First time modeler - messed up assembly

[HarveyMushman]

Hi folks

I am building my very first balsa model, an Aeronca Champ (#301). While building the front end of the fuselage, I messed up the first former. As you can see from the pics below, it is crooked.

AeroncaChamp1.jpg

AeroncaChamp2.jpg

Is there anything I can do to fix this? I would like to fly this with a rubber band motor, but I am thinking the flight characteristics are now skewed by this mistake.

Any advice is appreciated.

[davidchoate]

Yuo probabll can fix it. I have made way worse mistakes than that. Worst case You cut out a new former. Use slow curing glue at first. It gives You time to disassemble easily if you put something in a wrong spot or angle, etc.

[David Lewis]

If you glue the cowl on with uneven overlap, the firewall misalignment probably won't be noticable. In any case it won't affect flight performance.

[HarveyMushman]

Thanks you davidchoate and David Lewis. I am thinking I'll try to hide the mistake if it doesn't cause much problems for flying. My primary concern was whether it will fly crooked.

After seeing some of the great builds on here, it was a bit embarrassing to put my mistake on display . I've bough the Cessna 170 already as my next project and hopefully will do a better job with that. Thanks to all who participate in this forum and provide great advice!

P.S. I wish there were balsa model kits available for planes like Luscombe, Taylorcraft and Stinson. I would be buying all of them!

[scigs30]

I believe in keeping everything straight, and trust me we have all been there. If my fuselage is crooked, shaped like a banana, I start over. First what glue did you use? If ca then try debond and reposition. If White Glue or Titebond original then try soaking in water. If balsa cement or any cement then use Acetone to dissolve the glue and reposition. If you used a water resistant wood glue, then cut the glue joints and reposition. Hope this helps. Remember what makes a good modeler is taking the time to fix mistakes, the mistakes never go away you just find better solutions to fix them

[HarveyMushman]

First what glue did you use?

Thanks for the tips. Now I feel like I should try to fix this I am using something called UHU HART for bonding. It is some special quick drying glue. On the packaging it says that it is 'resistant to water, oil, grease as well as diluted acids and alkaline solutions'. Wonder if acetone is the only solvent that can be used to debond. I am hesitant to use acetone, since it is a known carcinogenic.

ModelSupplies_496x372.jpg

Remember what makes a good modeler is taking the time to fix mistakes, the mistakes never go away you just find better solutions to fix them

Point taken. I am amazed at how precise the models you build are, judging from the pics you've posted. I should probably use a square to make sure all the formers are aligned.

[scigs30]

Try Acetone, looks like it will work.

[Mitch]

What I do in this situation is to add extra layers of scrap balsa to the front on the frame. Build up the low side to bring it up to be even with the high side. Then I take a sanding block and sand off the face of the frame until it is square to the fuselage.
I will stand the fuselage up on the face of frame 1 and line it up with a square.

I do not rely on plastic for controlling the final thrust angle, but that is another topic.

[davidchoate]

The mistakes relly dont go away, but they are happening to a much closer to perfect model each time they do. Or a more advanced level. Speaking of that I have not started a build thread on it, but just started a $00 FW 190, and something just does not seem right on the plans where after the "B" formers are in place, and I think on B2 ther is a AA if I remember right. Well when I went to slide the A 5 and 6 side keel assemblies into the B's it just did not seem to fit like the plans photo. At the front where it is a "Z" shape. I thought maybe I installed the AA's on the wrong side, or upside down on B2, but no. Anyway, I made it work, but am just curious if any one else has run into that. It's a LC Kit. I attached a photo.

[HarveyMushman]

So I managed to somewhat fix the former. I went to buy acetone, but they only had a big container. Bought a contact cement thinner/remover, but it was useless to debond. I ended up using the Exacto knife and delicately removing the glue, straightening, bonding and removing excess.

FrontFromerFixed.jpg

Not sure I know what I am doing but next up is covering the frame. I'd like to paint this bright yellow. Does anyone know if the tissue that comes with the model can be painted well?

What I do in this situation is to add extra layers of scrap balsa to the front on the frame.

Mitch, wouldn't that load the front uneven along the longitudinal axis? Or is the added weight negligible?

[heywooood]

Building the major components fair and square is one of the main challenges of our hobby.
You will want to use a drafting triangle or builders square during assembly and remember to apply your fuselage and wing stringers not in sequence, but opposed. Meaning that when you lay one fuse stringer on, the next one is its opposite on the other side of the fuse...with the wings you dont go from leading edge to trailing edge in sequence..you place the one behind the leading edge, then the one next to the trailing edge and work toward the middle. And with the wings - I always lay on the bottom stringers first because most model wings foils have a flat bottom...
Then lay on the top stringers. This eliminates wing twist provided you have properly pinned everthing down to a good flat workboard

[backyardbalsapilot]

To get everything square, I made a steel building board and a bunch of rectangular prism magnets. For models that aren't terribly huge, the magnets I have work. I may need to build a few jigs for the bigger ones.

[David Lewis]

Unlike most builders, I get a straighter fuselage if I install all the stringers on one side while the fuselage half is still on the building board. Personal preference. I use contest balsa, which is more flexible than standard kit wood, so that may have something to do with it. After the glue dries, you can test it by making sure the fuselage half rests evenly on a flat surface with no gaps or rocking.

I also modify the keel to form a closed loop. On a fighter, for example, that means the top keel continues through the cockpit. (The keel section passing through the cockpit is removed after the fuselage is completed.)

If you intend to fly any 300 series airplane I recommend changing the landing gear strut design. The stock landing gear is flimsy.

[scigs30]

The old build half on board or alternate stringers to prevent warping personally I do both. If the stringers are curved try wetting them first and let them dry into position, that way they don't pull on the fuselage into a banana.

[Mitch]

Hi... finally got home... and you did good repair to the problem.

It looks like it still may not be perfect and this is when you can still add balsa then sand the entire front smooth and flat. At least that is what I do as I use my front bulkhead to start supporting the adjustable thrust assembly. But since this is a first model I would say just following the plans and do some short test flights. The front end is good enough, and you can attach you front end.

Mitch