More 109 Questions - Metal Stab vs. Wooden Stab...and What About the Rudder...How would I know?

[Juggernut]

This is where I learned how to cover aircraft (and control surfaces) with dope and fabric almost 40 years ago.  This page deals with drain holes... Just FYI as these procedures are a lost art today.  It's pages 96 and 99 from the FAA Mechanics Guide, Advisory Circular 65-15 (AC65-15) available from the FAA and are most likely the same procedures used to cover control surfaces during the war years (not much changed between then and when I went to A&P school).  It's been deactivated but when I was in A&P school, these books were the way.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by Juggernut
corrected spelling errors

[Juggernut]

Again, Google is not my friend...I don't know where you guys are finding all these photos.  My search skills must suck and my limited references don't really answer my quest for information. 

 

Ok,  next question is regarding the panel lines (or lack thereof) on a wooden vertical stabilizer.  Was the entire assembly from the horizontal stab join upward all wooden or was just the top portion?  I think I mistakenly scribed a panel line where the part join is for the vertical stabilizer parts in the kit and filled the seam just below the rudder mass balance.  Having looked at the photograph Mike posted (reposted below), it appears that the entire vertical fin from the horizontal stab join upward appears to be wooden so if anyone can confirm that much (or let me know where such joint would be), I'll fill in the line I scribed at the kit parts joint and leave it without any lines.

 

Oh, would there be a metal leading edge on the wooden vertical stab like is on the wooden horizontal stab and would it be flush with the wooden surface or sit proud of the surface like the horizontal stabs?

 

Thanks again for all the assistance; you're helping me make this model as accurate as I possibly can.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Juggernut

[D.B. Andrus]

Hey Tim

 

No seams on wooden vertical stabilizer.

 

 

 

 

 

HTH,

Damian

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Juggernut]

Thanks Damian!

[John1]

On 11/16/2022 at 5:26 PM, D.B. Andrus said:

Hi Tim,

 

Corrected post

 

 

Wooden horizontal tailplane : no rivets, metal reinforcing plate on leading edge. Note weep holes on underside:

 

 

l

 

Is that horizontal stab authentic?   If so, it’s a great reference for 75/76/81 paint.   

[D.B. Andrus]

13 minutes ago, John1 said:

Is that horizontal stab authentic?   If so, it’s a great reference for 75/76/81 paint.   

 I believe so.

 

Cheers,

Damian

[MikeMaben]

Hey Tim, you can see where the upper wooden meets the metal below.

There 'is' a drop down at the aft like in Damian's photos.

 

 

These are the only lines that would be visible ...

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by MikeMaben

[Juggernut]

Thanks Mike, that photo is actually the one that made me think about the "seam arrangement" that I had on the tail and prompted my question. 

[Juggernut]

I also notice that the antenna attachment on the wooden tail seems to differ on the installations.  I see the one that's inset into the leading edge of the vertical stab but then I also see one that looks like it's screwed to the vertical tail, a little further up on the stab (as shown in the attached photos below).  I modeled the latter so I hope I'm not going to have to change that as well (I think it looks a lot better than does the inset attachment point). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMAGE REFERENCE:

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/techref/structures/tails/talltail.htm

[D.B. Andrus]

Looks like good plan.

 

Cheers,

Damian

[Juggernut]

New question, actually two….  First, were wooden horizontal stabs painted prior to delivery at the manufacturing plant?

 

Two, what’s the correct angle between the landing gear strut and the vertical axis (as viewed from the front) when the landing gear is down and locked?

 

Again, my references don’t help me with either but I haven’t googled the angke question… yet.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Juggernut

[D.B. Andrus]

3 hours ago, Juggernut said:

...... were wooden horizontal stabs painted prior to delivery at the manufacturing plant?

 Yes, they were.

[Juggernut]

9 hours ago, D.B. Andrus said:

 Yes, they were.

Thanks!  That’s what I was hoping for.  A little more variation in the camouflage scheme may be in order….RLM 84 (late war 76) fuselage with regular 76 horizontal stab undersides….

[tucohoward]

This is from the Z-M instructions.

 

Jay

[Juggernut]

1 hour ago, tucohoward said:

This is from the Z-M instructions.

 

Jay

 

Thanks!  I actually have that kit but haven't even opened the box yet....I think I should if I have additional questions along those lines.