HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The ribs are freed from the insulation board and trimmed and sanded flush in preparation for the cap strips.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

First I take one of the ribs and enlarge the hole where the spar will fit through.This I use as a kind of template for shaping the spar.When this rib will slide along the whole length of the spar, the other ribs are then fitted to the shaped spar.I find that this is the easiest way to get a consistent shape from one end of the spar to the other.Next the spars will be tapered on all four sides near the tip.

[JohnReid]

I have been trying to think of a way to scorch the wood of the wing ribs,spars and cap strips. I had originally thought of using pastels after the wing was built but now I am thinking that nothing will look as good as actually scorching the wood itself.I will have to do this before I finish the assembly of the wing.The key is to scorch the wood in such a way as to not affect the glue joints or distort or warp the wood in any way.( I know great time to think of this now)
I was thinking of using a butane lighter but that could easily get out of hand.I have an old iron that I used in my ship building days for bending planks and it seems to me that if you let it get hot enough it would eventually scorch the wood.I also have a wood burning tool that I used for bird feathering on carvings.
I also need to experiment with a controlled burn on fabric ,as although most of it would be flash burned off ,some remnants would remain.
Should be fun!

[JohnReid]

[womenfly2]

Hi John,

Love what your doing.

I would think if the plane flipped over and slammed on to the tail, Fin/rudder, the open section around the cockpit would be in tension and the wood would have splintered. The bottom would then be in compression and therefore be a crushing force.

The best way to view this effect is to make a paper fuselage and bend it, observing the way the paper is distorting under the force.

If the ground crew was to extract the pilot, would they have used an ax? Maybe, ax marks?

All this is assuming that is what you are simulating.

WF2

[JohnReid]