1/12 Smith Miniplane

[P-40]

I started a complete scratch build project out of balsa, I got the plans from Cleveland Models. For those wondering what this plane is, here is a link to the flight report on one of the home builts.

http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepMiniplane.html

 

I started building the fuselage structure out of plastic rod but I wasn’t sure if it would be strong enough so I went back to my radio control days and built the basic structure of sheet. I’m working out what will be easier, building up the fuselage out of sheet or cutting out stringers and then covering it with silk span.

 

Today I got a 1/16 Guillows Stearman with a 28in. wingspan off of ebay, just might start building that structure since it is straightforward while going through the monotonous part of cutting out and sanding all of the parts for the Miniplane.

[P-40]

Is he guarding my work or waiting for me to leave and then pounce??

[JimInOz]

Brad that is a blast from the past to me. My Dad used to build balsa and tissue gliders for us when we were little tackers. Watch that cat mate, (although he does look way too cool to be even interested in what we mere humans are doing ) I'd keep on the right side of him mate hmmmmmm and he/she is black to. Anyways the fuseulage looks the business, keep us posted and I sincerely hope kitty doesn't take it out . Cheers JimInOz

[Erwin]

Hi,

 

Nice to see I'm not the only one that likes to build those wooden kits.

 

Just wondering.How will you do the cowling ? Do you have plasticparts too in the kit?

 

Keep us posted.

[P-40]

Jim

 

I used to build these, at least the smaller ones when I was a kid and also u-control and radio control when I got older, I really miss these old style models and working with wood. Actually this cat is a dark gray and in light looks like it has silver highlights with a hint of red, my other one is calico. Fortunately most of them leave my models alone most of the time, but then again they don’t have access to them when I’m not around. Any box lid opened or closed is automatically claimed by them all!

 

Erwin

 

Getting back into the fun of wood! I am eyeing up another one or two and will keep my eyes out for good deals. I missed it but there were three world war one kits unopened like you’re building for a total of $35.00.

 

The one I am building right now isn’t from a kit ( originally they were but now only plans are offered) so I will be building everything out of balsa. I will scavenge the wheels from somewhere or use small radio control and I will see if a small radio control propeller will work. I will either build a small box for the cowl and then build the shape up in layers, or just build the entire thing up in layers, whichever is easier. Of course the Stearman will have all of the plastic pieces.

 

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/No.../Miniplane.html

 

I just ran across this link today, haven’t priced balsa in a long time. I have a lot left over from my radio control days, but there are some very thin sheets and sticks that I need.

 

http://stores.ebay.com/KATMAR-PRODUCTS_W0Q...geNameZl2QQtZkm

[JimInOz]

Understand Brad hell i have got 2 kids (smiling assasins), Yep anything left out or within reach is fair game. Might have to buy a balsa kit for my Dad and get him back into it. He is retired now, and he has gone back to school to get a language degree, however I reckon he would love to build one for his grandson.Thanks again for posting the pics and keep them coming. Cheers Jim

[D Bellis]

WOW! Very cool! With a span of just 17" she will be TINY for 1/12th scale!

 

I'm used to my R/C 1/12th scale WWII fighters in the 40" - 48" range...

 

Are you going with the full set of scale ribs & structure to show through the covering?

 

D

[P-40]

The real plane is really tiny, here’s a photo of the real thing with a couple guys around it!

 

I had started to build a scale fuselage structure out of plastic rod, but I wasn’t sure if it would be strong enough and it’s been probably close to fifteen years since I worked with balsa so my techniques are a little rusty, that’s why I decided to go with the basic box structure for the fuselage. Today I got some of the strips on the outside of the fuselage which will give it its shape, some more to glue on plus sanding them to their appropriate shape. While the outside of the box will be mostly solid balsa, it will have the look of rag over tube, the wing will be an open structure and the whole model will be covered with silk span and dope.

 

I probably won’t do much for the cockpit other than maybe a little bit for practice since I am planning on having this one hanging from the ceiling. I used to have a couple radio control planes hanging from my ceiling, the SIG Liberty Sport is an open cockpit and just seemed to suck the dust in.

 

The 1/16 Stearman I have coming I plan on detailing some and doing hopefully a halfway decent cockpit. I really want to get the 1/16 P-40 and go all out on that one.

 

I bet this Miniplane would make a nice little electric radio control, the plans are fairly scale but for rubber band power that would be easy to convert. Being a biplane would give it a wingspan close to 34in. minus fuselage. Wings are straight, actually a pretty simple build.

[Coolie]

Is there a balsa kit of the stearman? I would like to do one of those, have a bit of a soft spot for the lumbering beasts...Dont know where I would put it heehee

[P-40]

Yep, the Stearman is one of their more detailed kits. There vac engine and a few other of the plastic parts to leave some to be desired but at least it’s a basis to start and it’s the only place to get these.

 

http://www.guillow.com/GuillowDetail.asp?U...d=24&FamilyId=1

 

Hopefully these links work, here’s one you may be interested in, it’s 1/30 scale but what the heck, for a plane this cool it’s close enough. An engine can probably be had at Engine & Things

 

http://www.guillow.com/GuillowDetail.asp?U...=23&FamilyId=1#

 

I have found the kits that are still in production can be found on ebay for around half price or so if you look, the Stearman retails for around$39.00, I got mine for $23.00. Out of production kits can get a little spendy but if you keep looking a good deal can be found now and then.

[Coolie]

You know me too well! I will keep an eye out on ebay then...

 

The Guillows ones pop up once in a while on aussie ebay but usually the ones i dont give a royally patooti about...

[Erwin]

Is there a balsa kit of the stearman?  I would like to do one of those, have a bit of a soft spot for the lumbering beasts...Dont know where I would put it heehee

Coolie,

 

Don't expect to much from these Guillow kits.

The boxart might look fine ,but the detail is almost zero.

 

With the Stearman you have a exposed engine.The kit only has a vac engine not realy worth the word 'engine'

 

So if you want an accurate model you might look out for a plastic one.

 

Just my two cents worth.

[Erwin]

 

Erwin

 

Getting back into the fun of wood! I am eyeing up another one or two and will keep my eyes out for good deals. I missed it but there were three world war one kits unopened like you’re building for a total of $35.00.

 

Hi ,

 

I advice you to look out.

 

Not all kits are the same scale.

 

Older OoP 1/32 nd Guillow kits have the same boxart as the 1/16 th scale .

 

When you aren't paying attention to the detailed discription,you might end up with a different kit that you tought to get.

 

On the WW-1 kits,the big 1/16 th kits are the 200 series.Excempt for the Camel in the 800 series,with is the same scale as the 200 series.

Everything not 200 is small scale !

[Coolie]

Im not really looking for the dead set accuracy in Balsa...Im looking for the form in wood which i think is classic, usually with plain dope and tissue to show up the insides...

 

I would probably do a little detail but nowhere near what I would in plastic

[P-40]

I used to build these when I was a kid and back then I usually built the smaller ones. I do have the 1/32 P-40 and I don’t believe the scale is real accurate, I believe it’s slightly larger. I also have the 1/20 Piper Cherokee 140 which I want to do some day as a plane my dad owned and was the first airplane I ever flew in. I also built some of the larger world war one planes, the detail on the vac parts seem to be a little bit better than the smaller ones which isn’t saying much.

 

The Stearman is supposed to be one of their better kits so it will be interesting to see what it is like, I haven’t seen one of these in person before but I have seen one uncovered in pictures and they look pretty nice. I might do a review of it. It will be interesting to see what the vac parts are like in it but I am guessing it is only giving me the very basic raw material to work with and will take some work. I am also looking at doing a civilian version with a cowl and spinner. There isn’t a plastic Stearman in our scale and who knows if there ever will be, there is a resin one planned for some time in the future if it works out, I have serious reactions to resin so this is my only choice.

 

All in all these kits are very basic that give a good starting point for a very large scale model and does save some time in having to cut all the parts out which gets monotonous. I don’t know if the parts pop out any easier, sometimes they used to be kind of hard to get out of the sheet, one tip I found out was to sand the back of the sheet some and that would make the parts a lot easier to get out. I have read that some of them are laser cut instead of die cut now which might make parts easier to come out?