SPA Modeler

Okay, it isn't plastic, but it has plastic pieces/parts. Over the decades, and the last one was while I was in grad school....I've tried many times to build these things. Always struggled. Could not get the formers straight, stringers did not line up, could not get the plastic pieces cut out and cleaned up to install....you name it. Oh, I would also manage to break a number of the formers and spend an inordinate amount of time regluing things.

Good to know nothing has changed. I am glad I got this to "practice" with before taking on the DC-3. There is a love / hate relationship with these kits. Can't explain it. Anyway, here is where we are.









In that last picture, over half of the formers have had to be repaired or reattached. Ham-handedness and balsa do not mix well. On the starboard side, I may use the side keel as a "holder" to place the formers.

On a side note, if you have read this far, I bought a bottle of BSI CA glue from Guillows. I ordered the float pieces and had to add something to meet their minimum. Seems to be somewhat better than the Hobby Lobby stuff. My imagination?

Lyle, this looks to be a beautiful challenge. There is something about building one of these stick and tissue models that gets you in mind with the folks who build the real ones. Spars, stringers, frames, etc., then a skin over it all once the skeleton is complete.

Sigment, Duco or Ambroid are to my knowledge the best balsa aircraft glue types. To write this reply I looked up Ambroid as I remember liking the sweet smell as a kid, lol. Right now there are substitutes available, such as this one sold on eBay.



I think you are of the school that prefers traditional methodology, which is why I went looking for what I remember my Dad buying me as a wee lad. He also had Duco, Sigment and Shoe Goo in our house. Not CA. I was and am a believer in CA. If I was building stick and tissue again (never say never) I would use Gorilla CA and Ambroid as well; one for quick bonds and the other for the ability to sand and form the bond post curing.

Thanks, Bruce! I used the good (?) ol’ Testors balsa/wood glue. Have a tube of that as well as the CA. Right now, those are working.

This will definitely be a “display only” item. The last one I built was their P-51D, 1/24 I think, built it in grad school. Put a Cox .049 engine on it. Took it to a parking lot behind the house...fired it up, took the control lines, watched it go straight up then straight down. Wasn’t pretty. Kept the carcass in the garage for years...

So, this will sit. May bot even cover it, don’t know.

Cool project. I've started 1/2 dozen or so, but never finished. Some of the new kits have laser cut parts that would make life a lot easier. The ones I did as a kid were printed on balsa.

This one is laser cut. Man, that makes things easier! The DC-3 is die-cut though. I have vague, horrible memories of those kits that were just printed on the sheets. Still makes me shudder....

Stikpusher wrote:Lyle, this looks to be a beautiful challenge. There is something about building one of these stick and tissue models that gets you in mind with the folks who build the real ones. Spars, stringers, frames, etc., then a skin over it all once the skeleton is complete.

That it does, Carlos. There is something about these kits.

Floats?
Btw, I had about 3 cox pt19 trainer line control birds. Never could get the hang of it.

Those I managed..nothing fancy, though. A lot of fun was had by us young ‘uns

Yeah, floats. They include the plans and sell the parts online.

If... I ever get a chance on balsa wood kit, I’d probably display it without the skin. Who knows...