The Little World

Well, I am starting to like the Havoc. And not just the plane itself, but the new materials and techniques I’m using on it:

a. The plane itself is interesting – the pronounced dihedral and the cant of the tailplanes looked to be daunting when seen in plans, but the makers of the kit have done a pretty good job of engineering it so that standard assembly will yield the angles.

I still took the precaution of gluing it on the building plane table, but there was no stress getting the angles to set.

b. The gaps are not all that big. I am sanguine about short-run kits with uncertain fitting surfaces. This one is not bad, and as soon as the wing root ones are dealt with, most of it is clear sailing.

c. I have Mr. Dissolved Putty now and this is working out well.I still like Perfect plastic Putty for big things, but Mr. Dissolved can be brushed into smaller gaps and can be seen to actually flow in and bridge them. I brush in on thinly and cure it in a warm box and all seems well.

d. Read later to see whether I am still enjoying myself after the landing gear gets installed. It looks as though one needs to build up a flimsy framework of struts to act as a platform for the final gear leg and the whole thing has to be done before the nacelle housing is glued into place. Not surprisingly, I am going to do most of the filling, sanding and surface work before I start this step as the exposed gear will be very liable for damage until it is buried in the nacelle. Not so sure about this one, Madge…