Originally Posted by
xcead
Hi there, Does anybody know how to make scale control surfaces, corrugated aluminiun ribs?
I'm working on muy Cessna 140, and the plans show some SIG plastic corrugated product. Is ther a trick to home made those, in a realistic way??
Regards!!
That there is an ambitious project to say the least if you want it to look exactly like that, BUT it can be done!
Before going any further, I hope you realize that to accurately duplicate the appearance of what you have in the picture, it takes considerable experience in model building or a great aptitude for materials, mechanics and engineering. Preferably both. It would also be safe to say that perhaps 99.9% of RC modelers would not or could not even attempt this.
Now let's get on with how to do this.
The only way I know of achieving this polished aluminum look as you see it in the picture is to use litho plate used in the printing trade. It is very thin aluminum sheet that can be shaped exactly like the control surfaces on the full size plane, but in miniature. To do this will require ingenuity in making a jig that will stamp out the corrugations. As far as I can imagine, the device would probably need to stamp one corrugation at a time into the aluminum sheet and then have a means of locking in the spacing or interval between the next corrugation to be stamped. It's actually not so complex as it may seem at first, but it does require a good bit of patience and understanding of what you're doing. The results from this technique could be nothing short of amazing! It should be noted that if you want the polished aluminum look, you need to first replicate every aluminum panel on the plane in litho plate, polish it, then apply it to the surface before going on to the rivet detail.
For those who are not the most skilled of model builders, the easiest (if you want to call it that) way to replicate corrugations is by using styrene L channel. These come in different sizes and are simply cut to length and glued down to the conrol surface in the right places. Such plastic shapes are made by Evergreen or Plastruct etc. and generally available from hobby shops or hobby suppliers. I think you mentioned that Sig has this stuff also. Of course you will be modelling a painted surface rather than polished aluminum, but if carefully done, the effect can be quite convincing.
