FIG. 3-6 BOTTOM STRUT
AT STATION 3
SIDE STRUT
LONGERON
1/16" SQUARE
STRUT
R1
1/16"-THICK
BLOCKS
FIG. 3-7 BOTTOM STRUTS
AT STATIONS 4 & 5
SIDE
STRUT
3/16"
SQUARE
STRUT
R1
(BOTH
SIDES)
LONGERON
FIG. 3-9 STRUTS AT STATION 11
1/32"-DIA.
STEEL
RODS
USE R1 FITTING
(FORWARD SIDE
ONLY)
SIDE
STRUT
1/16" X 1/32" STRUTS
(TOP AND BOTTOM)
LONGERON
FIG. 3-10 INSTALLING THE TAILPOST
1/16" X 3/16"
TAILPOST
TAPER THE
INSIDE ENDS
OF THE
LONGERONS
R1
FIG. 3-8 STRUTS AT STATIONS 6 TO 10
SIDE STRUT
CUT OFF THIS
FORWARD EYE
AT STATION 6
(TOP STRUT
ONLY)
FILE
GROOVES –
USE
SUPER
GLUE
1/16"
SQUARE
LOWER
STRUT
(TOP
STRUT
SIMILAR)
LONGERON
FITTING F12
ROTATED
VIEW
the front seat back. At the bottom of the
fuselage the struts are 3/16" square. This is
strictly a model item. The large struts sup-
port the lower wing fake hinge pins, and also
the rear landing gear strut. On the real air-
craft there is a steel tube supporting the
wing hinges. At each end of these struts,
install R1 fittings for the lower brace wires
(Figure 3-7)
.
A word of caution:
When installing the
3/16" square bottom struts, check to make
sure they are centered on the fake hinge pins
in the wings. Recheck again when you install
the photo-etched rig fittings. You don’t want
to get the struts with the copper fittings in
place, then find out the wing pins won’t fit
the holes.
Stations 6 through 10 have top and bottom
1/16" square struts. For rigging, use three
eye rig fitting (F12). Two eyes are for the top
(or bottom) cross brace wires, and the third
eye is for the brace wires across the fuselage
at each station. At Station 6, there are no
wires forward of Station 6 at the top. Cut off
one of the eyes from the fittings as required
(Figure 3-8)
.
At Station 11, the top and bottom struts are
1/16" x 3/32" (same depth as the longerons),
as these struts represent a steel box on the
real aircraft supporting the tail skid. Also,
only a single rigging eye is required, as there
are no horizontal brace wires aft of Station
11. Use a single eye rig fitting R1 for these.
Also, add the two vertical steel rods between
the top and bottom struts for additional sup-
port for the tail skid
(Figure 3-9)
.
Between Stations 10 and 11, there are vertical
diagonal boards which strengthen the fuse-
lage in way of the tail skid. These fit on the
inside of the longerons. See the profile view
on the plan.
Install the struts, starting at the bottom of the
fuselage. Note that all struts should be flush
with the outside of the longerons. The longer-
ons are deeper than the struts (except for Sta-
tion 11, which is the same as the longerons).
5. Longeron Splices
On the real aircraft, the longerons are spliced
just aft of the cockpit between Stations 6 and
7. The forward end is oak or ash and the aft
end spruce. For the model, no splice is
required, but wrap the “fake” splice area with
black cord. A similar wrap is used on the real
aircraft. Refer to the profile view on the plan.
6. Building & Installing the Tailpost
Make the tailpost from stripwood. Fit two
single eye rig fittings (R1) at top and bottom.
Each will serve the brace wires from both
sides. The slots in back of the tailpost for the
fake rudder hinges can be cut later when the
tail surfaces are being installed to ensure an
accurate fit of the rudder. Taper the ends of
the longerons on each side and glue in the
tailpost
(Figure 3-10)
.
7. Installing the Front and Side Nose
Plates and Engine Bearers
Glue on the photo-etched side nose plates
(F15) from top to bottom longerons. The
front nose plate is also a photo-etched copper
part (F14). Bend the top end corners to the
angle of the longerons and bend the bottom
end tabs forward to provide support for the
radiator. Also, bend the tabs within the
engine bearer holes down aft to provide
support for the bearers. Fit and glue the
nose plate on the fuselage.
Note that on the real aircraft, the side plates
are actually a bent part of the nose plate, but
they have been separated on the model.
At the top and bottom of the side plates,
there is a hole for inserting wing drag wire
fittings (R1). Drill a hole into the longerons
and insert these after F14 is glued to the
longerons. See
Figure 3-11
for the nose
plate details.
For the engine bearers, first fit the cross
beam at Station 3 which fits in the holes in
the side vertical struts. Make the engine
bearers from stripwood. Insert in the nose
plate rectangular openings. The aft ends
rest on the cross beam at Station 3. The
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