Model Forum / General / Models / December 2006

Did this ever happen to you?
Suddenly being able to easily do something that had always been a chore
until a minute ago?

I had a revelation last afternoon. I had decided that I'd go ahead and
make those goddamn Hurricane flaps that were the only obstacle
remaining in the path to the spray booth, but cutting MANY tiny bits of
plastic to the same size and shape, and glueing them at regular
intervals, was beyond my ability. It was just a chance that the wing
was lying onto the kit instructions, over the paint table.

You know, tables?... text arranged in rows and columns, separated by
lines...
Hmmm...

I glued the stringers to the flap, taped it onto suitably-spaced lines
I had drawn with a ruler, and removed tiny bits of the stringer in the
place where the reinforcing ribs would go. Then I glued previously cut
triangular pieces of plastic card (also done with lines) and let it
set. A couple hours later, a few passes with a nail file shaped the
ribs to size. The only 'exact' measurement I took was when I drew the
lines; everything else was done by rule of thumb. Hands-on time, less
than 45 minutes. It's not perfect, but abides the three-feet-away rule.
Perhaps it's the way everyone else always made it, but it was a
breakthrough for me and now I'll be taking those half-finished P-39 and
P-40 out of the box...

Ciao
Bone