Hi
Just love that idea with the pilot, So this will start up a new fashion, better get my old paintbrush and start working on painting some figures now. Perhaps I get one for my D.I build.
Now this starting to get interesting.

Cheers
Larsa Q

Looking really great , love how the red over spray looks on the national markings . How 's the figuar coming along ?

Rick , I'm not sure if this would help you out or not , but here it goes . I would replace the other struts with something else . Outer struts will still be flimsily . (Just my opinion ) . have you tried using chop sticks for making struts ! wooden ones work the best . cut the length you need a little longer then needed . Split the wood to the thickness you want sand to shape . use metal pins (brass) . What I like about using these method is that bamboo is very strong . easy to work with , takes paint very well . if the struts a metal ones I dip them in future a few times . I never tried Tom's Model Works turn buckles so no comment on them . I have tried Eduards . Their not bad , but they are flat and the should be round .
You can make your own . I do my buy bending the wire over a small drill bit and then twist a few times . In visible thread I use for my rigging . for the turnbuckle a plastic Q-tip is what I use cut the cotton off , same process as stretched spruce . end up with along fine tube . I cut them in 3mm in length . dip one of the copper thingies dip in super glue place in holes made for rigging . tie one end of thread around tiny loop . sold on two Q-tip doohickeys , glue the copper thing in the corresponding hole . pass the other end of the thread through the other copper thing pull tight , not to tight . fix with super glue slide one Q-tip doohickeys to one end the other one , other end . just trim off any excess when glue has set .

Terri

Hello Rick , no worries at all . You don't have to be hesitant to do a little experimentation you are a fine builder . When I rigged my D.V it was all new to me on the method I used . What I did was make a mock up of the right side of a wing . ( out of sheet plastic .30 or .40 a strip for the bottom and one for the top . A shorter one to represent the fuselage side . Made some out struts glued them in place . When this was all dried I had something to experiment on . )
Bobs turn buckles are the better choice for this . How do plan on installing them ?

Hi RAGIII
You´re correct avout the sanding off the location holes. First thing I´ll had problem to get the lower wing to get in place. Then we have the follow Eduard instruction´s. I usually make a mark with a needle arond the locationmark before I´ll sanded it off. But this time I´ll just sanded to much so the needlemark was lost too.I use a homemade jig to set up the upperwing leaving the cabane struts for last to assamble.If I had to build this kit again I´ll would let the PE bits away this time.
Hope this helps, Still like you DIII better then mine Guess this is the red colours

Larsa