Long Term Build Project- Direct Connection RC Tsunami
Posted on November 22, 2009 by aaronredbaron
Along with the additions and organization being added at BaronsHobbies.com, I am starting a long term build project. Direct Connection RC used to make an airplane called the Tsunami, and I had one for years which was still in the box. Although Direct Connection is no longer around, the airplane is still available from a small kit maker JunoRC.com. With a new workshop waiting for a first build project, I am beginning this build.
The Tsunami was originally designed for 40 sized nitro engines, but this one is going to be built for electric power from the start. I will be making a few changes, but overall the model will go together much as it was originally intended. At the time my kit was made, Direct Connection was known for their early adoption of kits cut out by a computer. While most kits today are cut with a laser, the early lasers burned the wood too much to work satisfactorily, so the only option was to mill out the wood with a router. This produced a very precise part at a price; parts took longer to cut, tooling had to be kept sharp, and lots of wood was wasted. This original Tsunami kit features all CNC milled balsawood parts, and it should go together very clean.
I began my build by laying the plans out. In my case my table was not long enough for the plans to be fully unrolled, but is more than enough for the airplane’s sub-assemblies, so I cut the plans down to fit the table. Next I unloaded the box of precut wood. All the wood looked pretty good if a little dry, and was void of any identification, so the next task was to work out what parts were for. With everything separated out, I was able to begin looking at my first design changes to accommodate electric power. I have an idea how big the power system is going to be, and I have plenty of extra room to work with. Having the firewall in its current position a few inches back from the nose makes sense for a nitro engine, but for my electric conversion I am going to build it as simple and light as possible. I am replacing the firewall with a much smaller and lighter bulkhead, and adding a new firewall to the nose to accommodate the electric motor. I also am beginning to look at how I can add a hatch to access batteries on the top, front of the fuselage. Before I called it a day, I was able to build both fuselage sides.
