Taylorcraft project

Small project I just completed for Dean's giant scale Taylorcraft!  Found a good block font for the numbers on my Font CD.  The Taylorcraft script is off an internet image.  Copied it into Inkscape...made a bitmap image in EDIT, resized it, displayed the outline image in VIEW, then traced the bitmap image in PATH.  Saved the svg file, and opened it in SCAL2.  Then cut it with the Cricut cutter.  Had to learn all over, but it was quick. Weeded out the unwanted vinyl, then applied the transfer tape, and trimmed each.  NICE!

Number is 2"x8", script is 1"x5"

Build Log: AW Bravata

I completed the Bravata finally after about 6 long months.  It could have taken 6 days or 6 weeks, but I took my sweet time as usual!  I made a bunch of vinyl graphics for the plane with my Cricut and applied them: Coca Cola, Hawaiian Airlines gal, and KRCA Krosswinds.  I also made Pennzoil and SHELL graphics for the Bravata but decided against applying them because it introduced too much yellow and made the plane a little busy, but I could change my mind and add them later!  A few pics follow.  Better ones will be added when I get the plane out on maiden day.

My original selection for graphics.

USAF STINGER II

I made some decals out of vinyl with the Cricut for my Stinger II. All decals seen in these two pics are from the Cricut, except for the flag on the fin and the Stinger II decal on the fuse. Also the AMA # on the fin is from my Brother label maker. Hope the vinyl cut on the Cricut can stand up to glow fuel!

INTRUDER

Yeah baby, I put decals on the Intruder today.  Stars and bars came with the ARF.  I did not use any other decals supplied.  Flags on the tail are from Major Decals.  INTRUDER is from my Cricut machine using as bold a font as I could find.  OS Engines of course come from an OS Engine purchase.  Lastly, the 40239 and "Go For Broke" Young are made with my Brother label maker.  Dang it looks terrific!

MoonBeam McSwine

At the monthly KRCA meeting a couple days ago, I gave to those attending a vinyl decal each of my KRCA Krosswinds creation.  When Al Mismas saw that, he immediately asked me to make a set of decals for his MoonBeam McSwine P-51 project.  He provided this picture:

 

With dimensions that he specified, I created a set of vinyl decals with fonts that were the closest I could get to the original.  Far from exact, but they capture the essence and Al will hopefully be happy with them:

I will add a picture of Al's P-51 when completed with these decals!

HERE"S a couple pics from this weekend.  The numbers aren't on the fin yet because the first ones shown above were too large.  Al gave me new dimensions for another set of numbers, which I gave to him today.

Another Update:  04/27/2011 - Al got his stars from Major Decals and added the numbers I made for the tail...looking GOOD!

C'est Pau!

Yahoo, basically the AeroWorks Ultimate 50cc is pau, fini, done.  I got the receiver in and everything hooked up: 8 servos, optokill switch, two 6.6V LiFe batts, one 4.8V NiMH and 3 heavy duty switches.  I have the basic assignments of the servos to the channels and sticks and switches on the new Airtronics SD-10G transmitter.  Programming the simple stuff like servo reversing and centering is real easy and intuitive on this radio.  I put the optokill engine kill onto a switch at top left like on my Futaba, but this one is better because it is spring loaded to return to neutral, i.e. it turns the ignition back on after I deflect it to turn the power to the ignition off.  This will assure it is back on for the next start.  On the Futaba, it is not spring loaded so it stays where you leave it, and I have tried to start the Extra 330L a few times with the ignition still off. 

I have two Y harnesses connecting the top and bottom right ailerons together, as well as the top and bottom left ailerons.  I actually have enough channels on the 10ch receiver to plug each of the 4 aileron servos in separately, and I could then slave 3 of them to one master, but I am going to see if the pairings work ok.  I think they are already.  If I used 4 channels for the ailerons, I would have to Y harness one of the batteries into the receiver.

At this point I need to program DR and EXPO into the rudder, elev, and ails.  I also want to reassign them all to one 3 position switch...I don't want to fumble with 3 separate switches.  Mechanically speaking, I need to check the whole plane over and threadlock whatever I have not done already, such as the servo arms into the servos.  I found a warp in the TR ail and already corrected it with the heat gun.

The plane came out BEAUTIFUL, especially with my home brew vinyl decals, haha!  The Ultimate looks aggressive just setting on my pool table.  :)

Fuel dot behind Pennzoil decal.

That's a red LED indicating the ignition is ON.

Final Decal Set for AW Ultimate

This might be the final decal set for my Aeroworks Ultimate!  SIX decals for each side of the plane, for a total of 12.  Six are on the table, and six are on the tentative positions on the plane.  All were created on my computer using SCAL2 and Inkscape, and cut out of vinyl with the Cricut Expression.  FUN!

ULTIMATE Decal

Am I going to blog about every single new vinyl decal that I make with the Cricut?  PROBABLY, haha.  Here is the large name decal for my AW Ultimate bipe.  This is about 15" long and 2" hign in Vivid Blue.  I chose the font off the free font disc I got with SCAL2.  After I used the font, the name of it somehow got lost in SCAL2, so I can't even find it again out of thousands on the disc!  Anyway, I probably won't need it again, but is sure is cool to me!  (Note to self...write the font name down next time.)

Here is a pic of the fuselage with 3 Cricut decals mocked in place:

THIS is exactly what I hoped to achieve with my venture into Cricut, to be able to create my own decals for any plane!

Pennzoil Decal with Cricut

I had some fun making a pair of Pennzoil vinyl decals for my Aeroworks Ultimate with the Cricut.  I found this logo online:

 

Of course, I cannot reproduce that exactly since I am limited to sheets of vinyl that are pre-colored.  So I ran that logo through Inkscape, then SCAL2, and came up with this finished vinyl decal today:

ACTUALLY the only shape that survived the process is that red bell.  The outline is from the online logo.  I recreated the letters with a font in SCAL2, and likewise redid the oval.  Both were badly shaped after Inkscape.  As it is these letters are not sharp, but are good enough, because the Cricut just is not capable of making sharp angles.  It is good with straight lines and gentle curves, but not the sharp corners in the letters.  Still, I am happy with the result and they will go on my plane.  Stand 3' away, and they look good, so these are Standoff Scale decals.  :)  BTW, I purposely chose that dark yellow to match my plane.  I have a lighter yellow that matches the online logo better, but not the Monokote on my plane.  Similarly the blue letters match the blue on my plane, so I went with that rather than black.  That is one of the added benefits of making my own decals...I can alter their colors, as well as size, to match my planes.

KRCA Krosswinds

Tad came up with the nickname, and I have proposed it to the exec comm of our RC plane club.  I designed the sticker layout.  Looks cool mounted on my Extra 330L...the decal is 2.5"x5.5" in silver.  Jiminy Cricut!

Jiminy Cricut!

From this:

To this:

 

Then THIS:

AND THIS:

HOW COOL IS THAT?!  :)  Decal/sticker sets for large planes like this can cost $100 easily from various vendors...I'm talking about 8-10 decals for the whole plane.  Several months ago, I read on RCU where one guy was starting to make his own vinyl decals with a Cricut machine.  I did some estiimating and figured that if I got the equipment, I could break even if I did decal sets for just two of my future planes.  I jumped in and won a Cricut Expression on eBay for about $160.  I got Sure Cuts A Lot version 2 (SCAL2) also on eBay for about $75, which include the printer cable to connect the Cricut to my PC, and some extra cutting blades.  Then I picked up some 12"x24" vinyl sheets at $1.60 per sheet off eBay too.

After a month of hesitation and fear of the new undertaking, I decided today to set it up and give it a go.  I actually had found and downloaded the XOAR logo and got it into SCAL2 a couple weeks ago.  After initial testing on paper, I cut my very first vinyl stickers.  They are 3" across in red.  XOAR is the brand of props that I am using on this Extra 330L and my new Ultimate 20-300.  I will likely make silver or blue XOAR stickers, 4" across, for the Ultimate.  I  am pretty self satisfied with the success of the venture.  GRINS!!!