Matchbox/Revell 1/32 Tiger Moth Question

[fightersweep]

Hi All;

Just a quick question regarding the Matchbox 1/32 Tiger Moth.

Lost among my ridiculously large pile of old magazines, I seem to recall there was an article about the Matchbox Tiger Moth. This was possibly in a copy of Scale Models.

The part I'm trying to track down regards the outer wing struts. I seem to recall that the article suggested that the outer wing struts were too long, effectively reducing the correct dihedral of the lower wings. I've been trawling the internet for reviews that point out the same observation, but I've yet to find one.

Is my hazy recollection correct? Does the kit need a bit of modification in this area? Unfortunately, I don't have any good Tiggie plans at hand at the moment.

Thanks in advance;

Steve

[CarLos]

Hi Steve,

I have the magazine near me an I may send you a scan, if you are interested. I also have several Tiger Moth plans already scanned.

Cheers

Carlos

[gingerbob]

I'd like to see that, Carlos.

I'm pretty sure John Adams has commented on something to do with strut lengths, though I don't remember the details offhand. John, are you there?

bob

[fightersweep]

Hi Carlos;

Many thanks for the offer! The scan would be great, unless you know which magazine the article was in, then I can have a look through my stash. The Tiggie plans would be very helpful...thanks!

So it would seem that there is an issue with the struts then?

Regards;
Steve

[John Aero]

Just come back from walking the dog.

Yes the most popular plans for the Tiger (the old Aeromodeller G.A. Cox drawings) have faults. Matchbox used these as the basis for their kit. The struts (drawn separately on the plan) are over long which gives the model the wrong dihedral on the lower wing. The upper dihedral should be 2 3/4 deg and the lower planes at 4 1/2 deg so I measured the real front strut at 59" surface to surface so in 1/32 scale the front struts are 44.5mm long with the rear ones at 45.2mm.

The same drawings were revised by Scale Models but although they corrected the rudder and cowl, they missed the strut error. Most Tiger kits in any scale have this fault (with the exception of my latest 1/48 kit ) So beware of the plans.

John

[fightersweep]

Hi John;

That's brilliant! Thanks! I'll amend the kit as necessary and hopefully, that should do the trick. I must say, that looking at some builds I found by Googling, the dihedral problem appears to be quite apparent on un-corrected kits. The other ommision from the Matchbox kit that puzzles me is the lack of bucket style seat for the pilot. Having said that, I'm no Tiggie expert, so I'm not sure which airframe Matchbox based their kit on. I am looking forward to tackling this kit though. I was fourteen last time I built one!

Regards;

Steve

PS John: Is the Avro Anson 19 still available??

[John Aero]

Steve

The front seat of the Tiger is built into a sloping wind proof bulkhead and is a bucket type. The rear (instructor) seat is a squarer simpler seat

.

John

[fightersweep]

Ah! Thanks John...I knew one of the seats were different. Just couldn't remember which one! Shouldn't be too difficult to scratch build that. Great photo too...some useful details to be had there. The structure supporting the seats and controls is interesting.

Regards;
Steve

[John Aero]

Steve The Anson will be OOP for a couple of weeks whilst I mould some more wings. The structure the seats mount onto is the standard DH Moth flying control box which could be removed and serviced as a complete unit which will come out through the rear cockpit opening. The rudder wires attach externally to the end of the instructors rudder bar, the aileron loop under the floor and the elevator loop down the fuselage to exit through ferules half way down. John

[fightersweep]

Hi John;

Many thanks for the additional info. I think I may have to source some Tiger Moth reference. I realise that I don't have anything on my bookshelf at all!

Regarding the Anson...if I want to order one, do I contact you here?

Regards;
Steve

[John Aero]

I must have some 12 to 15 books on the Tiger and other Moths as well as dozens of other refs including some maintenance stuff.

It's of interest that the Grainger drawings have the same strut length mistake but the first six Tigers did have the longer struts and it was only when Martlesham complained about the ailerons touching the ground that the lower wing dihedral was increased by shortening the interplane struts and rerigging the wings. The whole development of the Tiger is a story of two men let loose in a shed with a Moth, a saw and a welding torch. The drawings were only done after the plane was built.

Just PrivateMessage me through this site. regarding the Anson.

Regards

John

[Spitfire31]

Most Tiger kits in any scale have this fault [over long outer struts] (with the exception of my latest 1/48 kit ) So beware of the plans.

John

I wonder if this also applies to the new AZ kit in 1/72nd…

Kind regards,

Joachim

[Work In Progress]

I'm sure someone here will build one soon, so let's wait and see.

[Kestrel19]

**pedantry alert!**

The front seat of the Tiger is actually the Instructors seat and the rear one the pupils. The Tiger is soloed from the rear seat to keep the centre of Gravity in the correct place (common with many older tandem aircraft like the J3 cub) so that's where the pupils were put.

[CarLos]

.

Good detail photo! Apart from the longerons, the only square tubes are those near the front seat?

(Steve, I had some unexpected issues last Friday, I'll scan the Scale Models article later today)

Carlos

[hacker]

here is my 1/32 matchbox/revell tigermoth l tried to get the seats right but finally gave up and went with l had. l have yet to finish it but this news about the struts caught my eye as l have not put them on yet.

[John Aero]

I am begining to suspect that the Canadian 82c's might have had two of the standard seats fitted as the anti draft front seat was redundant with the canopy. Any Canucks like to chip in.

John