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Stage 2: Building the Fuselage
The fuselage of the Dr.1 was made of welded steel tubing, braced with cables. The model
simulates this construction with a combination of zinc castings, brass rods and thread bracing.
Zinc is used as it is stiffer than Britannia. The best way to fasten zinc to itself or brass is with
epoxy, not cyanoacrylate. To make the assembly easy, combinations of welded tubes in the
original have been combined into cast sub-assemblies. The entire fuselage is constructed in a
jig to ensure alignment.
A.
The Construction Jig
As shown in Figure 2.1 and on Sheet E, assemble the construction jig from the Side Panels
(FW4) and Supports 5
– 10 (FW5-10). Use minimal glue to hold the pieces together as you may
want to remove frames later for working on details. You may want to glue the bottoms of the jig
sides (FW4) to a work board for stability. Do not glue in FW10 as it needs to be removable to
get the fuselage out of the jig.
Part #
Name
Count
Material
FW4
Fuselage jig side
2
Laser cut ply
FW5
Fuselage jig 5
1
Laser cut ply
FW6
Fuselage jig 6
1
Laser cut ply
FW7
Fuselage jig 7
1
Laser cut ply
FW8
Fuselage jig 8
1
Laser cut ply
FW9
Fuselage jig 9
1
Laser cut ply
FW10
Fuselage jig 10
1
Laser cut ply
WP9915
Posts
12
1/8” dia x .75 brass tubing
Insert the precut posts in side panels and support members so they are centered. Do not glue
these in place.
Figure 2.1 Fuselage Construction Jig