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Old 03-02-2005 | 10:52 PM
  #13  
Walter D
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From: palm harbor, FL
Default RE: scale grumman tigre aa5

You will have first to decide at which scale you want to build this bird, it will probably fall between a 1/5 and 1/4, I'd say around 80 to 90 inches in wingspan, then it is a simple matter of enlarging those 3 view drawings up to the right scale size, if you have the shape of the formers on the 3 views, you've got it made, if not, you will have to decide to build differently, instead of building by using a crutch with formers, you would have to build the sides flat on the bench (draw lines on the sides where the cross members will be, also draw and cut away where the wing will be), and then start adding cross members to hold the sides together, it is always easier to glue the firewall first to the sides, then add cross members up until the sides maintain a parallel position in regard to each other, let this assembly dry thoroughly and then taper the sides until they come together at the end. By now you have basically built the lower half of the fuselage or the flat areas, now you have to draw and cut the formers for the top deck, which will be the curved part of the fuselage, you must make cutouts on these formers for the longerons, upon which you will glue the sheeting to, you must start thinking how are you going to build the canopy and the cowling, the first would be best done by using vacuum forming and the second by using a plug of foam and then building the cowling by adding layers of fiberglass and epoxy resin and later disolving the foam with gasoline, or you can also build it of wood, but you will need to have formers to give you the shape, these are the hardest parts to create really, the fuselage on these type of airplanes is not difficult to build and the wing is relatively easy to build to, as it is a constant cord shape, use a semisymetrical airfoil or a modified Clark Y, if you have 3 views in a file and don't mind passing it along, I would love to have them.
To John: Thanks for the tip, it is worth a try!