flimsy tail skids

[ALBATROS1234]

dont you hate when you complete a nice biplane and put it on the shelf only to find out next time you pick it up for a look the tail skid has snapped off. once this happens you can repair it but it is never strong again(not that it was ever strong) and will keep breaking. i found a solution that i thought i would share. plastruct makes something they call "buty. coated wire" it is a steel wire sheathed with white plastic. it comes in 2 sizes 1.6mm(1/16") or 1.2mm(3/64") i recently replaced my broken skid on the mirage halberstadt cl.ii. i simply used a sanding stick to shape the outer plastic shell to  the right shape. then i used a wire stripper to strip back a few mm exposing the steel core. this was ca glued into the place where it belonged. i even added a small flat plate shaped with a sanding stick to sim the metal ground plate and made the bracket which boxes in the mid shaft out of scrap pe fret adding rivet detail with 2 small pe rivets. after painting it looks exactly like the kit part except it will never ever break.from now on i will fabricate the tail skids on my builds from this material i also plan on trying this product out for possible strut replacement in the future if needed.just thought you guys might like this idea.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDM27

[Modelnut]

Most of my builds are 1/72, so I deal with really tiny fragile tailskids. On most that I replace, I find small brass rod or a paperclip. I go out to the garage and flatten it on my vice's anvil. I then bend to shape , file, and cut to length. Works great. I read this tip here somewhere. I wish I could remember who to give credit to.

[ALBATROS1234]

yeah this is the same concept except the plastic sheath is easier to shape than metal but yet has the strength because of the steel core.but i did it in 1/48 i dont mess w 1/72. i had previously made a skid for a eduard dvii from brass and it worked fine, just took a few minutes longer to shape the brass rod.

[drdave]

Flimsytailskid was Rumplestiltskin's cousin.

 

[rowan broadbent]

If I remember well, they used to dance the Cabane Strut together....

[WarrenD]

If I remember well, they used to dance the Cabane Strut together....

Yes, their specialty on the dance floor, if memory serves, was the "interplane strut".

Sorry, couldn't help myself. It was out there, someone had to grab it and run with it.

Warren

[ALBATROS1234]

nice guys. love it.dont know if you knoe but those 2 guys grandpa is monsieur carpet monster.

[drdave]

They lived in Wicklerumpf.