There are a couple of things you may want to consider doing to it, if you haven't already.

1 - If yours is like mine, the interplane struts are at an angle. However the support tabs they affix to, are perpendicular to the wing! In effect you are "bending" the wood out when you put the struts on.

With the struts attached carefully apply CA to the tabs, being careful NOT to wet the area that contacts the struts.

This will harden the tabs and underlying area making it more sturdy and "fixing" the tabs to their new angles.

One way to prevent adhesion of the struts to the tabs, is to place wax paper at the contact points. If you do so, then you can really soak the tabs in CA while they are held at the angle by the struts.

This will make the wings very secure.

2 - Likewise with the carbane, apply liberal amounts of CA where the carbanes screw into the fuselage.

With all of this done, my wings are very firmly affixed. There is NO movement what-so-ever even when force is applied.

3 - Grab one ( or two ) pieces of CF and cut to form a support for the elevator, and/or rudder. Many biplanes have guy wires or CF rods that do this.

I merely angle a drill bit where the rod will go to create a divot on the elevator, and a hole in the fuselage.

Apply epoxy and let dry. This will greatly stiffen the tail.

Look at this pic to see the much beefier supports I put on the N.P. Ultimate 120. I used relatively thick CF on those tail struts mounted into Dubro (or was it GP? ) angle tabs.



4 - And as with all planes re-inforce the landing gear hold down area.

This IMHO is the weakest point of this plane as ( I believe ) too much wood was cut for the sake of lightness.

I'd prefer to see a hunk hardwood here, and I'll accept the weight penalty.

At worst, fuelproof/expoxy the inner area to help harden and stiffen it.

5 - Do the same to the firewall. I mounted my engine in an anti-vibration mount which makes the plane feel solid when the engine is running as there is no transmitted vibration.


6 - I really like RCKen's technique of securing the cowl with a slightly oversized holes and then putting the screws through a very short piece of fuel tubing. As you screw the screws in the tubing expands outward acting as an anti-vibration mount for the cowl, while holding the cowl at the center of the slightly larger holes.

7 - Take off those wheel pants and put on larger lightweight tires. Later once you are more familiar with the plane you can put your clean wheel pants back on.


Have a good maiden flight.

BTW: My Skybolt ARF also receive a similiar going over and correction. The supplied control horns were awful. The spinner not that great. etc.