1:32nd scale Caudron G.3 (Anzani engine)

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've spent four days pre-rigging and creating rigging holes for the Caudron.
Here's a few shots, but most are rigging locating holes in the wings and tail unit.
Combination of 0.4 and 0.5 mm diameter tube and 0.08 and 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament.
Turnbuckles are a mix of Gaspatch 1:48th scale metal and Proper plane 1:32nd scale resin.

After assembly I'll final rig the rest of the wires and cables,

Mike

[crazypoet]

I love your attention to detail on this!  The rigging is making me a bit cross-eyed even from here - great work!

[DocRob]

Nice job on the rigging Mike. I thought about a simplified method of rigging, when I start mine, but I don´t know, if it will satisfy me. If not, I have a tutorial now .

Cheers Rob

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The upper wing has now been fitted, apart from the bracing struts for the outer lift struts.
They will be fitted after final rigging of the wings.
Despite have a total of 16 struts, there is still some slight sideways flex of the upper wing.
The final rigging should make it all more rigid,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The eight cabane strut bracing wires have been added.
I used 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament, 0.5 mm diameter blackened tubes and Gaspatch 1:48th scale metal turnbuckles (Type A and C) and Anchor Points.

Mike

[crazypoet]

There is a practical kind of elegance to this kind of rigging, then done properly

you can sort of “read the minds” of the early engineers - seeing how they solved problems and made the structure work - an exercise in practical minimalism

this is beautifully done!

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The inboard twin flying wires are rigged.
Also the inboard single landing wires.
Both using 0.12 mm mono-filament and blackened 0.5 mm diameter tube.
The turnbuckles are Proper Plane resin 1:32nd scale Eye End type (RD-018),

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
More final completed.
Forward brace wires.
Inboard incidence wires.
Outer flying wires.
Outer landing wires,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
More wing rigging completed.
Outer interplane strut incidence wires.
Outer lift strut incidence wires.
Outer lift strut bracing wires.
Twin wing warp control cables.
Single wing warp control cable.
Lower to upper wing bracing wires.

Now the basic wing rigging is finished, it's onto assembly again.
I need to fit the two tail booms and tailplane before I can complete the rigging on those components,

Mike

[GusMac]

Amazing work and a perfect example of why I've never gone near a biplane kit!

[HubertB]

WOW!

Amazing work, Mike 👍

Hubert

[belugawhaleman]

Amazing detail! Nice work😀

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
A bit more progress.
The tail booms and bracing struts are fitted.
The three different bracing wire sets for the lower wing to tail booms has also been completed.
The bracing wires from the lower wing back to the tail booms will be final rigged later, once the tail unit if fitted.

So now it's onto assembly of the tail unit,

Mike

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Front end on its wheels,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The tailplane of this aircraft could be adjusted to either increase or decrease the angle of attack (AOA) of the tail unit.
Lifting the tailplane leading edge increased the AOA and lowering decreased the AOA.
Bracing struts were fitted between the tops of the king posts on the tail booms and the fins and also between the fins.
As the fin/rudder assemblies were fixed to the tailplane, if the AOA of the tailplane was altered, it meant the fin/rudders would move up or down with the tailplane.
Although the centre strut between the fins could be fixed in position, the outer struts attached between the fixed king posts and fins must have been able to move with the change in tailplane AOA.
With the tailplane AOA in the neutral position, the three struts would most likely be parallel to the tailplane when viewed from above.
If the AOA was increased the fins and therefore the outer struts would move up and rearwards.
If the AOA was decreased the fins and therefore the outer struts would move down and forwards.
My assumption therefore is that the end fittings of the outer struts must have been able to pivot to allow the struts to move as required.

This is all conjecture, but based on the fact that I used the optional photo-etch adjuster brackets and have the tailplane secured in the brackets at a decreased AOA (tailplane tilted slightly downwards).
This means that the fin end of the outer struts are slightly forwards when viewed from above.
As the distance between the king posts and fins is slightly increased, the kit supplied struts do not fully span the gap between them.

To avoid any problems for those who have not yet built their Caudron, I would advise having the tailplane AOA fixed in the neutral (mid)  position to allow the struts to fit correctly and be parallel to the tailplane.

Mike