HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

JohnReid · 19 January 2010, 08:46 AM

I modified the jig by cutting off the bottom portion but still leaving the upper for protection for the wings.I then hot glue melted the wheels to a building board.(the glue is easily removed later by re-heating it).
The building board is exactly the width of the tail booms.I could have made a separate jig for the tail assembly but I thought that it would be more fun to build it like the original must have been done.
I know Curtiss used bamboo but others also used ash wood for these booms and spruce for the struts.I will use ash(basswood) for these due to the difficult of representing the growth rings on the bamboo which would hardly be seen at scale distance anyway.
The measurements I used for the tail assembly are from the Aeronautics publication May-June 1912,page 161.

JohnReid · 20 January 2010, 07:29 AM

JohnReid · 20 January 2010, 05:33 PM

JohnReid · 20 January 2010, 06:13 PM

I cut down the tail jig to the center of the rod so that the tail can easily be removed at any time.The rubber bands hold everything down and keeps it all square until I can make up fittings for the tail boom.The horizontal rod at the tail has been embedded into the tail spar .It will then be sandwiched between the another spar of the same size to create the hinge line between the horizontal stab and the elevator.I don't want to create it as one piece so that I can place the elevator at an angle to the stab which will look more natural.
All four tail booms are attached to this spar, the top two have finished fittings at the upper wing and now must be cut to length and rear fittings applied.I then will repeat the whole procedure for the bottom tail booms.
I am designing this stuff as I go along from pictures that you will find on my photobucket site.Slow but fun!I hope that there are not too many surprises down the road.

For your info : the EAA has a new website that also has a new forum.
Check it out at:

http://www.Oshkosh365.org

JohnReid · 24 January 2010, 08:18 AM

JohnReid · 24 January 2010, 08:48 AM

I made the fittings from brass tube,cut it to length and blackin-it and then slid the pieces of tubing over the tail booms.Everything has been temporarily nailed it place and not glued.The horizontal black rod is where the elevator will be attached to the stabilizer(yet to be built).
When everything is squared away, I will take it apart and finish the fittings as required to accept the internal bracing wires.
I haven't quite decided whether or not to finish the tail,stab,elevators,rudder etc..I would like to build them but would our owner have really left them on his flier while he was off to war?On the other hand I guess they could have been covered with tarps etc...Because I plan to put a "welcome home "sign somewhere in the diorama it is possible that someone could have removed them prior to his arrival as a homecoming gesture.I could show the tarps lying somewhere off to the side I guess.

JohnReid · 24 January 2010, 08:57 AM

JohnReid · 26 January 2010, 06:42 AM

JohnReid · 26 January 2010, 07:04 AM

The black fittings you see here are made from brass and then blackened.A better choice would have been aluminum painted black, as it is a whole lot easier to work with when designing the fittings ,especially when shaping and drilling when they are already attached to the tail booms.
Here I am checking that the vertical struts will be at right angles when level.

JohnReid · 29 January 2010, 08:02 AM