squaring up my fusilage

[mikethe hamster]

I am putting together a chipmunk its my 5th build having trouble gluing together a straight fus. I ve read alot searched the net and followed the !@##$ directions on the plans .perhaps a rather sophmoric question but i am self taught and not to brite to begin with any help would go a long way towards finaly getting one in the air thank you

[SteveM]

Those 900 series kits have very thin and light wood that can be a trial to work with but make for a light plane that can fly well. Follow the link David Duckett provided and check out other people's builds of the Chipmunk then check out how people have built the other 900 series kits.

If you think all of that was great, check out some of the other models that people have posted pictures of, there is a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned from those pictures and comments.

[svaughn]

Hi,
I’m building a Guillow P51 (#905) from the same series as your chipmunk. I’m on my third try for the fuselage. Alignment is a problem for me too.

You might try cutting the sides of the fuselage from a single sheet of balsa. The sides that came in my kit were not well match. One was more flexible than the other.

Also, I’ve been experimenting with using magnets instead of pins. The advantage is that magnets can be placed on you building board so they stick up vertically and provide a true right angle in 3-D. I purchased my building ‘board’ from Lowes in the sheet metal area. I also purchased magnets there.

If I had it to do over, I would probably purchase a product called ‘Magna-board’ from Easy Built Models (see http://www.easybuiltmodels.com/b04.htm ).

For this model in particular, I tried using ceramic magnets that are about 2 inches by 1 inch by 3/8 inch think. I can put the 1 inch by 3/8 inch surface down so they stick up 2 inches. But the magnetic field of these magnets is so strong that they tend to snap together if they get within an inch of each other, especially when they are standing up.

I found some 2 inch corner braces (see http://hardware.hardwarestore.com/28-44 ... 03299.aspx ) in my junk drawer in my garage and glued them to the 2 inch by 1 inch surface of a few of these magnets.

This arrangement is more stable. Placing the largest surface of these magnets against th Since the corner braces are steel, I was able to align them with the outside edge of the top view of the fuselage drawing that comes with the kit. Then I used a much smaller magnet (1 inch by ¼ inch by ¼ inch) to hold the fuselage sides against the corner braces. The magnets worked great. You can nudge them around until they are in the perfect place.

[supercruiser]

I've built a couple of the 900 series. Some modelers build a jig to hold the fuselage. Such as some square blocks of wood screwed to the building board.
Or just about anyway to get some 90 degree angles to set the formers and sideframes against. The basic problem is of course the different densities and strength of the two separate sideframes. I think the key is NOT to try and match the tail ends of the sideframes together. After the frames are glued to former A, stand the model on it's nose, with former A secured to the building board, use a weight or something to keep it flat against the board. Then with a carpenter's square or anything you know is truly vertical, place it next to the fuselage along the bottom centerline. This will give you a vertical reference. Pinch the frame tail ends together with you fingers. Keeping the point where the ends meet in line with your vertical reference. I've found that as you slide the ends back and forth, I can get a straight fuselage. Mind you, the tail ends are mismatched by about 1/16 or the 1/8 inch. Add a little glue and clamp together with a clothes pin. After it's dry, sand down the longer end until they both are together. I'm sure there is a better way. Maybe a more experienced modeler will give his recommendations.

[svaughn]

Hi again,

Here is a link to a web site with more information on how to use and where to get magnets for model building:

http://airfieldmodels.com/information_s ... agnets.htm

The third photo on this page shows how to square a fuselage like those in the 900 series.

[Arlo DiPasquale]

I am also building the 900 series P-51 and I found it hard to get the fuselage squared. I also found the 2 piece wings a bit less strong than the wings of all 400 series airplanes.

[supercruiser]

I am also building the 900 series P-51 and I found it hard to get the fuselage squared. I also found the 2 piece wings a bit less strong than the wings of all 400 series airplanes.

Go to virtualaerodrome.com and look in my hangar, you can see what I did to strengthen the 900 series Mustang wing.