Getting started - a Fiddler's Green Spad XIII Build

[Alcides]

Great post !!! I've some models in my belt but I learning from your post. Really I think always is great to share the knowledge.

[pahorace]

Hello,
this model is very nice.
I have several models of FG.
This thread (well-made and well detailed) shows how simple models can become excellent models.

Thanks for sharing (there is always to learn).

Orazio

[Wily]

Having built that kit a few bajillion times...wow.

FG kits are - to me - kind of tongue-in-cheek models. They're great fun, but at the same time, I'm always wondering, "Is this REALLY the best way to build this?"

Your thread is encouraging.

[Don Boose]

Been out of the net for several days, so just seeing this excellent thread now. Many thanks for the very clear explanations and photos. Exceptionally useful!

Don

[kenlwest]

Looks great! I've always liked the look of the Spad.

Ken

[Retired_for_now]

Thanks for the kind words all (Mike, Ron(s), ja, Padre, Wily, Don(s), Ken, Bob, Alcides, and Orazio) - fortunately we're all non-competitive (hah!) 'cause what I've seen of your builds leaves me breathless.

So, onward. The model instructions call for the interplane struts to be set on top of the lower wing and mate to spots on the lower surface of the upper wing. Two problems: First is how to push the rope up a hill with getting eight struts lined up vertical, stuck to the lower wing, then lined up again (one at a time) with the spots on the upper wing without the whole thing looking like an agitated centipede. Second, the surface of the lower wing is curved - so the bottom of each strut would need to be trimmed at an angle - and cambered - so the struts lengths will need to differ to keep the upper and lower wings aligned.

The solution - cheat again. I have eight laminated struts, all cut to the same length with square ends. I have upper and lower wings with flat bottom surfaces. Obviously, joint those flats. Equal length struts will ensure evenly spaced wings. So, I carefully cut slots for the struts in the top surface of the lower wing using the provided locating marks. This will cost me a few mm of interwing spacing - but I figure it's worth that small discrepancy. For larger, more accurate modeling you could just leave a little extra material on the bottoms of the struts.


sinking struts

struts and tail tweaking

A touch of glue on the bottom of each strut and some careful alignment (vertical and square) and here we are.

Back to Bob's comment. Somewhere along the line my fuselage bends were off a bit, resulting in some twist in the tail end of the fuselage. I ignored it until I had the lower wings on, then used them as the primary reference to re-square everything back up. First, I slit the glue seam at the tail, slid things around until it was straight again, reglued the tail end, then cut off the "excess." The result is a straighter and square tail (with a little scrap jigging to hold it) and a lesson for next time - more eyballing. The result is not obvious - especially for a ceiling hanger.


tail results - still need to add the tail skid, which will hide more of this *#!!>

Next up was attaching the upper wing. With the struts held firmly in the lower wing, it is now an easier task to assemble the rest. A spot of glue on the tops of the two outboard struts on one wing, carefully locate them on the underside of the upper wing (close eye/tweezer work), press in place and hold. Titebond II does this well, it only has about 20-30 seconds of working time when spread in a thin film (maybe a minute for a blob - shudder) but tacks up to hold in 10-15 seconds and is solid in a minute. It dries yellowish, not too noticable on dark colors, so requires it be used sparingly.

With two struts firmly attached, gently lift the wing, apply glue to the inner two struts on that same wing, locate, press, and hold. Continue with the inner struts on the other wing, then the outer.


high tech fixtures

Yogi

[member_3]

Ah yes, the semi-rigid annular medium-depth trailing edge alignment tool! A rare and costly fixture! Great build, great thread!

[Retired_for_now]

Nice to know the use of the SrAMdTEAT is spreading.

FG builds seem to just glide along - creasing, cutting, bending, shaping, gluing - then suddenly you run out of parts!

Cabane struts, prop, landing gear, guns and finish the tail. The cabane struts, connecting the fuselage with the center wing, go on easily. The top is cut square and glued to a spot marked on the underside of the upper wing. The bottom of the strut is bevelled and is glued to the fuselage (where ever it lands near the marked locations on the model). A dot of glue on each end, some more close tweezer work, check visual alignment, repeat.

The prop on this model is one-sided, making it a bit delicate and requiring some work with the marker on the backside (I'm not much of a painter so it's basic brown). I did use a dowel to put a lengthwise curve (airfoil) in the blades, and used the spiral paper wrapped in a hole technique to build a short cylinder to get the prop clear of the cowling. Since this is a ceiling hanger, the prop is glued on. You could just as easily bore a hole in the prop hub and engine plate and use a small nail/pin to make a spinning prop (my usual solution) - but I figured it would eventually fall off and get lost (compromise, compromise). The same applies to the landing gear wheels - glued on here but could spin on a pin).


prop

The landing gear legs were laminated to cereal box card stock for durability. On reflection, a couple layers of regular card - as I used for the struts - would have been a better choice. You'll note the wheels are splayed when they should be vertical - the heavy card just wouldn't keep the bend and I didn't want to make a v-cut for relief (can always do that later if I decide to). As is, I just give 'em another squeeze everytime it annoys me; will probably be lined up correctly in a day or two.

Another advantage of paper - after rolling the tubes for the guns I cut some small disks to close the ends to finish off the parts. The vertical tail went on, carefully aligned perpendicular to the wings and centered (on average) with the back end of the fuselage.


no more parts!

I'm satisfied with the result - FG may not win awards at the model show (then again, see Bob Martin's Citabria), but the graphic detail printed on them gives a finished result far better than any model I can paint. Far more detail all around than you get in the typical (expensive) pre-built desk models too.

Disclaimer - primary defects are the leaned in landing gear (fixable if I cut some v-grooves to relieve the inside of the bend, then bend and reglue; or build them better with laminated lighter card), a bit of coloring work on the wing leading edge folds (bending breaks the printed surface and exposes some white card), and a very slight wrack (twist) in the forward/mid fuselage (barely visible directly from the front so this one gets ignored - need more dry fits and bending tweaks before assembly next time).

Other comments - I don't mind tabs on this kind of model. However, tabs should be square/rectangular unless there are interference problems with other parts. Raking the edges of tabs seems to be the default, but it often leaves the end of a join unsupported - potentially letting the parts "bell" out and spoiling the desired straight fit. The graphics work is very well done, the blast plates, exhausts, and other details on the cowling parts lined up nicely - as did the gray on the belly.

All in all, a good job from the folks at FG. And, it comes in a large size as well for the serious detailers (not that that makes any difference to Ray ...)

Yogi (break time's over - back to finishing the last two rocket gardens)

[Texman]

Good job Yogi. FG does make for some nice work.

[Don Boose]

Great tutorial, Yogi. I have saved it and printed it out for future reference.

What's the next project?

Don