Hi guys ...Im looking for advice as to haw best to tackle a repair on some broken struts ......as I was doing my photos of her I got too close ...and ...wellll

as you can see I did a good job wiping out the tail!...Im currently thinking of drilling a strut location in the fuselage....and leaving 1 strut longer to slip into the hole.....this should provide a positive mounting point...any suggestions?...am I insane?..Id REALLY appreciate your input on this ...its my favorite model in my case...

First start with replacing the bent struts (brass?) Remove just the damaged ones, no matter how badly bent. You will cut down on the frustration factor. Reattach one strut at a time to the fuselage. Next dry fit the tail unit (redrilling the torn sockets for the struts.) Check and see if the rigging has gone slack. If it has gone slack, depending on the medium you used you may be able just to reattach the whole issue. The apply a small heat source to tighten the riggng if needed.

good Idea about the heat source,although my rigging media is my wifes hair ....I probably wont try that this time ..The struts are florist wire ...and should respond the same as brass. Im leaning towards making a "jig" for this process also.Many thanks Stephen

Hi Jim , I like Stephens idea , Less work involved on repairing . More then likely you will have to do the rigging . I've been messing around with same guitar wire . On the smallest that you can get , if you pull off the metal wire wrap around the cord you end up with a very fine stran of this . Pull it along a straight edge to take out the curl and there you have it !

Cheers

Seeing that breaks my heart.

Mine too Captain...but it also steels my resolve to fix it .......I was absolutely NOT fit for civil conversation for about 2 days after I did it .....

I have been there myself.

Truly excellent using you spouse's folicals. Your right there but it probably won't have stretched much either.

Right you are Stephen...with my lousy luck it would burst into flamesor something equally horriffic/funny/stupid!...but yes ..I think my wifes hair is great rigging media...although it DOES have its downsides also

Jim, Who makes the kit & in what scale?? After seeing it on the saw horses it could make an interesting Dio... just the way it is..just my 2 pennies worth