Hindustan HT.2

[Balsabasher]

The Hindustan HT.2 was Indias answer to supplying a locally built aircraft loosely resembling a Chipmunk, to the Indian Air Force for training purposes,the result was a neat little design which served them well training thousands of pilots while it was in service.
Here are the templates plus the first wood cut for the fuselage blank.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

And the wing blank for the Hindustan HT.2 was cut out today.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

Time to start shaping the blanks on the Hindustan HT.2,the fuselage has been carved to shape and sanded smooth,I took my time to get the cockpit area correct as it is very distinctive.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Great looking bird Barry.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

I had not noticed until today that the balsa block used on this and other models was joined,so even in wartime production of Mosquitoe's they saved on materials,this wood has been kicking around in my workshops for over 55 years,now it has been turned into models and what better way to use it,there was a balsa beetle that shot out one day when I was sanding,they make tiny holes and an old 'Aeromodeller' magazine states that balsa beetles actually make a ticking noise ! as balsa grows in swamps and is normally kiln dried this should kill off the beetles,but this hardy little critter must have survived the ordeal,which brings up an interesting question ? how long do balsa beetles live ?
Fascinating material,yesterday I purchased two planks of 1/4x36x4 inch and got little change from a £10 note.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

The wing of the Hindustan HT2 was pre marked with its bi-symetrical wing section,bi-symetrical wings are used for aerobatic aircraft so the lift is the same inverted as it is the right way up,its all a compromise really just like the best pitch on a fixed pitch propeller,its set for optimum performance given its limitations,aviation is like a lot of things a compromise in design technology and wing aerofoils are no exception.

Once everything was marked up the mini plane came into use eyeballing all of the time each side,good old Mk.1 eyeball is something acquired over many years of building,you just know when something is out by checking it with your eyes,I have lost count on the number of times on the flying field that I have pointed out skewed wings to someone,a simple check is to place a piece of string from say the tip of the fin to the point where a spar touches a wing rib,a simple check for solids is to use a rule from the rear,say the tail to a datum line drawn across the chord of the wings,but I still prefer my Mk.1 Eyeball !

Once the wing was shaped then a portion was cut from the lower fuselage,then the wing cracked for dihedral some cyno run along the crack and locked solid,just make sure you have the correct dihedral angle before that channel of cyno.

Then the wings were glued into place and its starting to look like an aeroplane.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

The undercarriage legs were fabricated from brass tube and mounted into holes drilled into the wings,cyno was flooded around the joint to strengthen that area up,cyno will soak into wood making it very strong.
A tailwheel support was made up and the tail skid fixed into it.

Barry.

[lastvautour]

Sharp looking model Barry. What colour are you planning on using.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Not much choice on this one Lou as they were only used by the Indian air force,silver with orange/yellow training bands and large serials underneath the wings.
Unless one escaped for civilian use when demobbed ?
Barry.