I’ve been working on this model for quite some time, it’s a Stinson Reliant in brass. Have built two full fuselages so far…haven’t been happy with the results…so this is #3. Used my SO3 to make the jig (MDF with burn marks in this photo) to make these fuselage side frames.
Here’s a close up of part of the jig.
That’s really cool Mike, I’ve built many models, but never thought to build a tubular fuselage from anything except stick wood. I’m impressed!
Dan
Those two frames alone weight about a pound, it’s sure not going to fly! Building it off a set of Pat Tritle plans. Can’t quite decide whether to build the wings like the originals, or do them like the model. There are a few rib experiments in a pile in the picture. The model wing is a lot simpler! I’ve already built one of these in balsa, thought it would have a nice look in brass.
They’re much larger in scale than I pictured from just the fuselage frames. Are you just going to build the skeleton or do you plan to cover them as well? I remember doing dope and fabric as a short unit in A&P school, fun stuff, but I guess it would probably hide most of your brass work unless you used some really thin silk? Either way it’s a really cool project. I forget how much fun it used to be to build stick planes when I was a kid, something I’ve definitely lost on my current CF/foam core wings I’ve been doing in adulthood. Maybe I need to find an old Gullows kit somewhere and get back to my roots.
Thanks for sharing!
Dan
I build an RV-7A (full size) a few years ago, and miss the process. Just don’t have the room here to do it again any time soon. I don’t think I’ll cover it. Polishing it will be…a chore…
Funny my dearly departed neighbor had an RV7 in his garage that was undergoing some post hard landing rework. When I first moved into this neighborhood and met my neighbor he immediately saw my motorcycles and was quick to tell me about the two in his living room. I kinda rolled my eyes, like “oh really?”. Then he explained the reason his motorcycles were in his living room was because of the airplane in his garage, my eyes were really rolling around at this point. So one Saturday morning I’m hopping in my car to go get bagels, I look across the street and No $"it there’s an airplane fuselage sitting in my neighbors front yard. From then on he and I were good friends and I never doubted his stories again. He passed somewhat unexpectedly last year and I’m not sure what happened to the airplane (he lived alone, family cleared stuff out). Anyways, totally off topic but thank you for the memories!
Dan
This is a interesting concept, looking I’m thinking of making up a workbench and have been toying with different ideas for the legs. I might use my S3 to make top a couple of jigs for welding the legs together…
Thanks
