1/32 partial stripdown Short Wright Flyer scratchbuild

Evening All,

I have had a checquered time recently, having been away twice in two weeks visiting family during holidays. In addition I found that the booms were not properly aligned after I have put the top wing in place, so I had to take it off and reset it - this time thing are properly aligned so I have been able to continue with the build.

I finished the elevators by adding the ribs from 20 x 30 strip which had been filed to shape. The ribs were added to the spars and the leading and trailing edge pieces were glued to the tips of the ribs with liquid cement.

The wooden frame of the elevators were painted the same colour as the remainder of the wood frame that would have been fabric covered on the real aircraft. I also made the rudders: one is the complete unit with frame and fabric covering (on one side only as per the original), and the other just the frame. These too have been painted.

The control for the wing warping consisted of a lever which operated a rod: the tail end of the rod moved from side to side, causing tension on a control wire. I made the rod from plastic rod with a hole drilled to allow the control wire to pass through. The front end of the rod was inserted into a hole in the control lever and the assembly superglued into place on the airframe. The warping wire guides on the upper and lower wings were cut from 15 thou card and superglued into place once the warping wires had been threaded through them.

The propellors were driven via chains which were channeled and protected in tubes. The chains passed over drives at the rear of the engine  and wheels on the ends of the propellor shafts. The propellor shafts were supported by triangular structures mounted between the wings.

I made the triangular supports and propellor drive shafts from brass rod which was soldered over a paper template:

These were primed and painted before they were mounted between the wings. The chain covers were also made from brass rod which was soldered: these too were primed and painted. The drive wheels on the ends of the propellor shafts were made from 20 thou scrap card.

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The shaft supports were superglued to the wings and the drive shafts inserted and glued to the propellor shafts. Adding the longer chain drive from the engine to the prop shaft on the port (left side) required an unusual jig even by my Heath-Robinson standards. The chains around the drive wheels were made from stretched sprue.

Next I will start to add the features surrounding the pilot: there was no cockpit as such as (s)he sat on a seat mounted on a frame on the leading edge of the lower wing.

Thanks for looking.

Stevef.