(Simple Stuka... pg.3)
Tissue for the lower surfaces is white Esaki, rubbed
with white chalk and misted with Krylon. The tissue
used to cover the stabilizer should be preshrunk
prior to inking and chalking, to ward off possible
warps. The rest of the structure is strong enough
to withstand full tissue shrink power.
Before any tissue goes on the model, take plenty
of time for fine sanding of the framework. Keep
in mind that any rough edges or bumps in the wood
will become glaringly obvious with a tight tissue
covering. While you do this, it's also a good time
to develop a strategy for covering your model.
I typically use gluestick to attach tissue, and
apply heat with a trim iron to secure the tissue
seams. As an extra precaution I use a toothpick
to apply a thin bead of diluted white glue to these
seams.
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Attaching the Landing Gear
Before covering the upper inboard wing sections,
the landing gear must be attached. This is the time
to bend the upper part of your LG wires to fit into
the wing properly. Refer to the plan to make your
bends.
To the right you can see how the wire fits into
the wing. A piece of 1/16" sheet balsa is then
epoxied over this, sandwiching the wire. A slow
drying epoxy formula will give you time to adjust
the landing gear as necessary. Then the sandwich
should be firmly clamped until dry.
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Completing the Covering Job
Once all the framework is covered it's time to
spray the tissue and allow it to dry. Be sure
to weigh down the wing and tail surfaces while
drying to prevent warps. At the wingtips, block
up the tailing edge 1/16" higher than the
leading edge. Then when the tissue dries you'll
have washout built in.
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Panel
Lines and Insignia
I think the most effective part of this design is
the simplification of all those dive flaps, drag
flaps, and ailerons. Here they are all integrated
into the wing surfaces, and represented very simply
with tissue lines - gray on top, and black on bottom.
The grey tissue was chalked to make it opaque.
The yellow band around the fuselage is yellow tissue
with a few layers of yellow chalk. This was also
attached with gluestick and trim iron.
Insignia and other markings were computer printed
on regular typing paper, and carefully cut out with
a sharp Exacto blade. Again, glue stick and trim
iron were used to attach these.
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Major Assembly
Now it's time to assemble the major components.
Wings should be attached first, and proper alignment
is critical. The butt joints between wings and fuse
must be glued securely, so you won't get a second
chance at alignment. First refer to the plan, and
mark wing locations on your model to ensure accurate
incidence settings.
I created a simple jig to hold the fuse so the wings
could be attached and measured for symmetry. Carpenter's
Wood glue was used because it makes a strong joint,
and because it allows plenty of time to make adjustments
before it sets.
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Next step is gluing the rudder on, and when it's
dry you can slip the stabilizer through it's slot.
They aren't shown on the plan, but struts run from
the stab to the bottom of the fuse. Cover these
with white tissue, and attach as shown at left. |
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Before attaching the canopy I darkened that area
of the fuse with a black permanent ink marker -
to give the illusion of depth. My preferred goop
for canopy attachment is Aileen's Tacky Glue - it
dries clear like Elmer's White, but is much stronger.
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