Jump to content

Internal Spacer


EC182

Recommended Posts

Greetings,

 

Bit of a tricky one to describe.

 

I'm currently working on a Kinetic Nesher and have had a fair few problems with the fit.

In particular, the forward air intake cover on one side will not sit properly to correspond with its counterpart on the other side, which sits perfectly, with its top lip at a certain point just above the shock cone.

The only way to get the troublesome cover into position is to move it in a way that places it out of alignment with the rest of the fuselage and the wing root, creating a big step and a gap.

 

The problem could largely be solved by pushing the wing root out at the bottom by a millimetre or so, so that it meets the cover properly when the lip is aligned.

I don't want to achieve this by placing glue under shear tension, as I fear it will come unstuck at some point later.

All I can think of is to somehow push the wing root out from the inside using some kind of a spacer.

 

If anyone has done anything like this before and has any suggestions as to how best to do it, it would be appreciated.

Edited by EC182
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nice thing about model kits is all the free plastic.  You can make a very decent spacer from the thickest bit of sprue in the box - the trick is to make it the right size.

 

Measuring the length you need would be ideal, but with the best will in the world, it's impossible to be precise because in most cases you're measuring two separate parts and you know only that they're the wrong size when put together.  So what I've generally done is eyeball it: produce one that you know is too long; dry-fit the parts in question and tape them together; fit the spacer as best you can to get an idea of how much too long it is; trim it; and repeat.  And the closer you get to the right length the less you take off, so you don't end up too short.  But you also want to be wary of unintended consequences.  So if you'd end up opening up a gap somewhere else, or skewing an angle on something important, filling and sanding (or even replacement parts) might be the better option.  One to watch for especially if you're playing around with a wing root is that you don't change the dihedral angle*, especially on only one side.

 

* or anhedral, since you're building a Nesher

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the reply pigsty.

 

Problem solved - I cut a wafer of plastic from an unwanted part and wedged it between a rib inside the fuselage and the main body of the engine. That pushed the wing root out just enough, and hasn't caused any issues anywhere else. 

 

You put me on the right track with your talk of free plastic 😀

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...