Smokey,

The struts are music wire with airfoil shaped aluminium slipped over them, the steps are aluminium tube squashed flat at each end and attached with model railroad screws. I drilled a tiny hole with a pin vise first.

The cross braces between the floats are basswood (they are built into the float during construction, the floats were scratch-built as were the struts).

The x-bracing between the floats is 2-56 rods threaded on one end (for adjustment), the other end is soldered. The fine wire bracing is pull-pull wire, once again with one end soldered to a clevis and the other soldered to a threaded clevis to allow adjustment. The wire bracing is functional and required. Without the bracing the assembly would have no strength.

I've attached a couple of photos to show detail. You can see the steering tiller on the bottom of the fuse. It controls the water rudders (two) via pulleys as the full size.

Cheers!

Jollidude