bogbeagle

I'm minded to have a bash at building a wire-braced fuselage ... Edwardian-type construction.

I have some ideas of how to achieve this, but was wondering whether any of you chaps have come across a good method?

You know, minimal fuss, maximum effectiveness.



The fuselage length would be a maximum of 60", so I'd be dealing with wooden longerons about 5 or 6 mm square. Might even consider tube or piano-wire construction; all options open to appraisal.

Lnewqban

Could you offer more information about the drawing specifics?

What is Edwardian type construction?

LesUyeda

I did that on my DVII, but found it, at best, difficult to tension the wires so that they came close around the corner fittings, without twisting the fuselage. I ended shaping one corner into a hook, then measuring where the other corner wanted to be, bending the wire (cable), then crimping. For crimping, I took an old pair of small side cutters (electrical wire type), grinding some of the sharpness off the the blades.

Les

LesUyeda

I am certainly having an inordinate amount of difficulty with the attachment function on this forum. I don't know whether it is my failing mental capacity, or what. I cannot even figure out why I posted two pictures, or how to get rid of one of them.

Les

bogbeagle

This is what I call "Edwardian" ...

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...ed=0CCMQ9QEwBA


This Bleriot has a light, wooden structure, that gains its rigidity from its wire bracing.

I rather suspected that, as LesUyeda says, it is a bit tricky to achieve functional bracing at model scales. I may have to settle for something that is a facsimile.

Lnewqban

Thanks, bogbeagle

Something like these may work:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXAKHR&P=7

Or any light micro turnbuckle with proportional dimensions.

If introducing tension into the structure cannot be avoided, maybe thin piano wire penetrating and glued to the wood elements will work.
Same wire could be glued to gussets, like in an all-wood structure.

This RCU thread is for bigger scale, but still interesting, I believe:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_99..._1/key_/tm.htm

ARUP

Go to RCScalebuilder.com, set up an account so that you can lurk for free. Click on the 'community' tab and then scroll down and click on 'Proctor' in the kits section. There are many very fine examples of what you are searching. Some of the builders follow the Proctor kit instruction and some have their own methods. Good luck. You can see some example I have if you look at my Gallery page on this site.

Lnewqban

I have checked several of the Proctor threads at RCScalebuilder.com

All amazing craftmanship and detail; however, most of the modelers use the bamboo cross members.
I couldn't find any explanation about the assembly process.
It seems that the longerons and vertical braces are drilled in an angle for the insertion of the bamboo pieces.

Because of that precise angle drilling, I believe that gussets are a practical option, if the scale factor is not critical.

The person that fabricated each turnbuckle must have used a huge amount of time.[sm=omg_smile.gif]