Ansaldo A.1 Balilla Polish (1/32, Aviattic)

[RAGIII]

This is continuing to be another fabulous build! Looking forward to your progress!
RAGIII

[dr 1 ace]

Prze , wonderful work.

Just my observation bout none of those emblems are exactly the same as the other (and after all it is a 1/32 model decal)

Ed

[bobs_buckles]

As the owner and administrator of this forum I have concerns regarding the direction that this brilliant build log topic is taking. Forum rule No.5 states that any disputes between a supplier/trader are not to be aired on the forum. Please keep this topic to the original content which is the build of this excellent kit by our very skilled forum member Przemol.

Des.

+1
Keep up the great work, PrzemoL.

vB

[PrzemoL]

So here is my experiment on double rigging forming the bands. I plan to use Evergreen 0.25 by 1.50 mm profiles with short lengths of fishing lines CA-glued at the ends on trimmed sides. This is how it looks like on a spare part between ordinary Bob's buckles eyelets:




Painting (which in the model will take place before tying the lines) revealed that some more careful sanding and polishing at the ends where the lines were glued will be necessary.



But generally I am satisfied and will proceed with this.

[lcarroll]

Sheer genius, keep those photos coming Prze! Your approach to detail is remarkable.
Cheers,
Lance

[RAGIII]

Sheer genius, keep those photos coming Prze! Your approach to detail is remarkable.
Cheers,
Lance

I agree with Lance!
RAGIII

[coyotemagic]

Great minds think alike, Przemo!  That's what I did with my Karaya kit.


Can't wait for the next update!
Cheers,
Bud

[bobs_buckles]

ordinary Bob's buckles eyelets.

The simple things in life reap the greatest rewards.
Nicely done, Prze 

Von eyeOntheLine

[PrzemoL]

Thank you, gentlemen.

Bud, great idea! 
I just wonder, how did you solve the problem of intersecting of double bands. As for me, I plan to do one band with a gap (2mm to allow for some inaccuracies in length measurment) through which the second one will pass.

And in the meantime I have attached the upper wing. I glued it first to the cabanes and then added the interplane struts with their fittings one after one. The stagger and cabane rigging is now done and I have started preparing the bands. Interesting for those who did not know - the left wings are longer than the right ones on this aircraft. And so are the right interplane struts when compared to the left ones! All this apparently to counterbalance the engine moment of momentum.

[Borsos]

This is just an outstanding build. Very nice, it gives credit to the highest quality of this kit and of your modelling skills.
Borsos

[Ronkootje]

Really nice job indeed did the top wing go on easy?

Ron

[coyotemagic]

Magnificent work, Przemo!  One of the most beautiful models I've seen in a while.
On mine, I actually ran my landing wires aft of my flying wires as seen on several, but not all, of the Italian aircraft. One of the clearest photos of this is on page 21 of Bo's excellent booklet.  There are a number of other photos of Italian ships in the Datafile similarly rigged.  Had to put my optivisors on to see this.  Perhaps there was some variation in wing stagger?  I've read of that on other aircraft and maybe that was the case with the Balilla.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. 
Cheers,
Bud

[PrzemoL]

Thank you, Borsos, Ron and Bud.

Really nice job indeed did the top wing go on easy?

Ron

No problems at all. I have cleaned the sockets in the wings, then the strut pins entered without any problem. However, the pins had to be trimmed slightly to pass through the openings in the PE fittings. Otherwise - a piece of cake. The cabane structure is so stiff, that the wing sat on it very stably.

On mine, I actually ran my landing wires aft of my flying wires as seen on several, but not all, of the Italian aircraft. One of the clearest photos of this is on page 21 of Bo's excellent booklet.  There are a number of other photos of Italian ships in the Datafile similarly rigged.  Had to put my optivisors on to see this.  Perhaps there was some variation in wing stagger?  I've read of that on other aircraft and maybe that was the case with the Balilla.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. 
Cheers,
Bud

That is interesting. I will have to look into it more carefully. However, it seems strange to me - according to the scale drawings and to what I see in the model, each set of four rigging attachment points are coplanar (stagger does not matter here, different sweepback of upper and lower wings would be necessary), what means the bands would need to bend in plan view if they do not intersect... Oh, how I love those little riddles!

[RAGIII]

Your usual Outstanding Modeling is exhibited in your latest update! Beautiful to say the least!
RAGIII

[PrzemoL]

Thanks, Rick!

As for the way of intersecting the rigging tapes I have examined the photos from the Aviattic booklet, WD and a book on Polish Balillas. And I am sorry not to agree with you, Bud. Indeed, in one or two photos the bands seem to pass one behind the other but my impression is that it is a game of shadows tricking our eyes. On the contrary, there are several photos, including one or two in page 21 of Balilla booklet made by Bo, where the tapes clearly intersect. Also, if the did not, it would mean that the wing main spars of top and low wings were not parallel in plan view, which is not a case in Balilla, according to the scale drawings.
Any way, my interpretation will be with those intersecting.

Here are 8 tapes with fishing line sections glued, prepared for airbrushing. I plan to pass the single-piece ones through the gaps in the two-piece ones. Also, probably I will cut (or sand) tiny notches at the edges of the former ones, to allow for one of the lines of the latter one to pass - however,  this will be possible only when the tapes are fixed to the airframe. It is also important to note, that the left and right side sets are not identical - because of asymmetry of the wing cellule.