Model Forum / General / Models / November 2009

ever think of sewing the rigging like fixing a hole? it's pretty easy and
fast.
try a lindberg gladiator, it has the holes and order mapped out.

A trick I learnt when making electronics projects is that single core wire
stretches.  The stuff used in electronics will stretch by around 10%.  Two
things happen when you do this - it goes slightly thinner (the insulation
slides right off) and it goes absolutely straight and quite rigid.  So when
making wire links on PCB you simply cut a piece of insulation the exact
length required, thread some wire though and you have an uber-neat link,
dead straight and just the right size.

I've not tried using wire to rig but if I were I would try streching it
first, obviously more gently because it is thinner because it would go
straight and rigid.

As for colour.  Well real rigging wires were wire.  I doubt that they were
often painted so I imagined that they started off the colour of fresh wire
(silver, a little oxidised so not so bright).  As time when by I imagine
they would have got ingrained with oil, dirt, soot, exhaust, gunsmoke so
would have become darker.

Cheers,

Nigel

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In the very early days it was a wire cable, but if you go looking at
something like a Stearman you'll find an airfoil sectioned, solid metal
"wire" that's tapered and threaded at each end with a jam nut and
clevis.  The color is generally raw aluminum or steel...stainless steel
if it's a high-class job.

So...as always - depending on the subject you're building, you'll find
something different.  There are places out there where you can get
airfoil sectioned styrene "rod" or strip that works quite nicely, and
there is a company that makes etched flying wires.  I've also heard of
using fishing line, and I have some .3 mm carbon fiber stuff called
"Wonder Wire" that I use - I forget where I got it.

Earliest planes through WW1 were rigged with cable (multistranded wire).
 Just about end of war, and through the twenties and even into the
thirties came "flying wire), a single piece of metal with a somewhat
streamlined shape.

For the former you can use a VERY thin electrical or other stranded
wire, or a flexible solid wire.  Solid wire is okay to simulate stranded
cable in 1:72 or 1:48 scale.  For 1:32 consider stranded wire.  For the
one-piece flying wire, thin stainless steel piano wire is frequently
used.  .020 is the smallest regularly available that is stiff enough to
hold its shape.  A little heavy for 1:72 but fine for 1:48 and 1:32
(heavier piano wire may be better for latter, however).

Alternatives in thread are grey thread for the cable type, or
monofilament painted or dyed with silver for flying wires.