SE5a CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING TO . . . - Page 14

Greyhead · 01-10-2006

The centre section has had the top ply added and the covering finished. The rib stitching works well and was no problem to do. With the top frayed rib tape added it really looks the part, the under tape, which I’ve never used before, is quite visible and adds a lot to the finished effect.

Frayed tapes are nowhere near as complicated to make as serrated ones but there is a technique.

The Solatex is marked at the correct width, a small nick made with a sharp blade and the strips torn from the sheet; this ensures that the edges follow the material weave. Discard the first strip with only one torn edge; it will most probably be tapered anyway, then make another nick close to the edge and “tease out” a couple of threads, repeat for the other edge and you have a perfect frayed edged rib tape ready for ironing in place.

**wonwinglo** · 01-10-2006

That looks better than I thought it would work out Grahame,good tip there on fraying the Solartex.

Greyhead · 02-10-2006

I was talking to a friend the other day about the instrument panel; he is also building an SE5a and has a photo which has the instruments in different positions from the one I have. I wonder if perhaps the plane “developed” as a result of reports from pilots about visibility of the instruments whist flying?

He liked the results of my build but said that in his opinion the thread didn’t explain the method fully enough. As I have just started the altimeter here’s a “blow by blow” description; I hope you don’t find it too boring!

I won’t go into the intricacies of Photoshop, but using mainly copy & paste, rotate and distort, the original photo is manipulated to produce an acceptable image with a resolution of 1200 pixels / inch. This is printed on photo paper and glued onto 1/64th ply; you now have to be very patient and wait for the glue and paper to be completely dry.

Cut out, not too close to the image and then sand away all the surrounding material. I use a sanding disc in my Dremel for this but it’s delicate work so be careful and turn the speed to its lowest setting, if you don’t have variable speed it might be advisable to do the last bit by hand. Whichever way you use be sure to always sand downwards away from the dial face, it’s all too easy to delaminate the photo paper.

A cocktail stick and a piece of blue tack make a good holder whilst the edge is painted. Now you have to find or make a suitable ring; a search through the “useful items “ box will often yield a result, in this case the top from an air freshener refill, failing that start from scratch with a piece of Plasticard or similar material.

The ring is now painted and stuck to some acetate using “canopy glue”, which dries transparent, the excess trimmed away and the edge repainted.

All that’s left to do now is to make the adjusting knob, from some plastic sprue, and assemble the parts.

The photo doesn’t show the finished instrument to its best, I just can’t photograph things this small and get the detail to show, but I assure you that once fitted into the cockpit it will look the part.

It seems to have taken longer to do this post than it did to actually make the instrument but I’m sure that’s not really the case!!!

Greyhead · 02-10-2006

With the centre section removed for covering it’s the idea time to wrap the front cabane struts.

First of all the struts are given a coat of Solalac Clearcoat, which I’ve used for years to help the Solatex to stick.

I know the “industry standard” is Balsaloc, which I’ve also used, but in my opinion it’s nowhere near as good. With Clearcoat the Solatex won’t lift but if you do ever want to remove it, a run over the join with the iron and it can be peeled back without lifting the balsa fibres then rejoined as good as new. When the wing spars in my Albatos Dva broke I removed the entire wing covering from both wings, repaired the spars and then replaced the original covering; saved having to do all that paint work again!

It has another advantage in that the Clearcoat and the Solatex adhesive will bond without the use of the iron. It doesn’t “grab” immediately but if held in close contact it sticks after a few hours. This proved very useful for the base of the cabane struts where there is no chance of applying the iron.

I gave the struts a quick blast with the heat gun just to speed up the bond.

**wonwinglo** · 02-10-2006

Sorry Grahame,I had not realised that you were not aware of the fact that there are at least six different S.E.5A instrument panel layouts,by this I mean original ones and not the scores of replica machines built in recent years.
Just love this rundown on the instrument fabrication,as they say a photograph saves a thousand words,another excellent source of rims for the instruments are small rubber seals obtainable as boxes of assortments in those useful £ pound shops.

Greyhead · 03-10-2006

Barry

As my old mother used to say “you learn something new every day!”

The SE5a that I have detailed photos of the instrument panel for is a French restoration of C1096 “Maybe?”. This aircraft, at least the restoration, doesn’t have the headrest fairing, which I think really spoils it’s appearance. I’m certainly going to incorporate the headrest in the model so I will finish it as a different aircraft, unless I can find evidence that it did originally have the headrest. That means that I might well have at least a 5 in 6 chance of having the wrong instrument panel.

But I won’t tell anybody if you don’t!!!

Grahame

**Bluewavestudios** · 05-10-2006

Grahame,

I am sure you will find the evidence you are looking for and if not it will only take a real enthusiast to spot a minor difference with your aircraft.
I am sure all these machines varied in fitments to the aircraft just as the Tanks,Ships, Vehicles and other Aircraft did between the various units operating the same types. I am sure that will give you scope for a little poetic licence without spoiling what is undoubtedly becoming a very fine looking model. From What I have seen so far who am I to argue...I am drooling over this one !!

I have always had a soft spot for the SE5-A ever since getting free scale plans for one years ago...meant for .10 - .15 Engines......I might just get around to doing one yet...but fitted with a PAW .19 as I have 2 of them sitting idle....Ok power to spare but I won't need full throttle on this one and the PAW exhaust will hide nicely inside that cowl plumbed up to the proper pipe too...!!

Regards......Mark

Greyhead · 05-10-2006

I’ve just spent 3 “modelling” days making the compass and I think it says a lot about scale modellers. Whilst many “sports” modellers voice their appreciation of my models it’s often suffixed with “but why bother?” Well all I can say is “if you feel the need to ask I can’t explain it to you” but I can fully understand their point, the model won’t fly any better and the details will only be visible if you peer into the innards of the model.

The pilots eye view of the instrument panel.

I now think the panel is finished but I’m sure I’ll find a few more things to do to it before it finally gets covered with the cockpit decking. Every time I look at the photos of the full size I notice some thing new but at the moment I don’t consider them worth the trouble adding but that always seems to change!

**wonwinglo** · 05-10-2006

Well words cannot explain the realism that you have achieved with that panel Grahame,this is what sets scale modellers apart,the love of producing something in miniature,that joy is something that says even if you cannot see it,or it does not assist the way that the model flies,it does not matter,you are achieving scale fidelity by fabricating these parts,the thing is also you have scratch built them from bits and pieces ! real model building and a real sense of achievment as well.
It makes me feel like hopping into that cockpit and flying her around the circuit.
The effort expended has been well worth it.

Greyhead · 06-10-2006

Barry

I think the answer is that we scale modellers’ build for our own satisfaction, or at least I do, which means that we strive for the current model to be better than the previous. If we want the model to fly then there are limits because the weight has to be controlled; my personal limit is if it can’t be seen from any angle that is the time to say, “why bother”.

I like to build as much as possible from scratch; it gives me a much greater sense of satisfaction and also saves money! An article in a magazine extolling the scale fidelity of a model jet had, amongst others, a photo of the undercarriage, which was truly amazing, but they were commercially available at a ridiculous price; not to my mind scale modelling more like scale assembling.

There are some things that up to now I’ve bought; wheels are one example, if these fail during take off or landing the result could well be to write off the model, but with the Williams Brothers problems I might have to bite the bullet and have a go this time.

Just to add substance to my last post about things developing after being “finished” here’s a photo of the compass now with its light!

I haven’t resolved my problem with the headrest; what I have found out is that it was development of the SE5a, the SE5 didn’t have one and neither did some of the early SE5as, whether or not C1096 was one of the early SE5as that didn’t have the headrest I don’t know, but I suspect it was.