Hi all,
Some modellers think photo-etch 'is your friend'
Here are the wing and strut rigging attachments plus the aileron control levers.
All are photo-etch and with self-aligning 'hinged' anchor plates for attaching the rigging lines.

Mike

(just shaking my head in open-mouthed wonderment)

Ditto here!

I think we are all agape

Hi all,
I've finally applied all of the required decals.
Accurate cutting out of the decals is necessary for the wing coverings and alignment of edges is necessary.
Slight overhang of dried decal was gently sanded away.
Weather, although slight, was done using 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt fine clay wash, sealed with 'Alclad' Semi-Matte lacquer.

Now it's onto fitting the photo-etch rigging anchors before pre-rigging is carried out.

Mike

Hi all,
An example of pre-rigging a twin flying wire anchor for the lower wing roots.
A combination of 0.08 mm and 0.15 mm diameter mono-filament and 0.4 mm and 0.5 mm blackened brass tubes.
All together there will be sixteen various types of hinged rigging anchors to pre-rig before the wings are fitted,

Mike

Hi all,
Well that's the pre-rigging of the anchor points done now.

Mike

Hi all,
Just a few updates.
The lower wings with the twin flying wire anchors are fitted.
Also two 'plates' have been made from spare photo-etch and fitted to the wing roots.
These plates may have been step plates or access covers to the rigging anchors.
I've assembled the landing gear (wheels only test fitted), but its yet to be weathered etc.
The 'bungee' suspension cord is EZ white (heavy) line and bracing wires added but not yet tightened.
I've added between the front and rear struts the axle restraining cables, made from 0.4 mm annealed copper wire.

Mike

Hi all,
Unfortunately at this stage of the build I've realised that two of the four interplane struts have no reinforcing rods, which are needed as otherwise the resin strut will bend and break easily.
Normally I would make replacement struts from brass tube, but the end fittings of these struts are square in section, which would be difficult to replicate.
The customer service from Richard at 'Aviattic' is second to none so I'm hoping he'll be able to find replacements for me.
While I'm waiting for replacement struts I've started on the figures.

The pilot figure is the ‘Copper State Models’ Italian flying ace (F32-030).
The mechanic is the ‘Model Kasten’ mechanic from Set B., as is the ladder.
I've altered the mechanic figure from German to a more generic figure and replaced the head with head H1 from the ‘Hornet’ bare heads-mature faces (HH/8) set.
I may reshape the head as it seems rather tall?
To stop the figure from falling off the ladder, I've pinned the right arm into the ladder to plank.

Mike

Hi all,
All of the photo-etch rigging anchors (pre-rigged) have been fitted to the upper and lower wings.
Now comes the tricky part - fitting the upper wing onto its struts through the rigging anchors,

Mike

Hi all,
Well a bit of a disaster tonight.
Whilst preparing to fit the upper wing I found real problems with the photo-etch rigging points.
Most detached from the model surface, despite cleaning up the contact surfaces.
More importantly, several actually broke apart with the side members breaking away from the main body.
This was without apply any undue stress to them.
In fact several very thin parts had already broken off during pre-rigging, but I though I might get away with it.
It could be that as usual with photo-etch, I annealed the parts before assembly so maybe that weakened them.
I must admit I had my doubts as to how durable these parts would be and I'm glad I found out now before fitting the upper wing.
Anyway I've removed and disposed of all but four rigging points and will go back to 'Gaspatch' turnbuckle rigging.
Hey-Ho,

Mike

Sorry to see all the work go down the drain. Was looking forward to seeing all this glorious detail. I am glad you have the patience to continue with it. Some people would toss the entire project into a bin after such a disaster. Good thing you are one of the calm ones. Keeping my fingers crossed this build has a happy ending.

Hi all,
Pre-rigging Part 2.
All of the photo-etch rigging plates, except four, have been removed and replaced with 'GasPatch' pre-rigged lines.
So, now onto fitting the upper wing,

Mike

Silly question probably, but why did you not replace the 4 remaining rigging plates?

Best Regards

Hi Rob,
The two rigging brackets at the lower wing roots are made of two separate photo-etch parts and so are stronger.
Also they have a hole that allows them to slide onto the wing reinforcing steel rods.
When the lower wings are fitted the brackets can't move as they are mounted on the rods and also held in recesses in the wing roots.

The two double sided brackets on the underside of the upper wing are for the front cabane struts.
Again these are more sturdy than the others, plus the have a larger contact area.
I was reluctant to remove them from the surface of the wing in case they lifted the decal underneath,

Mike

Hi all,
Upper wing fitted.
The kit has two exposed fuel pipes between the underside of the fuel tank in the upper wing and the top of the rear engine cowl panel.
However, this particular aircraft, like many 'Balilla's', had these pipes covered by a fairing.
So, before starting the final rigging I'll need to make this pipe fairing.

Mike

Hi all,
When I test fitted the propeller to the model, it seemed to me that the propeller looked as though its diameter was a bit small.
When I scaled a photograph of the model and its propeller to the illustration in the data file, it seemed to bear this out.
Also photographs of the aircraft indicate that the propeller tips were more or less aligned with the landing gear axle (propeller vertical).

Anyway right or wrong, I decide to modify the propeller.
I cut off the two blades, then used 1.0 mm diameter rod to re-join them to the hub, but with a gap in each.
This gap was filled with 'Green Stuff' putty and once cured, filed and sanded to restore the blades profiles.
The overlay below shows the difference before and after modification,

Mike

Hi all,
There were two fuel lines between the fuel tank in the upper wing and the engine bay.
Some ‘Balilla’ aircraft had these fuel pipes exposed, however, this particular aircraft being modelled had the fuel pipes covered with a fairing.

This was made from 1.0 mm thick plastic card, cut and shaped to fit between the underside of the upper wing and engine cowl.
The edges were rounded and indications of fasteners added.
It was then covered with the 'Aviattic' CDL decal and secured in position under the fuel tank in the upper wing.

Mike

Hi all,
I've now fully rigged the wings.
This includes 'twin' flying and landing wires, cabane and interplane incidence wires and two bracing wires from the upper wing into the engine bay.
The only wires not fully connected are the two drift wires from the rear spar of the upper wing.
To avoid damaging them, they will be connected to the radiator area later in the build.
For the same reason, the moveable aileron control levers in the upper wing will be connected to their control rods later in the build.

Now it's onto completing the tail unit before tackling the inserts between the flying and landing wires,

Mike

Hi all,
The tail unit is rigged now.
Twin bracing wires, rudder control line and elevator hinges.
Also added the 'metal' retaining strap at the rear of the fuselage at the tail plane leading edge,

Mike