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

[Piecost]

Those cockades look great!

[pb_guy]

Thanks. I had to look up the definition of cockade. It means decorations or ornaments.

A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat or cap. The word cockade derives from the French cocarde, from Old French coquarde, feminine of coquard (vain, arrogant), from coc (cock), of imitative origin. The earliest documented use was in 1709

ian