Sopwith Triplane

[pb_guy]

Started assembling the fuselage sides. I used a jig on the top of the cabane struts to ensure that they end up parallel to each other, thus fitting the wing more accurately.
ian

[pb_guy]

Fuselage formers and stringers added. Weight 1.54 grams.
ian

[dputt7]

Neat work!

[pb_guy]

Thanks. Prompted by the other peanut guy, I started with the engine. I started by cutting a 1/4" sq. stick, about 6" in length, out of a larger block of balsa and rounding it with sandpaper (by eye, not a drill). I then sliced overlength pieces and wound them with thick thread. The hub is 1/4" thick. Pieces glued in place. Engine cowl is the next project.
ian

[TheLurker]

...started by cutting a 1/4" sq. stick, about 6" in length, out of a larger block of balsa and rounding it with sandpaper...

Or... punch or drill a suitably sized hole in the bottom of an empty (well, duh) soup can, rough shape the stick to size and then gently push it through the hole while rotating it.

I can't sand things to eye to save my life (frighteningly short sighted, spherical distortion from spec lenses, nuff sed?) so this is a way of getting a decently cylindrical dowel without too much waste.  Probably slower than your way of doing things though.

[pb_guy]

Yes, that looks like a way to guarantee accuracy and evenness along the entire length. For best results, it might be helpful to have a form with another hole perhaps 1/32 larger in diameter to pre-form the blank to rough size.

  I painted the engine with aluminum acrylic. Final weight 0.83 gm.
ian

[Piecost]

Ian,

The build is looking very good so far and I look forward to following further progress

Tim

[pb_guy]

Thanks Tim. I am hoping to finish everything within the next week.

So, I thought I would do the Rondels today. I don't have any tacky release spray any more, so I tried something I had done before. I started by ironing some thin white tissue. I smeared a piece of bond paper with stick glue and let it almost dry, testing it with another piece of bond paper. Then I pressed my tissue onto the bond paper and ironed the leading edge of the tissue that goes through the printer first. I then printed onto the tissue. Right after this, I peeled off the tissue and mounted it in a cardboard frame. I applied two coats of thinned dope on the top. When dry, I applied one coat of thinned white acrylic paint on the back. I am happy enough with the results. With this method, the colours pop, and the white remains white.

ian

[pb_guy]

Working on lots of bits. Cowling was made from a piece of 1/16" sheet back and front as well as two pieces of 1/4" glued cross-grain in circles that were hollowed out before gluing together. The motor was moved to the front with a piece of 1/8 " backing. Interior of the cowl was painted black with a sharpie, and the edge of the front piece was painted red before being glued on so as to avoid painting the motor.
ian

[pb_guy]

Wings and tail surfaces covered and given 2 coats of dope. The bottom surfaces are a pale yellow. I used some $ store plastic toothpicks to hold the pieces above the plastic film while drying. The rudder colours are coloured tissue over white tissue.
ian

[pb_guy]

I applied the decals today. This shows how well the process works on both light and dark tissue. I also made a Vickers machine gun for it
ian