Fuselage construction and simulated planking

Is it possible to build a "built up" fuselage with ribs and spars and cover it with silk or film? I mean the same way old full size biplanes were built? Also, I have noticed that some semi-scale builders draw pen lines on their planes, in order to simulate sheet metal planking. The question is: I we bulid a fuselage and wing, like a "guillows"(I hope it's spelled right) model, can we just plank it with balsa?

>Is it possible to build a "built up" fuselage with ribs and
>spars and cover it with silk or film? I mean the same way
>old full size biplanes were built? Also, I have noticed that
>some semi-scale builders draw pen lines on their planes, in
>order to simulate sheet metal planking. The question is: I
>we bulid a fuselage and wing, like a "guillows"(I hope it's
>spelled right) model, can we just plank it with balsa?

Fernando,

The answers to all your questions are basically "yes". You can duplicate a wood and fabric fuselage with wood and fabric. Or a tubing and fabric fuselage (Hurricane). As for planking with balsa, what you describe has been standard practice for generations. People have been covering former/stringer fuselages with wood since the 1930s. This has always been a standard practice for scale modelers building subjects with metal skins or even plywood skins (Mosquito). Many a Gullows kit has been planked with balsa and converted to CL scale in the history of the world. IIRC, they used to even show this on some of their plans. Most of Dave Platt's scale ships are built this way, I believe.

Andy

Edit: Gullows used to advocate filling in with sheet *between* the formers and stringers as a standard way to beef up the front of the fueslage for the installation of an engine. Let it stick out a little, and final sand to a very even final surface.

Yea, Formers and Stringers. That's what I meant.

>The answers to all your questions are basically "yes". You
>can duplicate a wood and fabric fuselage with wood and
>fabric. Or a tubing and fabric fuselage (Hurricane). As
>for planking with balsa, what you describe has been standard
>practice for generations. People have been covering
>former/stringer fuselages with wood since the 1930s. This
>has always been a standard practice for scale modelers
>building subjects with metal skins or even plywood skins
>(Mosquito). Many a Gullows kit has been planked with balsa
>and converted to CL scale in the history of the world.
>IIRC, they used to even show this on some of their plans.
>Most of Dave Platt's scale ships are built this way, I
>believe.
>
>Andy
>
>Edit: Gullows used to advocate filling in with sheet
>*between* the formers and stringers as a standard way to
>beef up the front of the fueslage for the installation of an
>engine. Let it stick out a little, and final sand to a very
>even final surface.

Ron B.
F4Fguy

You certainly can "plank" or "fill",but that's really doing it the hard(and heavy) way.A lot easier,lighter,and smoother way is to mold sheet balsa to the formers.

Here's a Zero fuselage covered with 1/32" balsa.The basic structure is from a "Guillows" 3/4" scale kit.

Does anybody laser cuts formers of fuselages?

Dumas kits are laser cut as are Herr Engineering models. A very wide selection of aircraft of all eras!

Hello Ron, Thats a very nicely covered Zero. Are you building it for static, free flight or control line? You seemed to have not bothered with most of the stringers. I was wondering if I was correct? Did you cut the various covering shapes out first and then applied them to the fuselage? I know if you go to sand it while on the fuselage you could wind up with the ribs coming though a hungry horse look. Was your Wildcat planked or was it molded balsa? Thats a beautiful airplane by the way. Very nice job! Thank You

>Hello Ron, Thats a very nicely covered Zero. Are you
>building it for static, free flight or control line? You
>seemed to have not bothered with most of the stringers. I
>was wondering if I was correct? Did you cut the various
>covering shapes out first and then applied them to the
>fuselage? I know if you go to sand it while on the fuselage
>you could wind up with the ribs coming though a hungry horse
>look. Was your Wildcat planked or was it molded balsa?
>Thats a beautiful airplane by the way. Very nice job! Thank
>You

Ron B.
F4Fguy

Thanks for the kind words.

Only a very few stringers were eliminated. Most were substituted with basswood HO ralroad structural shapes.they weigh about the same, but are much stiffer eliminating much of the "skeleton" look. The sheets were cut to (very) aproximate size, wetted and then taped or rubber banded in place
. They were then removed, trimmed, rewetted and glued in place.By using this procedure,the shrinking which causes skeletonizing is avoided and, since you can trial fit easily,better fits are easy.
The wood was lightly sanded before molding and won't be sanded again til I'm finished with silkspaning it(with 1/32" sheet,you don't get to do a lot of sanding anyway).

The Wildcat was done essentially the same way, except it was 1/20"sheet, laminated with 1, 2,or 3layers, depending on requirements.

The little Zero is to be a CL Stunt airplane, a 1/2A companion to my big ZERO 22(O.S..70 Surpass).