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iMustBeCrazy

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  1. Some more progress on the engine today. It should look like this (note, rear view): It currently looks like this:
  2. Here we go again..... The Demoiselle came in three main variants, the 19, the 20 and the 21. I believe Santos-Dumont was only involved in the 19 and 20 while other third parties made versions of the 20 and 21. Santos-Dumont made changes on the fly, the 20 started with a V8 but was refitted with a two cylinder horizontally opposed engine slightly more powerful than the 19. Anyway, it's confusing. I'm drawing what I think was the latest 20 which I'm designating (unofficially) the 20d. It won't by any means be perfect but should be reasonable: The main bit are mostly done, just everything else to do. And I've started on the engine.
  3. This was the first version of the '20' with the V8 between his legs (well almost) I think I'm doing the last version of the '20' with the water cooled twin (which I'm just starting drawing, luckily there's a patent with drawings). He re-used everything. It makes it really hard to work out if a photo is earlier or later.
  4. Maybe. I have to move in the next few months so I'm not starting anything non digital. If/when I do it would probably be in 1:8 to match Camel and SE5a kits I have.
  5. That's never a problem, sometimes the venting helps the thought processes. Doing anything Santos-Dumont can be painful. With the Demoiselle there are so many variations and copies with their own variations it's really hard to tell what's going on. (there, my own little vent )
  6. I would probably try the brass as both the fins and spacers. Building in a jig is probably easiest, clean all the brass first, tack the first piece in place with tiny spots of glue, glue the spacers to the next piece then glue that to the previous piece, rinse and repeat. Slide a knife blade between the first piece and the jig to release. Blacken the whole thing then fit end caps. Yes, I drew it with the spacers glued to the previous piece, I think the other would be easier. EDIT, I really need to post faster.
  7. Possibly, but realistically a bit early. I suspect it was to cut the spark to the engine, a kill switch, or probably a dead man switch, if he lets go (or falls off) the engine stops.
  8. As I see it at the moment: The rear bracing convinces me that the foil does not rotate, therefore the 'rudder' is just a fin. The wheel is, in this version, non functional. Perhaps steering was done by leaning, that could work. I still think the lever is massive for a throttle but at this stage I can conceive no other plausible function. The video shows that the front foil is inadequate, probably the rear foil is too big and pops up first changing the angle on the front foil and preventing it from lifting leading to the changes aft.
  9. Greg, do you have any evidence of a rudder? I can see what may be a rudder in the middle of the rear foil in the early version and perhaps aft of the hull in the later. If I'm right about the early version the entire foil must rotate to turn. I don't think the wheel was used for steering at least in the early version, I think the lever on the right was. It's too big for a throttle lever and a lever was how he steered his aircraft. I think the speed was controlled by 'blipping' the engine with a kill switch on top of the lever, this would be consistent with aircraft through WW1.
  10. The main problem is that you're trying to put a square plank in a curved hole. On the plank, the top edge (X) is the same length as the lower edge (Y). On the hull, the path taken by the top edge (X) is longer that that taken by the lower edge (D). Something has to give so the lower edge of the plank bulges out from the hull trying to make a new path that is the length of the plank lower edge. If you force the plank flat against the frames the plank will bulge out between frames so as to stay the same length. This can be prevented by either cutting your planks to shape or by edge bending your pre-cut planks.
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