¹⁄32

Song of the Swallow

STEP 11-21 Main Gear Well Structure, RATO, Flaps, Ailerons and Wing.

This sounds like a lot, but not really--each control surface is a separate step! Interestingly, the flaps and ailerons are molded with spars and stringers within. Unless you “battle damage” them, you’ll never see this detail.

If you want the Rocket Assisted Take Off attached, you should open the holes in the bottom of the wing now.

My right top wing was badly warped. The local hobby shop said Stevens International would handle this. I telephoned Stevens who said they would order a replacement but could not tell me when it might arrive. This was back in November, and I still have not heard from them. I e-mailed Trumpeter and they replied to contact Stevens. That was forwarded to Stevens (still have not heard from them) and later wrote again to Trumpeter. Awaiting replies, I resumed trying to unwarp the wing with warm (then hot) water, and resorted to increasingly drastic measures. The day after I succeeded in straightening it (it has hammered brass strengtheners superglued and epoxied on it, and survived with cracks in the leading edge) I received a reply from Trumpeter that they would provide the part. I seem to be the lucky one, as I have found no other kit owner who has had any warped parts. I have also seen a couple of letters indicating Steven’s is better at customer service than I can attest to.

Step 20 includes mounting the control surfaces and leading edge slats. I attached mine for painting, and removed them for handling. The leading edge slats were aerodynamically actuated, thus it is proper to model them extended when not in flight. Many of the wings mounting slots need to be trimmed open. Some slats fit so well that I did not use any glue. I used no glue on any of the flaps, ailerons, elevators nor the rudder due to the great fit.

Tip: this is when Trumpeter shows you to mount the clear navigation lights on the wing tips. I did not, and there is no reason not to wait until after the model is painted. The instructions tell us to color these clear parts. Museum Schwalbe appear to have clear lenses and colored bulbs, so I drilled into the pieces and added a drop of paint.

Step 21 is attaching the engines and main gear inner doors. For reasons I mentioned earlier, I suggest you wait.

The inner doors are to be glued together, and four actuator rods are attached to them that terminate on the center main gear well spar. The doors have small shallow indentions to guide you to proper positioning of these arms. Be aware that the arms are probably meant to touch the center spar, though there are no attachment pins. Mine don’t but I am certain it is because that I affixed the two gear doors together with too shallow an angle. Be wary, because too great an angle and the rods will not fit.