Re: Squiffy's Kites: RAF F.E2b night bomber,58 Squadron. 1/72 scale

[ALBATROS1234]

squiffy i got some invisible thread and smoke colored invisible thread from the fabric store and its .004inch or .1mm which is fine for 1/72 and to me seems to have the same properties of monofilament fishing line except thinner than any fishing line i can find.

[lone modeller]

Glad to meet yet one more 72nd scale builder! It is a fine pair of models, looking forward to see more.

Totally agree with Prez: I too would like to see more of your models.

[Squiffy]

Don't drill the struts, drill the wings! Then you'll have the added structural strength.

Ian

Thanks, Ian. That makes sense but, on the real things, aren't the wires attached to metal brackets where the struts meet the wing? I suppose if the wings are drilled close enough to the struts then it isn't going to make much difference in this scale but I can see it being a problem to drill them accurately enough on models that are already built.

What do you then do about the bits that stick up through the wings? Can they be trimmed well enough to be hidden? So many questions! 

To test how the thread looks I have rigged one of my first models from early this year, a HP 0/400, and the thread looks good even if my method of attaching it isn't (wrapped around the struts and held with a tiny dab of glue). It was a rough effort anyway so I had little to lose by having a go and it has improved the overall appearance. If the sun decides to show itself later I may take some pictures...

[PrzemoL]

I drill the holes in the wings, too. I use as thin drill bit as possible (0.3mm or 0.25mm). And try to keep the holes as close to the strut socket as possible. I use elastic thread for rigging, I glue (gel CA) one end to the shallow hole in the lower wing. Then I attach the upper wing with pre-drilled see-through holes. When set, I pass the threads through the holes in the upper wing. A blob of gel CA glue applied to a loose line under the wing to the spot where it enters the hole, makes it fixed when it is tightened upwards. When set, I cut the excess threads flush with the upper wing surface using a fresh razor blade. Then I fill the holes with dense paint, sand flush using very fine sand paper. Then I paint the upper side of the upper wing.
Hope that makes sense.

As for the model which is already built, it maybe problematic to drill the holes     Me, I would not dare do it. But maybe you are not afraid to loose the upper wing and repeat the assembly with the rigging.

Some time ago, at a modelling competition, I have seen a modeller who rigged 72nd scale models without any holes. He just glued the elastic thread to the bases of struts when the wing cellule was assembled. I have tried it but it was hard to tighten the line, pressing it home with a needle and not to glue the thread to the needle instead of glueing it to its destination. An it always led to some glue marks on the wing and the struts. That is why I prefer the method with the holes, even though it requires making up that mess on the upper surface. If you check my build logs in 72nd scale you will find some photos of the process, for instance here:
http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=1799.50
I have some more, if you are interested.

[Squiffy]

I drill the holes in the wings, too. I use as thin drill bit as possible (0.3mm or 0.25mm). And try to keep the holes as close to the strut socket as possible. I use elastic thread for rigging, I glue (gel CA) one end to the shallow hole in the lower wing. Then I attach the upper wing with pre-drilled see-through holes. When set, I pass the threads through the holes in the upper wing. A blob of gel CA glue applied to a loose line under the wing to the spot where it enters the hole, makes it fixed when it is tightened upwards. When set, I cut the excess threads flush with the upper wing surface using a fresh razor blade. Then I fill the holes with dense paint, sand flush using very fine sand paper. Then I paint the upper side of the upper wing.
Hope that makes sense.

Yes, that makes sense. Thanks for posting that.

Unfortunately I had to go to work and the sun didn't shine, so no photos of the Handley Page.

[Squiffy]

My "bloody paralyser of an aeroplane" - Handley Page 0/400, built from the Airfix kit, now with added rigging. It is one of my first efforts so isn't very well put together but the rigging has improved it somewhat.

[Old Man]

These are very nicely done, Sir!

Welcome to the Brotherhood....

[Squiffy]

Thanks to the description of the rigging method by PrezmoL I have finished and rigged my Gotha IV. It's a Roden kit and, I have to say, is the most difficult and complex kit I've done to date.

The struts are extremely fine and, unfortunately, some have buckled slightly under the tension of the rigging. I suppose I should have peeled the elastic thinner to begin with so wouldn't have had to stretch it as much. I think it still looks a little too thick (but not as thick as it appears in the photos - I think that's something to do with the lighting) but I'm happy to have even completed it - I suppose it's a learning curve...

The decals are freshly applied so haven't settled down yet and it then needs a coat of varnish. I would like to add some weathering but that's another thing I've never done before and need to learn about...

[IanB]

The Gotha looks great! Even if the rigging is a little too thick it still looks better than without it! One of the reasons I use monofilament for rigging is that it won't pull your struts crooked - as long as you make sure the line is taught before securing the loose end it will add the rigidity needed without over stressing the struts.

Ian

[lone modeller]

For someone who is still relatively new to building WW1 subjects I think that your models are of a very high standard. I would be pleased to have produced any of these. Do show us more when you have built them.

[Squiffy]

For someone who is still relatively new to building WW1 subjects I think that your models are of a very high standard. I would be pleased to have produced any of these. Do show us more when you have built them.

Thanks. I'm relatively new to building these subjects but I've been railway modelling for years so putting kits together (though I usually use a soldering iron with railway locomotives!) is nothing new to me but some of the techniques, such as rigging, are. I'm also not too bad at weathering railway locomotives and rolling stock but weathering aeroplanes is completely different and something I'd like to learn about.

Here are a couple of pics of the build of the Airfix Roland CII that I have just finished. I've gone back to the invisible thread for the rigging and, to improve it slightly, have replaced the observer's gun with one that was a spare in the Gotha kit.

[lone modeller]

That Roland really looks the part. Congratulations. Considering how old the kit is (I remember it being released when I was a teenager) it still makes up into a good model. Not WNW for certain, but then there is a slight difference in size and cost!

[RAGIII]

Very nice work on the Roland and others! I LOVE that Roland crew, I still have the figures with some others in my PARTS box! Very well done and the rigging is great!!!
RAGIII

[IanB]

Nice little Roland, Squiffy!
Apart from rigging, the main improvements you'll find necessary on these old Airfix kits  - both of which are pretty simple but make a huge differance - are thinning the tail surfaces and wing trailing edges, and modifying the undercarriage to get rid of those awful "sewer pipe" fittings!
 Oh, and of course, on some of them you'll need to remove the railway-sleeper style wing ribs! Nothing a bit of sanding can't take care of.

Ian

[Squiffy]

My latest build: Fokker EIII

From the old Revell kit. I'm really pleased with how the rigging has come out - probably the best to date.