Bi-wing Rigging

[jrepok]

I'm building the Sopwith Camel model (Kit #801) and am looking for the best way to install the "wire" rigging for the wings. Unfortunately, I haven't seen anything about rigging biplanes in this forum. Does anybody have suggestions and/or photos about the best materials and techniques for wing rigging?

Thanks for your help.

[heywooood]

I cant speak for anyone else and probably there are better ways than mine but..
I use a pin vise and predrill the struts and fuselage and wings, according to the rigging diagram and reference photos, with a
fine drill bit (0.5mm or so) once each of the main components are built and coverered but BEFORE final
assembly.
Make sure the rigging cord you are using fits easily through these holes. I use a dacron or polyester blend thread because cotton breaks down much faster..doesn't last as long.
Once the model is completed, painted, decaled, and clear coated take a pin and clear out every one of those holes.
Paint and clear coat and glue will have filled them in partially and you want that thread to slip through them easily.
Use fine tipped tweezers and a pin to apply the super glue. Work slowly and carefully one string at a time.

[Mitch]

I prefer not to drill holes in the struts where I do not need them. Just afraid I will weaken the struts. Although this is a large model and I am sure that would work fine.

For my Guillow models (100 series and 200 series) I have just used sewing thread and it seems to work fine. (Although I have the 801 I have not built it yet.)

I only install the main rigging wires, I do not install the control wires. If there is a point that a wire connects to the fuselage I will start there. Maybe at that point add more balsa sheet drill a hole and glue the line to that point, I make a knot and with a needle come though from the inside and then glue that point. I will have enough line, to do as much rigging with this single line. So my first line comes from the lower forward fuselage. This will then go up to the forward wing strut upper. This same line I will wrap around this strut, make a overhand knot then come down to the rear strut, lower, then back up to the rear cabine strut, upper. This line will also continue to the forward cabine strut. Etc.

This way I only use 2 lines for each side to complete all the wing rigging wires. Wires between the landing gear done the same way. I do not remember (I am away from home) if the Camel has rigging support wires on the tail as the SE5a does. For those I started on the bottom and just used a needle and poked though the finished paper. The line was right up against a balsa support so when I pulled it taught it had something to rest against.

I build models to fly rubber power with FAC rules, so ALL major rigging is REQUIRED to be represented. Control wires are NOT required. You can add all the wires and control horns you want... as Don Ross says in his book... "you can spend more time on some details than it took to build the model"... but that's is more of the enjoyment you will get.

Have Fun, Mitch



I know there is line that is stretchy that some guys use, but I have not used this. This is the same technique I use when building plastic models, as I am also in the IPMS. (International Plastic Modelers Society)

[jrepok]

Thanks for the information on rigging the wings on a bi-plane. It will come in handy.

[Bill Gaylord]

It's good you're thinking ahead of time about the rigging. I use the supplied Guillow's CL string, as well as thin gauge nylon coated silver jeweler's beading wire. Pre-stretching the CL string helps stabilize it, as I use it for actual in-flight strength and tweaking/holding wing settings. Pre-drilling holes in the struts is probably the simplest method. The metal strips with pre-punched holes that hold together small electrical contact pins work well for rigging points. I've accumulated a stock of them, from JST and S-connector packages used for r/c. Slits can be cut into the struts, where the metal strip can be inserted through for a rigging point. A 90 degree bend placed on the end of strip (opposite the end with the hole) helps anchor it to the strut, along with glue. (Red Albatros DVa struts) On the Camel, I used nylon pushrod guides from GWS models plastic parts packages. It's been a while, but if I remember correctly they were glued in place with a bit of CF hair reinforcement. Fuse mounting rigging points were also pre-installed. An advantage to having multiple rigging holes in the struts is that you can easily tie off individual sections of the rigging, and also cut away and redo if necessary, without interfering with other rigging.

[jrepok]

Bill:

Thanks for the suggestions and especially the photos. They will certainly help.

[Mitch]

Nice Bill... looking at your photos using wire made me remember something...

At my first FAC contest 2+ years ago, a member had a large SE5a, larger than the Guillow 200. I think he still used string for the wires but the way he attached them was amazing. He used the finest spring wire that you can buy (Grainger Store) he had a small box of it. He showed me how he would make a small loop and then twist the wire. This would then be attached to the point on the model and the 'wire' would pass though the loop. He could make these 'wire loops' with one two or three loops. they would be attached in all the spots required, then the rigging 'wire' would attached from loop to loop.

It seemed like quite a process but as I remember the finished results looked amazing. Sorry I do not have any pictures and only vaguely remember the story.

But as they say... there is more than one way to 'skin a cat'...

Mitch

[Bill Gaylord]

Thanks, there's lots of way to do this for sure. The spring wire sounds interesting also. The Camel actually used control line string, but it was a unique copperish color that I never saw before. I think it may have been from something other than a Guillow's kit. With the nylon coated silver beading wire, small lengths of aluminum tubing crimps make good attachment points. It's a bit testy running the wire back through the tubing, sliding the tubing near the strut, and then keeping tension on the wire and crimping the tubing, but doable.

[Mitch]

Love those little turnbuckles Bill. My model and the one I saw at FAC still need to be very light for flying with a rubber motor. Hence I do not add anything other than the string, and the spring wire is the lightest available, so with the amount used virtually no more weight. Building for display opens up more possibilities for details and realism. I used basswood for my struts not the balsa in the kit. I know the Camel is different and uses the different material.

If the 'wire' did not want to stay where I wanted it I would cut a very small notch to keep the string in proper place and add a drop of glue.



Here is my model that flew in competition at WEST FAC . This is an OOP Guillows 100 series kit. I got on ebay for 20.00. I first built this model when I was 10, cost. 0.98 cents. Flew against models that were laser cut with competition wood that cost 150 dollars.

I was 'shot down' in the first round...but not before I saw other planes come to the ground. Flight time about 24 seconds.

The joy I felt to see my plane flying with other SE5's and Fokker D7's... Priceless.

PS I used silver colored thread. The black thread on the tail I added at inspection. (I thought I only need wing wires). The inspectors gave be black thread and a needle. Those 8 'wires' on the tail is just 1 piece of thread. I picked a spot that the thread would be resting against a piece of balsa and just went though the paper around and around. Tied a knot on the bottom. Then I passed inspection. That night I added a drop of glue to the knot and trimmed the excess string.

PPS Model flew with a Guillows 7 inch prop from a 400 series kit and 4 strands of tan rubber. Hook to peg about 1.5 x, front is removable but not adjustable. Model flies in a nice left turning circle then straightens out when motor runs down. I was VERY conservative with my winds on this model as I feel it is a classic OOP kit and not easily replaceable.

Mitch

[Bill Gaylord]

Nice looking Se5a. 24 seconds is actually a pretty good time in the air. One of these days I need to place a DPC order for some of those OOP kits. On the turnbuckles, I really wish Dubro made a left hand threaded version of the #2-56 threaded adjusters, and I could make full turnbuckles. The sleeve is tapped brass tubing. I could find a left hand threaded tap, if they had left hand threaded adjusters. It would be really nice to have a fully functional turnbuckle.