The way that rib stitching works is that the covering material (originally linen) now universally Ceconite, which is a high thread count, low denier woven Dacron material is sewn to the ribs, stringers, longerons and posts of the full scale airplane. The covering material is doped to the leading edge, and then smoothed out along the panel, the stitch starts from inside the wing, and the needle is poked through the covering material adjacent the rib, and then drawn over the rib and back down through the covering material. The lower panel is pulled to the rib, and the needle is passed through the lower covering also adjacent the rib, and directly below the upper stitch. The needle is then passed across the bottom of the rib, and back to the inside of the wing. The thread is tied off to the beginning part of the stitch, and then the same is done about 2" back down the rib (chordwise) from the first stitch. This time, when the rib has been stitched top and bottom, the needle is caused to make a knot in the thread in the center of the rib, and then you proceed to the third stitch, and again make the knot and proceed. Once the entire wing panel has been stitched, the reinforcment tape (often called Pinking Tape) is applied with dope.

On my models I cover the wing, and shrink the fabric (I only use Koverall) and then I cut hundreds of pieces of thread 1/8' in length. I run a brush of Nitrate dope along the covered rib, and then using a very fine paintbrush dipped in the dope, pick up a piece of the thread, and place it on the reference mark for that particular stitch. Once I have all the Stitches in place, I cut a piece of the reinforcment tape (I use tissue paper that I slit to the correct width) and dope it down atop the stitches, rubbing the tape down so that only the stitches show and the tape tends to disappear.

It's slow and tedious, but the results are worth it.

Use the 50' rule. Don't make the rib stitches too big. Anything that you can see on the full scale at 50 feet, should be just as visible on a fifth scale model at 10 feet. If the detail on the full scale disappears at 50 feet, then you should not be able to see the detail on the model at 10 feet. I have seen a lot of model airplanes where the detail looked like you glued Buick Ventaports to the model. The detail was just too big for the size of the model, and jumps out at you. Keep the detail in perspective.

I will include a couple of photos of one of my Waco models horizontal stab (there are 294 rib stitches on the horizontal stab and elevator on the Waco). I hope this helps.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1