I have started a spirit of st. lous model, it’s 32’ scale and is fairly simple. So I had the idea that I could spice it up with good details and some moving parts. I was wondeing how to make the elevators move. they an not desinged to, but I was going to try to get them to work along with the rutter and tail section. do you have any hints, picks, anything that might help an new modeler make a good model?
You can try looking for very small hinges at your local hardware store. The type you want are for jewelry or watches.
For Reference:
http://www.craft-inc.com/prod_list.aspx?riIDClass=17&riPageID=25
However this may prove to be very difficult to do, so I recommend doing some research to see if it’s been done before.
Air Master
Mate,
I avoid (at all costs) creating working parts on a static display model.
It really encourages some fool to say “Hey! Does THIS part move?”…followed immediately bythe sound of…SNAP…
But…having said that, I try to replicate (as closely as possible) the actual physical structure of the original assembly components, and then fix them into place with MEK or superglue.
Unless you want to play with the model, having the parts able to move is really unnecessary.
I just wonted to snazz up the model, that otherwise would be fairly monotonus, and I wont to get better at making working modles. I still have a lot of kid-ness to me though so I like the making the working models. I reasontly made a 72’ tank, and the tracks don’t move, it buggs the hell out of me, though it is sn ok model. I don’t know I just like the working parts.
The concept is easy, the actual work isn’t. First you will have to remove the flight control surfaces from the kit. Use a razor saw or an x-acto knife to remove them. Be careful not to damage the surrounding areas.
For the control surfaces you will have to add plastic stock to the leading edges, and file and sand so they have a rounded look. The mating surfaces of the wing, vertical, and horizontal tail will have to have plastic stock added and filed and sanded to a concave shape. You want the control surfaces to fit snug with no gaps.
Insert brass rod (stronger than aluminum and will not rust like steel) as hinge points for the controles. Drill out an area on the wings, vertical amd horizontal tail so the brass rod on the control surfaces will fit snug. You want a very snug fit so the ailerons, rudder and elevators will stay in position and not be loose. For the elevators you can use brass tubing inserted in the fuselage as a bushing. If the ailerons are too loose, just put a slight bend into the tubing, just enough to keep the ailerons in position.
Old aircraft used non powered control surfaces so when the elevators were down, the stick will be in the full forward position. Ailerons worked opposite of each other, so if the left aileron is up, the right must be down.
Most aircraft used gust locks when they were on the ground to prevent the controles from flopping around in the wind. It prevented damage to them during winds.
For ideas, look at other kits that have move-able control surfaces. Trumpeter has several in 32 scale using photo-etched parts as does the Tamiya 32 scale Zero. Specific to the Spirit of St. Louis, Guillows in 16 scale has moving control surfaces. If you search you can find kit reviews with parts photos. Or look at the workings of mechanized control surfaces of R/C planes and eliminate the servo. Since you already have the kit and presumably aren’t scratch building parts, it sounds like a cutout-putty-sand scenario. As posted above, brass tubing (telescoping type) is very useful for flaps/rudders and available from 1/32" diameter increasing in 1/64" steps - generally available in 1 ft pieces at the hobby shop. Spinning the prop with a $1 hobby motor is another technique when taking the working parts path.