How to install the upper wing

[Flanker]

Hello fellows,

I'm a newbie in regards to WWI airplanes and I'm just about finish my first biplane. The next step is to install struts and upper wing, I'm very nervous about it.

Can anybody share the mos appropiate technique to accomplish this step. After many hours put in my kit I would hate to finish with an all twisted aircraft.

Thank you for the advise.

Regars
Flanker

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Try this link for wing jigs to help postion top wing.... http://www.wwi-models.org/misc/Tools/index.html

[jamo]

Glue the centre section struts to the fuselage at the correct angle and let these mostly set, before proceeding. It can be helpful to use lego bricks and plasticene or Blu-Tac to make a little jig to hold these in the correct position while setting.

Use a pair of dividers to check that the gap between the struts is exactly the same distance as the locating holes in the top wing. When these struts are reasonably firm, glue the top wing on top. If there is a lot of stagger between the wings you probably need to position the plane over a plan and maybe use a set-square to check the stagger is right.

Don't worry about the interplane struts at this stage. It is a lot easier to manage four struts at this stage than 8, 12 or 16. While the top wing is drying check that the wing leading edges are parallel.

When the top wing is dry you can insert & glue the interplane struts.

Works OK for me. Still stressful though

[Barker]

I be doinst all mine hand-held.

some a/c want their cabane first, some want their interplanes first.

do not freak out.

you have a window of work time, even with CA.

if it is incorrect, tear it down (with care) and begin again.

touch up any mars and keep on til you get what you want.

it does work and it's a great part of the build.

seriously.

When you get it where you like it, leave it the f*** alone so it can set.
I set mine just so on the bench and shim it with a few paint pots, weight it with a few more.

more art than science.




jigs are for Communists and other insurrectionists, reactionaries and similar persons.


if it is a kit that has eccentric kit-supplied struts, you may consider pegging the tips with brass wire for extra hold.

when it's correct, they <snap> into position with an audible <click> and I trust that at least as much as CA.

you'll get it.
my first kit after 30 years was a Blue Max SPAD VII with 20 attachment points.

I didn't know whether to spit or send the kit sailing.




worked, too.

say nice things to the dog the entire time but curse this hobby roundly and it works everytime.

[buzz1941]

This would be a good time to remind the manufacturers out there — a basic wing jig could be created simply by the way the runners of the part spues are laid out. After the pieces are taken off, the jig remains.

You hear me Eduard? How about you, Roden!

[Barker]

then throw the jig out, write them each a thankyew letter and use your hands.

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Airfix did a wing jig with their 72nd Pup and Eduard did one with their 48th Starstrutter Hansa D1.

[Carpo]

Jigs are over-rated. I use VHS video tapes and CD covers to square everything up and support the structures as the glue dries.
I also use clear acetate film from OHP slides to set the correct wing stagger.
It is a rather complicated idea to explain but simple to do.
I place clear acetate over the scale drawings of the aircraft.
I mark on this sheet, the curvature of the bottom of the top wing and the curvature of the top of the bottom wing.
I also mark the attachment points of the struts.
THEN I cut this sheet to leave a void for the top and bottom wings to fit into. Make two of these.
The resultant shapes are something like an italicised letter H.
Then, after the bottom wing is fitted to the fuselage, I place this jig on the lower wing.
I glue the interplane struts in place and use the template to align them to the correct angle.
I tack the struts to the template with masking tape and allow the whole thing to dry overnight.
Make sure the lateral alignment of the struts is correct (usually perpendicular)
Repeat this for all of the struts.
Once all is set up, you can drop the top wing onto the structure.
Glue and then remove these templates.
Hope that makes sense.
Carpo

[John Masters]

I took Ross's advice and made a jig for my Roden Alb D III. I used it really to find out if the cabanes were too long or short for the V-struts. In the end I scraped the jig, used the shorter cabanes supplied with the kit and scratch built the interplane Vs. Much easier for this kit. She is all done and I'll be shooting some pics of her and Pessi's SPAD VII tomorrow for my 'latest build' post: Pessi's SPAD VII and von Szepessy-Sokoll's Oeffag D III 153-54.

I agree with Barker. Hands and eyes and some paint tins to keep everything straight while I begin breathing again.

Next up--Aero-Club Bristol Scout.

From the Factory on the hill,
John Masters

[GregorySharp]

Some top wings seem to plop right on, others scare the heck out of me. So when it came to the Eduard 1/48 Camel, I build this. I just can't stand wings not true with each other.

Click to see Aerodrome thread and my photos of my rig!

Aerodrome Thread Sept 04