Sm Tall alk H
appy New Year! Well, we’ve made it through 2012 and are begin- ning a brand new year of model- ing for 2013. I’m sure that by now,
even though it’s still early, some of those new projects are well underway and starting to shape up nicely. And that being the case, you might find yourself needing a couple or three extra hands in some of the trickier spots in framing.
Simple jigs and fixtures We’ve talked some in the past about mak- ing up simple tools for specific modeling needs, most of which tend to be very specific in their application, and are often a one time thing. However, when it comes to the big things like rigging the wings, especially bi- plane wings, a more permanent system can be fabricated that will be a good bit more universal in its application. One area that can be a bit tricky is getting washout set up properly. As I’ve mentioned in the past as well, the amount of washout used is not as important as that both sides are the same. And achieving that goal is done far more easily using a jig than it is trying to “eyeball” things into alignment.
Building a holding fixture can be done rel- atively easily—after all, we’re modelers, and making things is what modelers do, right? The jig can be made up using scrap balsa, cardboard, or artist foam board for very spe- cific applications, or you can even build up a more permanent universal system from spruce and plywood that will hold up for years.
A couple of good examples of both types are first, a simple system that was fabricat- ed from foam board and balsa by Robert Russell to set up his Dumas Dragon Rapide. A model like the Rapide with its extremely narrow wingtips can be a bit prone to tip stall anyway, so it’s very important to get it rigged properly. The jig was set up using the inboard and outboard stanchions with the height and angles permanently set, so will only work effectively on one specific model.
by pat tritle You can reach Pat Tritle at 10313 Snowheights NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112 or via e-mail at
patscustommodels@aol.com
PHOTO: MIKE BARKER
Mike Barker built his Bush Cubcomplete with a full cockpit, lots of very colorful graphics and tundra tires for those “off field” operations. In keeping with the theme, it even sports a set of moose antlers strapped to the left jury strut.
Another more universal setup is one that
I use. Mine works well on both high and low wing monoplanes, but falls a bit short in the biplane arena. The outer stanchion is ad- justable for height so it can be used to set up any angle of dihedral. The typical 1.5 de- grees of washout is built into the outer stan- chion, so there’s no adjustment required to set up the model. Meanwhile, building up a second tier as an attachment might not be all that difficult to do. Might just have to give that some serious thought one day soon and see what comes of it? In the end, none of these “extra hands” need to be elaborate or particularly pretty, as long as they are func- tional and get the job done.
New stuff from the readers This month also brings us a nice collection of finished projects from readers in both the scale and freeflight realm. We’ll begin with
PHOTO: PAT TRITLE
Mike Barker’s brand new 60-inch span Bush Cub. Mike built the model from the new PCM short kit and added a few of his own personal touches. The Cub is powered by a Suppo 2217 Outrunner with guidance pro- vided by four sub-micro servos. In keeping with good visibility in the air Mike stayed with the standard yellow scheme, but with the lightning bolt done in red instead of black. Then to add a bit more color, the graphics from Callie Graphics were added along with the oversize bush wheels to get the Cub in and out of those remote spots where airplanes like this are so often found. Mike also added a full cockpit arrange-
ment with a removable middle section for easy battery access. And if you look real close,
you’ll even see the moose antlers strapped to the left jury strut. With a 1300 mAh 2S Li-Po battery the model weighs in at around 24 ounces and will deliver flights
PHOTO: ROBERT RUSSELL
A simple jig can be easily fabricated (above) making biplane rigging far easier and much more precise. Robert Russell built his jig from balsa and foam board to rig the Dumas Rapide. Of a more permanent nature, Pat’s Washout Jig (at right) is a universal setup built for low and high wing monoplanes. Built from spruce and ply the jig will last for years and can be used on a variety of models.
40 JANUARY 2013
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