Rigging a Felixstowe

Yep, sure did. Had a BALL!!!

I used EZ Line.

If you can find a copy, there's an excellent Windsock Data File publication. It was a lifesaver for me.

The really fantastic thing is that those big movable control surfaces on the tail have two or three pairs of up/down control horns each. Theres a yoke of wire about 10 feet long or so connected at each end to a pair on top, or underside. Then theres a single wire swagged onto the point of the yoke that goes forward to the controls, only going into the fuse (hull) up near the wings.

I would surely scan and send you my copy, but it got destroyed in a bad roof leak. Look for it though.

I'd love to put one of those together, but the rigging gives me the willies.  :-)

If you have a spare $260, you can try the huge Wingnut WIngs version. It would be nearly museum quality.

Those Windsock plans look good but cost $$.

Did a 1/72 Sopwith Camel and was it a .  But, when done, it looked good and got me a 3rd place medal.

Well worth the time and effort.

Jim 

Hey Box - check out Wingnut Wings website.  You can look at or download their instructions, and they include a rigging diagram that should help you out.  Good luck!  I'm building the 1/32 kit now...

GM... I rmemebr that bad boy. Nice.

Bock, I think EZ Line (ezl) will be your easiest choice.  If you want to made it herder though , the ezl can be stripped down to get it even thinner for 1/72 scale rigging.

Upper left are short piece of the fine ezl and the regular ezl.  Upper right is hair and the bottom arte the tinned pieces.  The thicker one has been stretched to snapping ponit and the ends fray.  You can peel off thin strands the full length of whatever size piece you started with. It retains the full stretch and strength of the original piece. You can get hem thin enough to pass though a piece of 0.3mm tubing for turn buckles. 

Here's a recent 1/72 Eindecker build.

Beautiful Eindecker

I have found fishing lure monofilament to be just about the thinnest thread available.  In fact I bought some 5 mil in black and white(clear). I found the  white virtually unusable unless I held a black background behind model, as that high contrast was necessary for me to see it, even with my reading/supplemental glasses on.

I will be starting a sister ship to the felixstowe, the US Curtiss version.  The British plane was a Curtiss built under license.

Since my Felixstowe is 1/72, I'm gonna drill tiny holes into the bases of the spars and thread EZline thru them and pull it tight(ish). I like fishing line etc but getting it tight is tough.

Never knew about the Curtiss, but it makes sense. Maybe you can tell us why the Felixstowe had such bold paint schemes. Seemed like the only WW1 big pane that did.

For visibility in air-sea rescue.

Don, IIRC Roden makes/ made that model. It's also covered in that Windsock book.

Yup.

The Royal Navy made their flying boats for themselves at places like Felixstowe and Stranraer.

Imagine that, woodshops with craftsmen in wood, wire, metal and linen!

They could make a Felixstowe from a Curtiss on the shop floor.

The simulacrum is the Hansa Brandenburg W29.

Mine in 1/72

In my dreams I can afford that kit from WnW,

The RAF did a lot of their own stuff too.  Their place became the Royal Aircraft Factory.  The US Navy also built a fair number of aircraft.  The AAC/AAF was more inclined to use contractors.

I think the use of wood sort of fit the idea that the aircraft was an outgrowth of the ship.  Look at all the naval architecture terms still prevalent in aircraft engineering, and the fact that aircraft are built in "lofts."

Every set of aircraft drawings showa the "waterline" reference, even on land aircraft.

Hey, Bocks......Chuck is right - Wingnut Wings has all their instructions online.  That'll show you everything THEY know about the rigging of the Felistowe - which appears to be considerable.