The Little World

One good thing about having the older models that were supplied with display stands; the makers always located the stand slots or holes at the best balance point for the plane. The old plastic stands were not hefty affairs and it paid to get the balance right before you put your model on them

So I took a hint from the moulded slot – I located my wooden mounting block above it. It’s a piece of meranti cut to the internal contour of the fuselage – but cut roughly. It will be glued to one half with 5-minute epoxy and the fit checked. When the second half of the fuselage goes on after internal painting and fitments, there will be more epoxy to secure the wood to the second half.

The result should be a solid, light block of wood precisely where the Dornier would balance. When it is all complete I will pose it in the cabinet and find the lowest point of the plane. That’s where a hole will be drilled for the vertical metal rod part of the stand. The hole may not be at the bottom of the fuselage like the stand slot – it may be slightly up the side. But it should position the plane at the right angle to fit in the cabinet. A 3.5mm hole should not be too distracting, even if you dismount the model.