Here's another update as I continue to plod along, this Build is challenging me somewhat, the three bay design of the wings, very delicate struts, and the delicate black finish certainly keep a person awake! I've got the lattice assembly ready to add once the upper wing is mounted and the wing rigging completed. Pardon the poor photo in this case. I've used EZ Line for this rigging to eliminate any chance of warping the components.
The majority of the rigging is attached to the lower wing, a combination of Modelkasten for the cross braces and Maxima Chameleon for the flying and landing wires. This is a very "hungry" design for the 0.5mm tubes (Bob's Buckles) used at each end of every line, 118 tubes in total.
I used a simple spacing and alignment jig to ensure the proper alignment of the 4 Cabanes, I had neglected to test the fit of the rear pair before installing the engine and the fit (My fault entirely as I cleaned their mounting holes out far too large) was very poor. The jig held them in place and they were given a liberal shot of thin CA.
The extension along the leading edge was used to ensure alignment of the upper and lower wings as seen here.
At this point I decided that mounting the inter-wing struts per the Kit Instructions would be a better method then my usual of mounting the upper wing to the cabanes only and then working my way outwards installing one strut at a time. The upper wing is just too big to manage that technique without breakage IMHO. The struts were CA'ed in place using a protractor, dividers, and a "Mark 1 Eyeball" to ensure alignment. The proof will be confirmed once the upper wing is installed..........
That's where she's presently at, next the upper wing goes on and then the rigging starts in earnest. I wish I had one of those Fantastic Third Hand gadgets that George started the frenzy on, I've got my rough home made version which I'll try. I'm hoping to get the upper wing on without an assembly jig, I'm frustrated that the chord of the lower wing is just slightly too large to fit into my AeroClub Biplane Assembly Jig.
I'm going to have a lot of touch ups to do as well, lots of "collateral damage" done to the finish during all of this work. I even managed to drag a wing tip through a puddle of CA, not my most professional move on this project!
More to follow once that upper wing is mated to the aircraft. If nothing follows soon you can assume it was a failure and I ran away drooling and screaming to join a knitting club!!
Cheers,
Lance
