMF member Mike Kelly has been busy building - he's only spent 12 hours so far but already has a lot to show.

Here's an early preview of Mike's Sunderland Flying Boat from a Tony Nijhuis plan.

Mike says:- Power is supplied with 4 of the smallest motors I've seen from BRC! The original 2409's are no longer available, so it was an upgrade, slightly high KV, so a coarser prop, 8X5. 1000W of power on 3S lipo's. The motors are smaller than the speed controllers!

Just to let you know, that building jig is 4' long, as you can see, it could do with being a bit longer, this will be a big bird!

Update 17th Feb: The fuselage has left the jig!

Update 10th Mar: The wings start to take shape

Wings have been fabricated and skinned on the top. Top skin applied in one piece. A 14" wing chord certainly makes the span shrink!

Next job is engine nacelles plus wiring loom. I reckon 22 pairs of connectors for two batteries.

Update 26th April: (More photos below)

Wings were sheeted in one piece, top and bottom from butt joining 4” balsa sheets together. After joining, wings were bandaged with glass tape.
Nacelle formers were then installed into the wings. LE’s were formed and installed followed by the wing tips. Nacelles are now being sheeted.
All up weight at the moment is about 3lb 8oz. Note the pin placed on the top of the front turret, this was used to set up the tail plane, and later will be used to set up the wings square to the fuz.

Now the stuff only required in pub quizzes:

Sunderland’s originally flown with Bristol Pegasus XVIII engines, then, later upgraded to the more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 twin wasps. I think this was from mk III onwards.

Tony’s model was originally designed to fly with TowerPro 2409 motors from BRC Hobbies. Since then, BRC have stopped selling TowerPro motor for their own brand motors. When I bought mine, they had yet to be rebrand the new motors, although the speed controllers had been. They are now selling under the WASP brand I hope this is a good omen!

So what’s left to do?

Nacelles have to be finished, and cowls modified for more functionality. Wing bolts fitted and wing set up on fuselage. The turtle deck above wing has to be sheeted. Ailerons to be made and fitted. Wing floats formed and installed. Final sanding and filling prior to dope being applied to seal the airframe. Then it can be glassed with tissue glass and PolyC. Painted, glazed and pilots installed. Then airbrushed! Wire bracing installed to floats.

But before that, I have to decorate the front room!!!

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Update 17/08/2009