Being strickly a WWII modeler I usally do not have much interest in biplanes. But Classic Airframes Cr42 Falco looked like such a nice kit I decided to have a go at it. Everything was fine until I it was time to attach the upper wing. Having no experience I was trying to figure out how to line up 14 attaching points at the same time. Even if I was an octopus I would still be left short of hands! I have heard some modelers on this forum talk about a jig. Can anyone explain what this would encompass. For now I have just attached the center struts and it looks like it will work. I plan on waiting for those to dry good and then work the outer struts into place. I am looking for any other ideas that anyone else employs to tackle this complex part of building biplanes. I have several other Classic Airframes WWII biplanes in my collection I would like to complete so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Soulcrusher
Here is a site that has a lot of information on building biplanes:
http://www.wwi-models.org/index.html
and one of it’s sub-chapters covers your specific request:
http://www.wwi-models.org/misc/Tools/index.html
I haven’t built a bipe for many eons now but I have seen pics of jigs made with legos, cardboard, and what ever is handy. I’m sure some of the guys on this forum can give you more ideas and building tips.
Have fun and remember, modeling is theraputic!
TailspinTom [8-]
Haven’t done a biplane in a while myself, but when I did, I never bothered with jigs. (Maybe this reflects vestiges of my childhood approach to model building which was: Get it done quickly.) I did exactly what you did. Get the short fuselage struts and the wing fastened so nothing’s going to move, then move on to the wing struts. It works.
I always find a calibrated eyeball & lots of prayer works well [:)]. Seriously, a simple jig made from Legos will work great.
Regards, Rick
Aero Club . com
Try a temporary jig using children’s Lego blocks.