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.

Evening All,

The radiator consisted of a series of vertical pipes mounted on the leading edge of the lower wing with pipes connected to the engine. I had drilled a hole in the lower wing a put a pin in the bottom of the radiator to make a secure joint. The pipes were made from 20 thou rod and connected the engine to the radiator. There was a small battery placed on the lower wing on the port (left) side of the engine: a small cable connected the battery to the engine:

The seat was CA'd to a frame made from 20 x 30 thou strip and the latter cemented to the ribs and solid part of the lower wing. A fuel tank was mounted between the inner interplane struts - the tank was made from plastic tube with card at the ends to block the hole in the tube. A water tank was also mounted between the struts and hung beneath one of the bars which held the fuel tank:

A control bar which actuated the rudders extended from the control lever on the right side of the pilot - this was connected to a cross bar on the lower rear boom which in turn was connected to the rudders by control wires. The bar from the control lever and cross bar were made from 20 x 30 thou plastic strip:

The rudders on the original machine consisted of a two wooden frames with a single sheet of fabric on the outer surfaces, joined with cross rods. I modelled the starboard (right) rudder with the fabric and the port (left) as just the frame. The fabric on the right side was represented with 20 thou plastic card and the frames made with 10 x 20 thou strip. 25 thou plastic rod was used to join the rudders and the whole rigged with monofilament thread:

When the rudders were finished I mounted them between the ends of the central booms and connected them to the control wires from the bar on the lower wing:

I have still to decide what to do next - either rig the wings and tie off some of the annoying threads or add the rear elevator and rig the rear booms: with several fragile parts sticking out and waiting to be knocked off or damaged I will need to consider carefuly how to proceed.

Thanks for looking.

Stevef.

Evening All,

I am in the process of building two models at the same time - one for a GB on another site, and this one, hence progress has been slowed. However there is something to report.

The supports for the forward skids and horns on which the front elevator was mounted were made from 40 x 60 thou strip. These were CA'd at the bottom where they are fixed to the brass bar skids, and cemented at the top where they are joined to plastic:

I have also added the clock which hung from one of the bracing wires near the pilot's head, but this is not visible in the photos. The control rod for the rear elevator ran from the left lever to the rear where it was connected to a horizontal bar: another control rod ran from the horizontal bar to the rear elevator. When the pilot moved the left lever forwards or rearwards the elevators at the front and rear would operate together. The rod from the left lever to the horizontal bar was fixed in place followed by the rear elevator. The elevator was supported by vertical struts - these were made from wood which had been filled with grain filler. A hole was drilled and enlarged on the fabric covered part of the elevator, and a gap cut in the spar on the uncovered side:

The control rod from the elevator to the horizontal bar at the rear of the lower wing has been inserted but is not yet fixed in position:

The side of the boom will be rigged when the control rod is permanently fixed.

I have also put on to the lower exposed wing section the tip bar and trailing edge "wire" - the latter is stretched sprue:

I am hoping that the next post for this project will be the last one - light is clearly visible at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks for looking.

Stevef.

When Rolls made his historic first return non-stop crossing of the English Channel, he had floats strapped to the underside and front booms in case he needed to ditch in the sea. Looking at the photos I estimated the size of the floats and covered two pieces of dowel and two pieces of plastic tube with crepe paper. I painted them grey to try to represent canvass covering - I suspect (but do not know), that the floats were some form of covered air bag because the Short Brothers had been making balloons for many years. In any event the photos of the aircraft show some form of fabric covering. The floats were tied to the airframe with thread as on the original machine they had been secured with rope:

The last major item to add to the airframe was the front biplane elevator. I had already made the flying surfaces and struts but I added the rigging first by drilling holes in the "solid" parts of the elevator surfaces. I cemented struts into the "solid " parts of the elevator surfaces and allowed these to set before the lower elevator was slotted over the left horn, (the right side had been broken off earlier in the build). The right horn was CA'd in place and supported with a conventional jig while the CA set properly:

When this structure was secure I could add the upper elevator, the central struts and then rig the whole. The boom supports from the wings to the undercarriage skids were made from 30 x 40 strip:

The early Flyers including the six built by the Short Brothers were launched from a wooden rail: the machine was mounted on a simple dolly which was attached to the skids and fell away on take off. I made up one of these from plastic strip with rod for the rollers:

The above image was taken before I had touched in the paint!

To complete the model I finishes attaching all of the remaining rigging wires - mainly anti-drag wires to the front and rear, and some bracing for the rear elevator. One of the last items added to the model were the propellors - these had been carved from wood and stained.

The above image shows the completed model before I mounted it on a base. I want to show the aircraft as it would have been prior to take off for Rolls' historic flight so I made a launch rail from basswood with wood strip for the ground supports:

The base was made from hardboard mounted on a wood frame, painted and covered with 2mm static grass. The rail was glued to the base:

Two trestles were made from strip wood to support the wings and stabilize the model on the launch rail. Finally the model could be placed on the trestles and rail and was considered finished:

Thanks for looking.

Stevef.

Evening All,

I am adding some images of the completed model with a figure converted for me by fellow club member Steve Spooner. The figure represents Charles Rolls, who was the first person to make a non-stop return flight of the English Channel on 2 June 1910 in a Short Wright Flyer.

The statue on Marine Parade, Dover, commemorates that historic achievement.

Thanks for looking.

Stevef.