I am currently working on a Monogram 1/48, B-25. This has a tricycle landing gear setup, and the instructions indicate that a crew ladder is to be used to hold up the tail of the model. I do not like that solution, so I’ll be adding weights to the nose to prevent a tail sitter. Unfortunetly, most model manufacturers do not include weights, nor do they indicate how much weight is required to keep the nose down. Tamiya does include weights on some of its models.
Now, the big problem is determining just how much weight is required to prevent a tail sitter. I could just guess, but what happens if I underestimate? I would like to share a pretty much fool-proof way of determining the required amount of nose weight.
I always use a Sharpie to write the word “weights” on the inside of the nose of my models. That way I won’t forget to add weights before I button up the fuselage. I did that once, never again.
Next I find places to install solid weights, such as Pinewood Derby weights that can be purchased at Home Depot. In this case, the weights were installed under the deck of the flight crew. I taped the weights in place using aluminum duct tape. I find the tape to be more secure than exopy.
To test if the weight that I added is enough weigh to prevent a tail sitter, I assemble the entire model using tape. I place a support (red arrow) under the aircraft in the location of the landing gear and watch if the nose goes up or down. In this case, the nose went up, so additional weight is required.
I determined that I could locate additioinal weight in front of the cockpit, so I added lead fishing sinkers into a small plastic bag in front of the cockpit until the nose drops down. Then I add additioinal sinkers just for luck. The weight bag will be shoved into the plane’s nose cone. The location of the weight bag varies with the type of aircraft. This aircraft is a B-25 straffer, so it has a solid nose. If it was an earlier B-25 with a glazed nose I would have to locate the weights in a different location. For example:
I located the solid weights under the flight deck and the weight bag behind the pilot/copilot’s bulkhead of my B-29. Once assembled, the weight bag was not visible.
On my B-24J (nose turret version), the solid weights were located in front of the wheel well and the weight bag was located behing the wheel well.
On my F-104, the weights were located behind the flight deck.
One final thought, try to locate the weights as far forward from the main landing gear as possible. The closer the weights are located to the landing gear the more weights will be required. Adding weights to the engine nacells does not work very well because the weights are too close to the landing gear.
SO, what happens if you goof and don’t add enough weight? That happened to me with my P-38. After I assembled the entire model and installed the landing gear the plane sat on it’s tail.[:@][sn0ps] My only option was to drill a hole in the front of the nacell and pour white gue into the hole. Next I poured small fishing sinkers into the hole until the nose of the model dropped down.
