| Image Comments |
| biplane guy | 15-Apr-16 08:33 |
| Ready to cover |
| biplane guy | 15-Apr-16 10:12 |
| Note added plywood for control horns on ailerons and elevator and balsa for the rudder control horns (one for each rudder pedal). |
| Don C | 15-Apr-16 10:23 |
| Very nice work! I gave up connecting the controls on mine because I couldn't figure out the stick. Sure wish you had done this a couple of years ago. |
| biplane guy | 15-Apr-16 20:20 |
| It took me two years to figure it out! Well, not quite, but I did build the kit in less time than it took to plan the control layout. |
| Don C | 24-Apr-16 14:16 |
| Looking forward to seeing it finished. My next one is a Laird Solution. Only biplane to win a Thompson Trophy Race. Could you give a little more info on the ball joints for the stick? I'd like to try again. I've been up in one of these twice and know why you enjoyed the Waco. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 24-Apr-16 15:37 |
| Wow! Mr. Biplane, looks as though you've done a masterful job on this model. Are you using Silkspan or Solartext (heat-shrink film)? I'm really impressed at the attention to detail. |
| rayl | 25-Apr-16 07:53 |
| Very nice bones. |
| biplane guy | 25-Apr-16 20:22 |
| Hey Skye, thanks for those kind words. I am using the tissue that came with the kit. One coat of Sig Sanding Sealer, three coats of Sig Supercoat Clear, and two coats of Sig Cub Yellow (so far, I ran out.) I was so impressed with the attention to detail I've seen on the VA that I've rethunk (that's how I spell after doping all day) my commitment to this project. So today I built the shock absorbers, the fuel tank fittings for the upper wing, and some little-bitty brass tees for the aluminum fuel lines. I'll add pictures as soon as my wife lets me use her macro lens. |
| biplane guy | 25-Apr-16 20:44 |
| Hey Don, I responded to your question earlier but don't see my response here. Please let me know if you didn't get it and I'll try again. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 25-Apr-16 20:47 |
| LoL... Looks as though you and I "thunk" alike. I was always intrigued with the PT-17 (and the Lycoming PT-13) and its naval counterpart N2S-1 and -2. I had to spend about two weeks trying to figure out and fabricate all those fuel lines and fittings. Really had to use my imagination and made use of all those itty bitty thangys at the local arts and crafts stores. I'm actually reliving my building days of the PT-17 through following your build. Great job!! |
| biplane guy | 25-Apr-16 20:47 |
| Hey rayl, Thank you. |
| biplane guy | 25-Apr-16 20:59 |
| I had to laugh when you mentioned the arts and craft stores, Skye. My wife and I just have our social security checks sent directly to Michael's and Hobby Lobby respectively. Before I started building again she couldn't get me near either one (what my son calls the "bark and twig stores".) Now I can spend hours there figuring ways to repurpose stuff. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 25-Apr-16 21:11 |
| Biplane, that's amazing!! Don't know where you live, but those are the exact same stores that I go to here in Reno, Nevada; home of the National Championship Air Races. Also go to JoAnn's Fabric for rigging lines, upholstery, and more accessories. Since my model is for display only, I'm going to use half-round plastic strips from Evergreen Plastics as my main rigging. They can go down small enough to scale (almost like thick threads) that they can really pass for RAF'rs. Meaning flat flying cables used on the real biplanes starting in mid WW I and continuing afterwards. Great minds "thunk" alike..... :0)
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| biplane guy | 26-Apr-16 10:20 |
| I saw the flat rigging on your model, Skye. I had no idea there was such a thing. I took my kids to the Azalea Festival Airshow at the Norfolk Naval Air Station here in Virginia every year from the time they could walk until the airshow was cancelled after 9/11. Always loved the biplanes but never got close enough to touch one at the airshows. I did see a couple of Stearmans that had been converted for cropdusting up on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The WACO UPF-7 I went up in had round cables so I thought that was the way they all were. Thanks for that update. |
| Don C | 26-Apr-16 10:33 |
| I went back and looked, but couldn't find anything beyond your original posting. Where did you get the ball joints? If I can get them in my hands, I can figure out your description - maybe. Thanks. |
| rayl | 26-Apr-16 15:49 |
| Biplane Guy: Be careful about adding details as it a slippery slope that some of us have slid down and there is no way back up. As I said before it's a really nice looking set of bones and the operating controls probably have a lot of us coming up with evil & nefarious plans. |
| Skyediamonds1985 | 26-Apr-16 15:52 |
| Biplane: forgot to say when you mentioned about having your social security checks sent directly to the arts and crafts stores, really made me chuckle. As a retired senior myself, gotta remember that one for sure. With regards to rigging and surface tapes, if you may, just take a quick peek at my previous postings on the 21st of this month under the S.E. 5 build and you'll see several historical drawings that show how the biplanes were rigged and their use of surface tape covering the wing ribs. Prior to WW I and about midway into the war, most biplanes used wire in various gauges (and of questionable quality, since there were no standards at that time). The Royal Air Force was the first to employ the use of flat cable wire on their aircraft. Hence the term, "RAF'rs." They're known for extra strength, rigidity, and less drag. Thereafter, almost all biplanes employed the use of flat cable wire. The surface tapes covering the wing ribs during the First World War were frayed out along the edges. Later, they used a zig zag pattern along the edges (called "pinked" for the shears used). Will gladly explain the advantages of the zig zag pattern should anyone be interested. That Waco definitely had flat cable wires for the main rigging. The wires you touched, might've been used for moving the control surfaces. Like Don C, I shelled out $50.00 (at that time) for a short flight around the pattern in an open cockpit Waco UPF biplane. It was a thrill of a lifetime. Even got to wear one of those "fancy" leather helmets...... :0) |
| biplane guy | 26-Apr-16 16:16 |
| rayl, if I go I'm taking ya'll with me. |
| biplane guy | 26-Apr-16 16:38 |
| Don C., I picked up the ball links at a local Hobby Town store. They are by Du-bro and are available online at their website. Go to "airplane parts", and then "ball links". The two types I used were the Dual Swivel Ball Link 4-40 for the ailerons, and the Heavy Duty 4-40 ball link (the one represented by a drawing rather than a photo) for the center pivot secured to B5 and for the elevator. In my previous comment that is lost somewhere in cyberspace I warned that the throw of the stick and the resulting movement of the control surfaces is minimal, maybe 3/16" in any direction. This is due to the limited space available in the fuselage and the necessity to to get low enough to reach the aileron cables. This may not be an issue in another aircraft. The longer the screw and the further the upper and lower ball links are from the center pivot the more throw is available. I wouldn't want to fly anything with so little movement available but for a static display model it's enough to demonstrate the stick functions. |
| biplane guy | 26-Apr-16 16:59 |
| Skye, you are absolutely right. I went back and looked at pics of the WACO UPF-7 that I flew in. I have added those pics to my hanger. |
| Don C | 26-Apr-16 22:08 |
| Thank you. We'll see how it goes. |
