Hello-
Long time modeler (over 20 years) but never a biplane. I've picked up several Eduard 1/48th Nieuport kits (11,16, 21). I don't have any reference other than what's on or in the box. Is there a such a thing as the 'bible' to Nieuport reference? Been lurking here for a few days. I see Windsock Datafile mentioned several times. Been to their website. I see they have a couple of booklets on the Nieuport. Worth the money?

I'd appreciate any help you all could send my way! Especially anything on the instrument panel and how to rig a Nieuport!

Sincerely-

Glenn

Welcome to the wonderful world of string bags!!!!! The Eduard kits are excellent to start for building your first WW1 kit . They almost fall to together !! You didn't say if they were the profipack . Yes Windsock is worth the price ! and you might want to have a look at this site . Das Nieuport Projekt . It was on a early post Lot's of helpful info . It was title Free WW1 ref's or something like that . Can always ask here as well , Lot's of helpful people around here !
The fun part ,rigging can be done in very many different was . Everyone uses what they feel is best . All are excellent ways of doing this . You can use rolled steel wire , invisible thread , fishing line , elastic thread , long hair (thanks Jim!) turnbuckles you can get in PE Eduard has a set #48406 . Part has them as well just can't remember the number .
How I did my at first was drill all my holes either I drilled very small holes at the end tips of the struts or under the top wing I didn't drill all the way though . I did this on the lower wings . I use Invisible thread for my rigging I dip one end in super glue and place under the top wing . Thread them through the corresponding hole . pull tight , but not to tight ! and place a small drop on the under side of that . trim off excess sand smooth and touch up with paint . Turnbuckles I make my own simplest way is to get copper wire , from an old telephone cord . Strip off the coating then cut into 1cm or more . Get a very tiny drill bit or what ever you can find . wrap the wire around this then twist . You should have a very tiny hoop on the end when you slid it off . trim to what ever lenght you want . Holes are done the same way but all of them are only halfway through . Dip in super glue , place in hole . do this to all of then except control surfaces . using the same thread tie one end on , small drop of glue . Pass through next one pull tight , not to tight . small drop of glue hold until glue sets ti rm away any excess after the glue has full dried .
If you have any more questions just ask ! Always glad to help out when I can .

Hey Terri!
Thanks for the response! I've a couple more questions for now.

Where in the process would rigging be done? After painting and final assembly? Is there a particular manner to 'rig' that works better than others? I mean like starting from the fuselage and work out to the wingtips? Or start from the forward edge of a wing and work backwards?


Glenn


P.S.- Thanks for the Nieuport Projekt website. Have already peeked at it. Looks interesting!

Hi Glenn,

Rigging: The bane of all modellers. I have tried almost every mothod there is (Except for elastic).

My favourite method is the twisted wire loop, heat stretched styrene tube and invisable thread method.

Before painting, I drill small holes (about 0.6mm Ø) at all the rigging points. I do not drill all the way through.

I then spend a few hours making heaps of wire loops, using short lengths of Armeture wire or similar (Aprox 0.2mm Ø) looped over a hook of 0.8mmØ wire and twisted fairly tightly.
Cut these so that the twisted section is about 2-2.5mm long.

Get some Styrene CuppaChup sticks (or the sticks from Cotton Buds), heat gently over a candle and stretch. This takes practice and you tend to end up with a lot of unusable tube that has been stretched too narrow.
Cut this into lengths of between 3 and 5mm (use very sharp scissors, as you don't want to squash the tube closed at the ends.

Now... I use invisable sewing thread from the happerdashery section of my local supermarket.

After painting, CA the loops into the previosuly drilled holes at the rigging points.

Attach wings.

Starting at the inner bay (if your Bipe is a two Bay job), and with the flying wires (the double wires (on british aircraft) that go from the top of the strut down to the fuselage), thread a length of Invisable thread through a length of tube, then through the loop and back through the tube. If you pull gently tight, you will find that the tube actually secures the join. Apply CA to seal.

Repeat at the other end of the line.

With doubled flying wires, be very careful to maintain tension equally between the two lines.

I like to work simetrically. Starting with the fore flying wires on both sides, then the aft flying wires on both sides, then the landing wires, fore and aft on both sides.

Working simetrically, you have much less chance of a missalignment occuring.

I like this method because the rigging adds structural integrity to the Biplane.
And, it's easy to fix if you stuff a line up. Just cut it at the loop and start again.

Brad Cancian uses Knitting in Elastic to great effect. He can tell you how that works.

Cheers,

Hugh

Thank you Hugh for aid , I miissed a few things

Just finished looking back on the 22 pages of this forum. Didn't look at every topic but did look at several that interested me. Lots of topics and lots of good material at one's finger tips.

Glenn

Welcome Glenn. As for the Nieuport Bible. Online try;
http://mars.ark.com/~mdf/nieuport.html

Otherwise the Datafiles you can purchase through Albatros Pub. are some of the very best.

http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk/

For an Aeroscale thread concerning vauable early aviation references see;

Click Here.

My website has a download and a CD concerning rigging. See my www. on my headliner or;

Click here.

Thanks Stephen!

Glenn