The Little World

And I had much rather it had been wif’ some barbecue…

The point at which you regret your choices in life occurs to all of us, but it comes repeatedly to the scale modeller who builds biplanes. The original designers of the aircraft were forced to use multiple wings and sticks and wire between them to hold them in place.

We must follow suit without the fasteners that the 1:1 planes depend upon. We have to use cements or glues while juggling many little sticks. It becomes a miniature version of a stage act with Chinese plates on the end of poles.

Airfix sometimes provide a jig with model multi-wingers to align things while the adhesives set. Not so with the dear old Vintage Classics. You are on your own.

In my case on my own with 24 separate struts to organise, and then two top wings to meet the struts accurately.

I was partially successful – rather like the HINDENBERG that had a pleasant flight all the way to New Jersey. The trick is to use regular Revel Contacta cement for the lower strut point and cyanoacrylic cement for the top ones while you are holding the wings on. With your third or fourth hand…