Biplane modelers - Is insanity a prerequisite?

First off, congratulations! Rigging these things can be a challenge.

Here are a couple of tricks:

2) rig a few lines at time, starting centrally and working out. Those are two tricks really... doing it a few at a time will keep you sane. Working from the fuselage out, equally right and left, will not introduce any stresses that may screw up your plane.

Have fun; it gets easier.

Hm, yes, well, try building biplanes in 1/72. Five so far, though I've only rigged one, and that was pretty simple, just two lines on each side for a DH 90 Dragonfly--even at that I muffed it. Another (Borvkov-Florov I-207) has cantilever wings, so the only struts are the cabine. Nevertheless, I'm about due to try another bipe, and this time I mean to rig it.

Mark Schynert

Given I was playing with the idea of a (or a few) continual line of thread...

Not sure where I'd have drilled holes for most of these - where would they normally go, inboard of the strut on the wing? (Those are *awful* skinny struts...)

Got the sides first, since they looked reasonably easy. And yeah, if I'd planned it a bit more, I'd have hit the middle wires first.

Not sure how I'd have done with thread or line. If I ever use wire (aside from predoen photoetch) again, I've *got* to get some calipers...

Besides, I think I'll look for a larger scale to get used to... Revell still make those 1/28 or whatever they were?

I'd recommend the Fokker D.7, then. Darn few wires on that one.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

At the base of the strut, where rigging wires are usually attached. In a perfect world, you'd have PE to attach under the strut (sticking out) to represent the adjusting hardware, then attach the wire to that. What are those threaded metal thingies called? (damn it's been a long day....) Those are available through Copper State Models in PE, but most people go without and it looks fine. So before you'd build the aircraft, you have the socket for the strut to fit, then drill holes adjacent to that socket for rigging to fit in later.

It's a funny thing; with Tippet (or Tippit) line, the finer it is, the stretchier it is. And the stretchier, the easier it is to use.

I have never measured the stuff by the way, so no use for calipers. I just cut it long, attach one end with CA. Then I cut the other end so that it's *just* short of the opposing hole. Then, I pull it quite taut until it's in the hole, and touch it with CA, then touch that with a toothpick dipped in accelerator.

I also never use heat to stretch it; it's pre-stretched. Here's an article I wrote for Internet Modeler last year in which it explains the process I use for rigging.

Turnbuckles......

I think I see what you're doing, yeah... hmm. (scribbling down "tippet.")

FWIW, I mentioned building (long, LONG ago) a Jenny with my dad. Thinking about it, it had to have been a larger scale (thouch I can't see it being larger than 1/32) as he did the rigging... and secured everything through holes with toothpick tips, cut off and sanded down...

Thanks Al; I couldn't remember. Was out in the sun at the Renton Airport Expo and got a burn. How does that affect thinking? It was worth it; working with kids in the EAA "Young Eagles" program.

Anyway, you can get PE turnbuckles if you really want to do it right. I dont' think it's completely necessary. I've only seen them done once or twice with PE ones and they look really sharp when done well. ("when done well" is the operative phrase here, as with all aftermarket doo-dads)

I use a permanent felt tip marker to darken the line. Sure, go for black; if you can see the line at all in this scale, it will be its silhouette anyway. It'll look dark. I use the felt tip marker because it darkens without adding too much to the width of the line.