Spad SA 4

[stevehed]

Evening All,

Carl T's recent post on his Russian aircraft reminded me that I had started to prepare my own about six months ago. It had taken a back seat while I was distracted by other projects. Began in earnest at the start of last week and as far as I was concerned it was to be OOB plus two crew from the spares. But, while the major parts have been OK what a pain it has been trying to salvage anything useful from the sprue containing the smaller parts. It's a long time since I've wrecked so many parts. Admittedly most can be replaced with plastic rod but the gun ring and gun support are metal wire so hopefully will prove OK but it's the sense of failure when the bits break. I don't mind replacing a part that looks inadequate but not even getting to make that decision is rather frustrating. Still, it is a short run and I should have known better to expect a straight forward build. And be grateful that such companies provide at least the basics to make some of the lesser known beasties.

Progress so far plus what I have salvaged from the sprues. Not too sure about the wing struts.

Regards, Steve

[p-26luvr]

Steve, what you are showing looks pretty good to me, except it is too large & I can not read it all. Will be following your build regularly. Carl T

[stevehed]

Plan A

I read a review where the chap decided to install the upper wing first. As the cabane struts are fixed by being part of the side/uc part this looked good to me. So top wing and centre struts plus rigging wires were put together thus. I used cement so that a degree of flexibility would remain for the most part.

Regards, Steve

[stevehed]

Plan A

The wing struts were too long and I couldn't get the lower wings fixed into place. They only have a small guide slot which goes between the front and back legs. In the end the struts were splayed outwards to give the wings a bit of support and allow a touch of CA to hold the wings in place.

[stevehed]

When the lower wings were finally secure after a bit more CA the struts were removed and card supports positioned and left overnight. Next morning the struts were trimmed and located. Whole structure seemed a bit shaky bit I reckoned the rigging and a liberal dose of CA along the joints would firm things up. But it was not to be as everything was crooked. Decided to dismantle and start again so we're back to picture one at the moment. Gonna take a spell away from this one, don't think the frame of minds quite right.

Cheers, Steve

[Mikey58]

Ahh,the joys of fitting struts and rigging.........or not!Counselling should be available on the NHS for WW1 modellers!

Mike

[T-Tango]

Ahh,the joys of fitting struts and rigging.........or not!Counselling should be available on the NHS for WW1 modellers!

Mike

Yeah! Right, I can just see my doctors face now, if I demanded counselling being a WWI modeller, he would promptly section me under the Mental Health Act.

[Killingholme]

It's incurable. The closest thing to a treatment is to model interwar bipes, where if you're lucky there's a little less rigging...

Good to see your technique, I find it crucial to see how everyone else builds biplanes, as everyone has a slightly different way of doing it. Since becoming a member here I think I have rigged all the builds I have done since in different ways!

nice model, even if the original aircraft looks like a back street cut=and=shut between a DH.2 and a Spad XIII...

Will

[Mikey58]

For rigging I tend to drill a through hole either side of the strut and then add a shallow groove on the outer surface of the wing joining the holes.Then as much as possible use a long thread (monofilament) and go through as many holes with that thread,sort of cats cradle.Then add small bit of filler to cover holes and groove.Good bit about it is that when pulled taut,it does really hold the wings in place.

Mike

[stevehed]

For rigging I tend to drill a through hole either side of the strut and then add a shallow groove on the outer surface of the wing joining the holes.Then as much as possible use a long thread (monofilament) and go through as many holes with that thread,sort of cats cradle.Then add small bit of filler to cover holes and groove.Good bit about it is that when pulled taut,it does really hold the wings in place.

Mike

That's not a bad idea. Probably best suited to twin, or more, bays ? The groove should make covering up the holes a bit easier.

The Spad, whether this one or the later fighters, are a little different to most rigged types. The rigging is single bay but the aircraft has two sets of struts. It appears to me, and I stand by to be corrected, that a wire from the centre section cabane runs to a turnbuckle that is attached to the centre of the centre struts, diagonally opposite is another and a wire runs from it to the base of the outer struts. Similarly from the upper outer to the lower fuselage, just above the under carriage legs. The thinness of the kit struts prevented replication by such means as Bob's Buckles so I intended fixing with CA a wire into the fuselage, running the thread to the cross-bar part of the centre struts, wrapping around the bar tightly, tab of CA and then running to a hole at the top of the outer strut to secure with CA when tight. I'd be interested to hear how others have tackled Spad rigging. I assume most of us have built a Revell or Airfix scout at some time.

Cheers,

Steve

Edited January 18, 2011 by stevehed

[Paul RH]

I rig more or less the way that mike has described, although a continous thread cannot always be possible but it has the advantage of being able to tense up three or more bits of rigging by pulling on one line before glueing.

It´s probably up to the individual and there doesn´t seem to be any hard and fast "rules". I have rigged my 2 (Revell) Fokker E.III´s both differently.ie the start point and one using 4 seperate strands and the other only 2. Difference?? ...not much really . But as I was doing the second I realised there may be another way......ooops...what another purchase!?

[Ray S]

Is this the plane with the prop between the pilot and the gunner? If it is I have always been fascinated by that one! The model is looking good so far and look forward to seeing more of it. It was interesting reading about the rigging techniques too.

Keep up the good work!

Regards, Ray

[p-26luvr]

Steve, i keep getting off onto other models, the latest a Revell 1/72nd scale P-26 that I finished up yesterday. The way you describe tha Spad middle strut sounds accurate to me. One way that you & others may want to try to duplicate the real thing is to get the Part brand etch-brass control horns & turnbuckle set in 1/72nd scale. Admittedly the turnbuckles are very small & would require the patience of Job to be able to work with, but I think it might be a possibility. Carl T

[stevehed]

Hello again Carl,

Just been having another look at this kit. Added the rear stabs to give me a reference point when lining the wings again. Been filing the mating surfaces on the lower wing joints and several dry runs later they might now be straight. Going to have another go sometime soon but guess what ? I've just snapped one of the inner struts with the crossbar. Have broken parts before but with this kit it's almost on an industrial scale. Never mind, deep breadths and every man must do his duty.

Cheers, Steve

[p-26luvr]

Steve I am learning by your example. Keep up the good work. I am in there cheering for you. Sooner or later we both will get it finished. Carl T

[stevehed]

Been here before but this time the top wing is considerably straighter. Fixed lower first using rear stabs as guides and reinforced joint with superglue. Dry run with top wing followed and was way out. Decided to saw half way through port cabane struts to get a bit more flexibility and enlarged the port locating holes on upper wing. Added rudder to help keep an even keel. Cemented rear struts only and tried to ensure wing gap with homemade support. At the moment it seems that everything is much better lined up and have therefore CA'd front struts. Here's hoping.

Cheers,

Steve

[stevehed]

To date this far. Lower wing fixed with copious amounts of CA for strength. Surviving inner strut used as pivot. Constructed opposite inner strut from Contrail rod. Original outer struts remained intact and started to clean up. Very delicately worked on rear strut which has moulded on sleeve for control wires, I believe. After what seemed like hours the piece looked the part but somehow I snapped it. Enough was enough so from here on all struts were plastic rod. Past caring about control sleeves all I wanted was a sound structure. That I can honestly say I now have and rigging has commenced.

Regards,

Steve

[stevehed]

Just about finished. A few dabs of filler and paint touch ups should suffice. May add a prop guard behind observer if I can find something suitable. Bar one set of inner struts and the mg had to replace almost everything. Struts, gun mount and ring, locking frame and spreader bar. Pulpit legs are narrower than the under carriage legs requiring another modification to make them fit. All in all a very frustrating build but it does look like what it says on the box. Except it isn't really. The wings sport four aerilons and are two piece, joined in the centre, and the stabs are faired. The A4 has two aerilons on the upper wing only, a centre section and larger non faired stabs. My guess is the Spad A2 Ma Jeanne is the same kit as the Russian A4 although whether the A4 with skis contains any additional parts I cannot say. A welcome addition to my as yet small IRAS fleet but from my own experience the main parts are OK, wings a bit thick, but treat it like a vacform. Most of the rest will have to be provided from the spares or aftermarket. Unless mine was just a Monday morning job. Let's see how CarlT manages before making a final judgement.

Cheers, Steve

Finally alongside the A types successor the Spad V11. This was one of my stress relievers and I used it to practice the rigging on. It is also my IRAS Spad cheat as the Airfix French transfers were retained and Russian roundels added to the sides and stabs. Not uncommon I'm led to believe and stretched out my limited supply.

Edited March 18, 2011 by stevehed

[p-26luvr]

A super finished model, Steve. If I can get mine to look half as good I will be lucky. BRAVO. My latest diversion has been some work on the Roden Felixstowe F2A. I have added the Part etch-brass interior, & put on the first coat of paint over that. I posted pictures of my finished P-26 the other day. Carl T

[Killingholme]

Great work Steve, very clean build considering all the things that needed tweaking or replacing!

Is your SPAD VII the old airfix kit with the corrugated steel wings? It certainly looks well. Interesting to see the combination of French and Russian markings. I assumed all the Russian SPADs were licence built instead of imported. I read somewhere that the French built Spads were always regarded as superior to licence built ones- well in the British services anyhow.

Will

[stevehed]

Thanks Will,

Bit of a struggle but it hasn't turned out to bad in the end. The Spad V11 is the old Airfix kit, complete with corrugations. The camera angle has leveled them out a bit but they remain in all their glory. Kit was originally made over 30 years ago when such imperfections didn't bother me at all. Nowadays I would reduce them down but the kit seems not so bad otherwise to my eyes. Regarding the Russian Spads I believe the first 43 came from France while Dux licence built another 100 or so.

Cheers, Steve