OK. Now that the smoke has cleared, let's get back to building. She's not finished yet
I left off with the rigging. I made small fittings for the wires from brass tubing and aluminum rod.
These were soldered to the wires and attached to scale brackets on the plane with brass pins.Each wire was then tensioned by heating the solder in the fitting and applying presure with a tool I made. It was a lot of work, but I think the results were worth it.
Steve

Here's a shot of the finished engine compartment. Not much room for anything else in there. Everything works fine. The muffler is under the engine and the exhaust exits through the large half circle opening over the bombs.
Steve

I made a little progress this weekend. First, the pitot tubes. Iused 1/16 brass tubing for the tubes and 14gage copper wireup the strut. A piece of 3/32 brass tube was partially flattened, the tubes placed inside, and then I crimped it in between the tubes. I ran the copper wire and soldered the brackets on.
Second are the boots to cover the holes where the flyingwires go through the wings. These are small pieces of cloth wrapped around the wireand tied with rigging thread. A little CA, and some paint, and there we are.
I started on the dummy engine, and I'll post some pics tomorrow.
Steve

Someone asked me how I made the Interplane strut brackets a while back ( I think it was Don) and I completely forgot to answer. Sorry about that.
I used this photo to make a CAD drawing for patterns. So, here are the photo and drawings. You can scale them to whatever size you need.
I form each bracket around it's own strut end. First I clamp a piece of card stock around the end. Then I cut the bottom to fit and use a pattern piece to draw the top line and to locate the holes(push lightly with a pin). Next, take it off, bend it in half, mark the hole locations to the other side, and cut the top. You should have a pattern like this. Transfer it to tin or brass(I used tin), drill the holes, clean it up with a file, and wrap it tightly around the strut. Keeping it clamped, remove it and silver solder the inside seam. Mark the tab and cut it out. I leave about 1/32" of soldered seam all the way down.
I know it sounds like alot, but it only took a couple of hours to make all eight brackets.
Steve

Steve,
Where did you find the Vise Grips with the big flat jaws? I went looking for some a couple weeks ago and couldn't find them at Lowe's, Sears, or Home Depot. Fortunately the ugly bends I made in some metal with needle nose pliers were not for models!
Chuck

I don't remember where I got them. They are for sheet metal work. I'll take a look at the plumbing supply store tomorrow. If they have them I'll pick one up for you.
In all the excitement of the contest I forgot to pick up my score sheets. If you could send me a PM with any comments or suggestions I would appreciate it greatly.
I did manage to repair the damage done by the pull tester. He also damaged Jacks plane.
Steve

I made the step plates on the wings using a method I found on another build thread.It's an excelent thread with a lot of really good ideas. Check it out.http://www.scale-models.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2417 . The method is to solder a bunch of music wire side by side on a tin plate, lay lithoplate over it, and scribe lines with a sharpened piece of wire.
I've also made some progress on the dummy engine. I made the block and rocker covers seperatly. The mateing surfaces are 1/32" ply. I taped two peices together, drilled 1/8" holes for the lugs, then cut them out on my band saw. this way everything lines up when they'er glued together. The spark plugs are toothpicks with a #1 nut and a peice of white shrink wrap. The wire is wraped around a brass pin and soldered. The end of the plug is drilled out for the pin.
Steve

I'm not sure why Grey Head's link didn't work, so let's try again.
http://www.scale-models.co.uk/showth...t=2417&page=24

I did some more to the dummies. I added the flanges for the exhaust. They are 1/32 ply. the nuts, bolts, and washers are 00-90. The aluminum wraps with the rivets are .005 foil. The exhaust tubes are Estes 1/2" dia rocket tubes. I wrapped the front ends with bond paper and spray adhesive to "thicken" them up a bit and sealed the paper with SIG Clear Dope.
Here's a pic of what I'm aiming for.
Steve

Steve :

That looks great, really great !!!!

Where do you get little nuts and bolts like that ? 00-90


SEEYA, TIM

Thanks Tim. I get the little stuff at http://www.microfasteners.com/. You can get them at a model train store, but they cost a lot more.
Steve

Progress has been a little slow lately. This is my busy season for work. I have made some progress on the exhaust. Also I added the half moon latches for the lower cowl and the brackets for the exhaust. hopefully I'll finish up this weekend and get started on the Lewis gun and rail.
Steve

I finished the dummy engine & exhaust.(Well, at least for now) There will always be a little something more to add. I've started on the Lewis gun & mount. It's coming along pretty well. I'll post some pics of it tomorrow.
Steve

I finished the Lewis gun & mount this evening. The only big detail left is the scale prop & hub. Of course there are hundreds of "Little" things I'll add as time goes by. I've been told that scale planes are never finished. I believe it's true.
Steve

Well, here's the last of the major details. A scale prop and hub. Now I can work on the weathering. If the average life expectancy of pilot & plane was three weeks, How much weathering could the average SE5a have?
Steve

Excellent job. She look like the SE5a in out aviation museum. Agree about the weathering. Maybe some water and gas runs. I'd leave it virgin but that's me.

Pete

I have to agree with Rocketman612. It's a very attractive model the way it is, new looks best, like a full-sized plane was taken fresh out of the factory and shrunk, in my opinion.

NorfolkSouthern

Thanks for the input. A friend from Ohio posted some pics of the winning planes at last years FAI World Contest. All of them look brand new, fresh off the line. The best part is I don't have to do anything else but fly. And boy, does it fly? Straight up over the top wingovers and inside loops at 1/2 power. And here all these years I thought scale would be boring.
Steve

One of my "If I have the time" details was to make the mags for the Lewis. There's one on the gun, one above the instrument panel, and one on the floor in front of the control collum. They'er made by wrapping a strip of card stock around a piece of dowel rod. Then I covered the top with card stock. Next I used my Model Cad to draw the raised areas and printed them on card stock, cut them out and pasted them to the cans. Like the guns, they are painted flat black and then burnished with graphite, scraped from a #2 pencil. The bullets are 1/16" brass tube and the hand straps are leather with brass wire for the buckles.
Steve

What's it weigh these days? Gotta be some serious poundage there..

It weighed in at 8lb 9oz at the NATS. I've gained about 5oz, so I should be fine.
Steve

One last do-dad to finish off the nose is the synchronizer gear & pump for the Vickers Gun.
Steve

Moving right along, here's the magneto & switches. I might get this plane finished after all.
Steve

I finally have some shots of the finished plane. And none too soon! Tomorrow starts the static judging for the FAI contest at Muncie.
Next week I'll try to catch up on the building that's gone on for the last few weeks.(It is a build thread, you know ). Also I'll post the documentation package I've put together.(Probably in a seperate thread) Wish me luck!
Steve

OK You got it, I'll wish you luck but you wont need it with that plane !!!


SEEYA, TIM