JoeAverage
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Make scale rigging
Model Airplane News, Apr 2002 by Ziroli, Nick Sr
HOW TO:
Easy non-functional flying wires
It isn't difficult to make scale rigging and flying wires for biplanes. The method described here is for nonstructural use and is only to improve the model's appearance. Once installed, the rigging takes just a few minutes to assemble or disassemble and is very realistic looking.
BOY SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE
If you were a Boy Scout, you are probably familiar with the rigging material that I used; it's called "plastic lace" and is available at most craft stores. It is the same flat, plastic material as we wove into lanyards, key chains and other novelty items when earning our Scouting badges (I've also heard the material referred to as "boondoggle" and "gimp"). Modelers will appreciate its realistic streamlined shape, low cost and the many colors it comes in. I used silver and bright silver chrome to make my rigging
The material is about 3/32 inch wide and about 1/32 inch thick-just about the right size for most 1/6- to 1/4-scale models. I used it on my 22.5-percent-scale, 87-inch-span Stearman PT-17, and it looks great.
HARDWARE
For sport scale, standard 2-56 devises make good-looking rigging connectors. Robart clevis links, however, are more realistic. These come packaged with Robart's swivelball control-horn sets and are secured into place with a small screw and locknut. Though they look more scale than the others, Robart devises, with their screws and nuts, take a bit more time to assemble and disassemble. To get the realism and ease of assembly that I wanted, I used a combination of these clevis types. I put the standard ones under the top wing where they aren't easily seen and the Robart clevises on top of the bottom wing, where they are always in clear view. To take the model apart, I simply disconnect the clevises from the upper wing and leave the Robart ones permanently attached to the bottom wing panels
MAKING RIGGING
It's very simple to make any length of flying and landing wire that you want. First, cut the rigging slightly oversize and then trim the front and rear edges of one end at a slight angle-about 1/4 inch long-and leave the end about 1/16 inch wide (see Figure 1). Hold the plastic with a pair of pliers, and screw the clevis over the end (don't use solder links). The tapered end allows the material to be threaded into the link; the threads bite into the material and make the connection stronger (it may help to squeeze the end of the lace with pliers to make it a little narrower).
Position the rigging so that its flat surface is parallel with the clevises' flat surfaces. Carefully fill the clevis body with thick Zap, and be sure to fill the space on each side of the plastic lacing. Use just enough glue to avoid having any excess run out the other side. The threads and CA make a very strong bond with the plastic lacing. I have attempted to pull the lacing out of the clevis, but it only stretches. The final length of the flying wires must be determined when the rigging is in place on the model.
Metal landing-gear straps make good attachment points for the rigging. Bend them in the middle to the proper angle and screw one end to a plywood plate in the wing, stabilizer, or fuselage side. The clevises can then be attached to the protruding tab. Attach the rigging to one of the tabs, and hold the other end to the opposite tab. The second clevis should be attached to the plastic lacing so that the final rigging length is shorter than needed. This allows you to stretch the rigging when both ends are connected. As a tightness guide, I have found that for rigging about 18 inches long, you should aim to make it 1/2 inch shorter. For a 24-inch rigging, make it about 3/4 inch shorter. Cut the lacing so that when it's stretched, it will fit inside the body of the second clevis.
PERMANENT RIGGING
Crimp-on electrical wiring lugs can also be used for permanent rigging such as that on a stabilizer or on cabane struts. RadioShack sells many lugs that are ideal for model use. The catalog number for the Solderless Ring Tongue set is 64-3030A. Use the 22-gauge wire lugs for no. 4 or no. 6 screw holes. Big homeimprovement stores also carry these lugs. They aren't threaded, so the lacing must be forced into the body and glued securely. Wire lugs are smaller than the clevis links and look better for permanent installations. Just be sure to include a hard point where they're attached to the model so you can screw them securely into place.
The next time you think your biplane needs a little something extra, add some rigging wires. I've built a number of models that went without rigging because it was just too much trouble. This method makes fabrication as well as field assembly and disassembly fast and easy. Give it a try; you'll love the results.
Pacer Technology, 9420 Santa Anita Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730; (800) 538-3091; fax (909) 987-0497; www.pacertechnology.com.
Robart Mfg., P.O. Box 1247, 625 N. 12th St., St. Charles, IL 60174; (630) 584-7616; fax (630) 584-3712; www.robart.com.
Copyright Air Age Publishing Apr 2002
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