Schnellzee's Seagull

[John Howling Mouse]

No struts for the wings, Mr Howling Mouse? Try cutting some toothpicks to size and attaching them with CA. I've used this technique many times

P.S. If I were you, I'd cut and attach the cabanes first and then do the interplane struts. It might easier to attach the cabanes to the fuselage so you can better eye-ball the length of the interplane struts.

Actually, there are struts of all sorts.  They're white metal, fragile as hell, bend if you sneeze while anywhere in the same room, and have tiny locator pins about the thickness of human hair (like THAT'S gonna hold up!).

What I had meant was that I can't imagine how to hang on to everything while figuring out how and where to affix struts and stuff.  I'm picturing CA glue permanently affixing parts of this kit to my hands and possibly my face.  We're talking for life, here!

Then you go and talk about cabanes (exotic peppers?) and intergalactic struts or something.

I was mildly confused to begin with!  Now, I'm completely baffled.    :dum:

This little plane is SOOOO closed to suddenly becoming a delta-winged jet, it's  not funny!               Okay, it IS funny, after all.

[Brian da Basher]

Mr Howling Mouse I just shot iced tea all over my living room reading your post!

Cabanes are the struts that attach the top wing to the fuselage and interplane struts are the ones that attach the wings to each other. Sine you have the white metal struts to use as a template, your life just got easier. You can use them as a template for cutting the toothpicks.

Of course, I'd completely understand if this became a delta-wing jet with a T-tail...and spats!

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Mr Howling Mouse I just shot iced tea all over my living room reading your post!

Iced tea???  That's a nasty stain to get out, Brian!  But we know you've had worse!

So, any trick as to how to suspend the upper wing while trying to get the caboneys in place, at the right angle, position, etc.?

And, does a wise bipe builder affix first the upper wings or the lower?

There's something very esoteric about building a biplane, I'm starting to learn...

[Brian da Basher]

Mr Howling Mouse it always brightens my day to see your posts and it's my pleasure to offer what help I can. Here's how I would proceed:

1. Attach bottom wing to fuse

2. Use white metal struts as templates and cut toothpicks to same length for cabanes

3. Attach cabanes to fuse at the same angle with CA.

4. Sit upper wing on cabanes once CA sets to eyeball size of interplane struts needed

5. Cut interplane struts to length and use CA to attach to lower wing

6. Attach upper wing to cabanes with CA then use CA to attach upper wing to interplane struts.

Here's another tip: if your interplane struts are too short, you can turn the model upside down and drip CA down the interplane struts until it meets with the upper wing. You can also use this technique on the cabanes should they be too short.

Best of luck, Man-Ho! You know I'll be interested to see how this all turns out.

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Thank you very much.  Now....Here's how I would proceed:

Step 1.  Send all parts involved to BdaB;

Step 2. Get BdaB to complete and return model to JHM.

Ahhhhh, sheer simplicity!

Okay, I've cut'n'pasted your instructions into a word doc.

[Leigh]

Well now you're an expert Baz why not turn it into a triplane?

[John Howling Mouse]

Would never want to dissuade anyone from building their first vacform but, phew, this is basically one step removed from total scratchbuilding, anyhow.  Especially when there are no real instructions to guide you.

So, here are some parts pics that may not look like much to you but they mean a lot to me!  The bulkheads and instrument panels were made without any supplied templates and they even (sorta) fit.



I'm very proud of getting the cowling nicely shaped and fitting a huge engine inside it (P&W R1800???), backed by a circle plate I cut out that fits without glue.
I'm also very satisfied with my home-made cockpit floor complete with engraved details that no one will ever see once the canopy is on  

[John Howling Mouse]

Hey, go back: I'm sure you missed a page  

Here is the basic dream of what it could be.  Note the cut and dropped elevators (learned that the kit's guidelines for cutting the fuselage slots for them are way too small so I decided to fit them by cutting away the elevators):



Here is the magical levitation methodology I will have to employ in order to get all the cabanies and interplanetary schtruts simultaneously connected to multiple wings, fuselage, etc.  Yes, I know Mr. Schpatz can do it with toothpicks but that seems a little obscene, no?

[John Howling Mouse]

And, my good friends, this is my friggin' nightmare.  Although I very closely followed the engraved guidelines on the kit's parts for removal sections, here is the little gap that resulted b/w the wing chord and its disrespective slot in the lower fuselage.  Never realized how much I'd miss Airfix and Matchbox kits!

This will be interesting.



Oh, and did I mention that I had to butcher the vacformed canopy by removing a lengthwise strip of it too in order to make it fit?

"Models are fun...models are fun..."    

[elmayerle]

JHM,
I hope you saved the spare plastic after you removed the kit pieces 'cause this looks like the perfect spot to use strips of that, on the inside of the fuselage, to close the gap (trimming as needed after fitting them) and then gently filling in with putty after you've attached the lower wing.

My $0.02 (before taxes),
Evan

[John Howling Mouse]

Yes, that would be what a cognizant human being would do, eh?
Unfortunately, being of Planet Riboflavin-IV origin, I naturally ATE the leftover styrene (a delicacy on the homeworld) but I could cut some out of new sheet stock...

[elmayerle]

Yes, that would be what a cognizant human being would do, eh?
Unfortunately, being of Planet Riboflavin-IV origin, I naturally ATE the leftover styrene (a delicacy on the homeworld) but I could cut some out of new sheet stock...

*Laughs* That'll work, too. I was just thinking of the easiest source of such material (waste is a terrible thing to mind, or is that "waist"?).

[Eddie M.]

I know this might seem like a pain in the donkey, but I'll throw my idea out there. I've got some Evergreen sheet that looks slotted and when separated, is thin and very flexable. You could build each one of these strips up to the desired height to fill the gap. If you want to go this route and can't find it at your LHS, I'll be glad to send you some. Good Luck.
   Eddie

[John Howling Mouse]

Many thanks, Eddie.  I have that boxcar siding stuff, too.  I think I will either just build it up with sheet styrene backing or try the spraycan foam insulation stuff that many vacform modelers use for reinforcing their structures internally.

[John Howling Mouse]

Well, for about a week, everytime I tried to test-fit things together all I ended up with was frustration.  So, I turned to the parts of modeling that I am more familiar with, such as starting to scratchbuilt and kitbash some of the cockpit's needs, including a pair of pilots, a homemade "floor" and some bulkheads, instrument panels, and a much better engine which I might have scavenged from a P-47 kit although I'm not sure...





The pilots are from very old kits and are not the greatest but they will still liven up the bipe's office.  It's funny, but the thing I like best so far is my scratchbuilt cockpit floor, c/w planking and rivets:



And, yes, I did eventually get 'round to filling those wing-chord-fuselage gaps with carefully cut strips of styrene: