(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/SUPER_ACE_BLANK.JPG)
Started today,the Chrislea Super Ace.
Balsa is 1940's Mosquito material of very high quality,a pleasure to cut.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/SUPER_ACE_BLOCK.JPG)
Is it fairly dense balsa? I secured a quantity of balsa pieces in the 1970s. They came from F-86 ejection seats, but I cannot tell what part of the seat or its function. The balsa was dense and excellent to work with.
Lou
Lou, for what it's worth I hope the balsa is dense. I've found that there's balsa and there's balsa. By that I mean that the closer to the core area that the balsa was cut the more dense and more like basswood or otherhard woods it appears to be. In these cases its use appears to be definitely preferable. Perhaps other members have similar opinions.
Cliff.
Very dense,beautiful stuff to work with,almost like a softer Jelutong.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/SET_OF_PARTS_CHRISLEA_ACE.JPG)
Kit of parts for the Chrislea Super Ace.
Barry.
A day carving propeller's and sanding down the blanks for the Chrislea Super Ace,about 8 hours enjoyable work here in between sipping chammomile and honey tea in the sunshine.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/PROPELLERS_IN_THE_MAKING.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/SUPER_ACE_PARTS_ALL_SANDED.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/SUPER_ACE_PARTS_SANDED.JPG)
Nice work Barry. We have sunshine today so I may just take my sanding block and model outside today.
Lou
The wing has had a slot cut into it at the centre section together with a corresponding one in the upper cabin area,the wing was then partially cracked at the lower membrane ith a saw cut to give the necessary dihedral angle,two tiny wedges were then soaked in adhesive and pushed into the slots which pushes the wings upwards at the tips,when dry the wing was glued into place,next the tail assembly was checked and fitted into the rear upper slot in the fuselage carefully aligning it from the front with MK.1 modellers eyeball.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/CHRISLEA_ACE_ASSY.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/ACE_WING_JOINT.JPG)
Great Barry. That old Mk I eyeball works for me.
Lou
The Chrislea Super Ace has had some refinements done to it,aft of the wing trailing edge this blends in with the upper portion of the cockpit cabin,here two triangular pieces needed to be added,once dry they are cut and sanded into the shape of the trailing edge,this would be almost impossible to achieve any other way,on the real aircraft these are fairings which seal the joint where the wing is bolted in place.
The undercarriage legs have been made from brass tube sunk into a slot in the underside and fairings will be added and sanded to shape,the nose leg fork was made from brass tube fettled on a small modellers anvil and pushed into a pre drilled hole on the underside,then thin cyno is flooded into the area to lock this into place.
Never resign anything to the scrap bin for example the tail fairing was made up from the portion removed for the tail assembly,it was trimmed down and repositioned after the tailplane was added later.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/CHRISLEA_ACE_REAR_WING_GUSSTS.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/CHRISLEA_ACE_TAIL_FAIRING.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/CHRISLEA_ACE_UNDERCARRIAGE.JPG)
Excellent work Barry. Those little add on make the model sometimes.
Lou
The Super Ace had its wheels fitted,plus the neat round tail bumper just like the real aircraft.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/WHEELS_SUPER_ACE.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/TAIL_SKID_SUPER_ACE.JPG)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/NODE_LEG_SUPER_ACE.JPG)
Very nicely done, Barry. But just how does one keep both wheels on?
Cliff.
The wheels are held on with tiny home brew cup washers soldered on the ends of the brass tube,to make the cup washers place a piece of tin from a baked bean can or similar and indent an hole with a round nail,you will see there is an instant indentation that grips the tube,cut around close with tin snips and a dab of solder locks the wheel in place,with the forks drill a tiny hole and place a pin into the wheel,a dab of solder holds the pin firm,then trim off and file.
Barry.
Thanks Barry for getting back to me on my queston concerning wheels so quickly. Mind you I had thought of an alternative method which I would be pleased if you could comment on. I really would have attacked the problem of wheels (so that they stay on) by making the undercarriage portion, that you ultimately attached as one piece to the bottom of the fuselage, by attaching two pieces both comprised of pins such that the pin heads act as a retainer for the wheels. Again, using as you did, body filler or what not, to attach the undercarriage.
Cliff.
Yes Cliff I have used the system you describe for wheel retention in the past,the biggest problem is bending the leg with the wheel attached and having to deal with the minimum bend allowing for the pointed pliers and not having a sloppy wheel,thus over the years I have found it better to make it so the wheels are offered up at a later stage,however there is another compromise here by making the legs from brass tube then attaching the wheels via pins into the open extended legs,a good idea is to bend the bit of pin that goes into the tube back and forth thus creating a self locking as the pin grips inside the tube.
In the case of the Super Ace a slot has been cut into the fuselage lower and the pre bent tube sunk into this,the somewhat untidy fixing is some metal filled epoxy that I am using up ! it appears to be aluminium filled,then the top is levelled off with good old filler and sanded flush.
You would not believe that such a simple thing as attaching an undercarriage could be so beset with problems and alternative ideas ? having learned the hard way over the years with flying model undercarriages that bend and twist in those heavy landings ! like yourself it is interesting to try variations on a theme with different new models,I love using pins as they are readily available that is if you can get hold of the soft variety that are getting hard to find these days.
Barry.
Good grief, Barry, there's lots to think about there. All I can say now is I'll get back to you. But again thanks for being so prompt.
Cliff.
In my improvised paint booth the Chrislea Super Ace received its first coat of high build primer,we had sunshine today which was a real bonus for the drying out.
Barry.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/CHRISLEA_ACE_PRIMER.JPG)