Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

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AndrewR
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Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by AndrewR »

Look away if you intend to enter competitions. This is a very casual and slapdash rigging method, which works for 1/72 scale :)


Here are the tools for rigging. The emu is optional. A pair of tweezers is also useful.

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EZ-line elastic thread (or some other variant on elastic thread) makes life easy.

Drill holes right through the lower wing, but not right through the upper wing. This protects the upper side of the upper wing from damage

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Thread through from the underside of the lower wing. Secure with tape, but do not glue at this stage.

Add a drop of CA to the hole in the underside of the top wing, and put the end of the thread into the hole.
Pull the thread very gently, so that the glued end stays in the hole, but the rest of the thread is not on the plastic. This is to stop CA soaking up the thread and gluing the whole thread to the wing. (Voice of bitter experience :roll: ). I use thick gel CA to help stop this.

Once the CA is dry, gently pull the thread "just" taut and secure it with another drop of CA on the underside of the lower wing.

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I usually rig the tail and wings on 1/72 biplanes. This took me about 75 minutes in two sessions. Don't try to do it all in one go. It takes a lot of concentration, so if you find things not working,take a break! Rigging is not scarily difficult to do, but does require patience.

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Rigging between the cabanes is much trickier and probably involves drilling through the upper wing, which you have to then repair. So I don't do it, unless it would really detract from the model at normal viewing distance.

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This method does mean minimal repair work on top, but if you are wanting people to pick the model up, then repair work underneath is needed. I tend to use a 0.5 mm drill to make the holes. Any smaller and I have trouble threading the lines through. The smaller the hole, the less repair work needs to be done. You have to optimize this for your own particular skill level.

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As I don't want people to pick the model up, trimming the dangling threads is enough to leave the aircraft good for display. It has to pass the wife and mother-in-law "It's Cute" test, which is less rigorous than an IPMS judge! :grin:

So that's how I do it. If you want to practice rigging, start with a monoplane like the P-26 Peashooter


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or the Fokker Eindekker from Revell. They are very cheap, and you can practise the rigging without the fiddliness of getting the threads between biplane wings.
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TobyC
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by TobyC »

That's a good little tutorial. Should encourage anyone to give it a go.
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Kitaholic
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by Kitaholic »

As Toby said. Got some EZline in the toolbox but not used it yet, got to give it a go now
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by fredk »

Its not too hard to do the cabane strut rigging this way.
Leave the engine off the model till its done. This gives access into the fuselage.
Drill top wing as for the other holes, drill right through the top of the fuselage.
Glue the lines to top wing, put thru hole in fuselage and use tweezers to hold and pull it.
When its done, put on engine.
Job done
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by JamesPerrin »

I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
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AndrewR
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by AndrewR »

JamesPerrin wrote:I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
As I am fumble-fingered when it comes to getting the top wing on, I prefer to get that challenging task out of the way first! :grin:
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by Garethster »

If you have CA accelerator handy, try dipping the end of the EZ-Line in it just prior to inserting it in a CA filled hole. Instant grab.
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by airjim »

I've never rigged a biplane simply because I had no idea the emu was optional...

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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by DH-Drover »

It's a Hostrige not a Hemu. :ha:

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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by JamesPerrin »

AndrewR wrote:
JamesPerrin wrote:I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
As I am fumble-fingered when it comes to getting the top wing on, I prefer to get that challenging task out of the way first! :grin:
Yeah but I'm a crazy fool...

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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by iggie »

Oh heck, what does that wing come from?

If it's something I already have in my stash, it'll be on sale shortly!

If you are using nylon sewing thread, there's a reason why it's called invisible thread!! Use a black marker to darken the first 1/2" and you'll be able to thread it through holes a lot easier
Best wishes

Jim
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by AndrewR »

JamesPerrin wrote: Yeah but I'm a crazy fool...

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Nobody is arguing with that statement James :razz:
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AndrewR
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by AndrewR »

DH-Drover wrote:It's a Hostrige not a Hemu. :ha:

Dai Where even the emus are learning to swim!

EMU = EZ-line Management Unit :ha:
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Nice little tutorial. Lost my rigging virginity on a Revell Eindecker but I've got a couple of biplanes I'd like to build.

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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.

Post by JamesPerrin »

The wing was from my Pyro (Inpact) Avro Triplane.
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