Hello Lance:

Nice pic of the Moose. We have the problem with deer here in Wisconsin. The model is coming along nicely and continue to follow it and looking forward to more.
Have fun in the city. EZ line is also available from Roll Models, might be quicker than getting it from N.Z.

Take care

Mark

Lance,
The SE-5a sure is coming along fantastically my friend. I got a real kick from the Moose photo,beautiful animal too. No Moose down this way but plenty of Whitetail Deer though.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

Mark, Greg,
Thanks for dropping by and for the comments. No progress as we just returned from the big city last nite. I think I'll start rigging today without the EZ Line; wish I had known about the Roll Models source earlier. Once I get the mainplane and some wires on I'll get a few more photos posted; have to finish off the cable inspection ports as well.
Cheers,
Lance

Lance,
Too late for this project but maybe the next one though.Here's another source for Easy line.

http://berkshirejunction.com/

Looking forward to your next update my friend.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

Thanks for the alternate EZ Line Source Greg. Mine was conspicuously absent from the Mail Box again today; I think I'll press on with monofil and try the new product on the next build.
Despite my threats to start rigging I'm still mired down in the small details. Today I was able to complete the fabric (used decal strips) finishing strips around all the flight control visual inspection ports, install the engine and top cowling, and get the Cylinder bank fairings attached. The latter actually did not fit well and the tops of the valve covers had to be trimmed to get a proper fit. (I'd bet it was due to the engine being mounted at less then a perfect angle by the builder and not a WNW Kit shortfall!) Once the small trim job was done the fairings popped right on and probably did not need the glue I used.
In all of the foregoing I managed to knock off both exhaust pipes which had been previously "pinned", the recovery of course took yet again more time thus I'll say yet again, "tomorrow I'll start the rigging"!
I'll try to get a few rough photos posted tomorrow.
Cheers All!
Lance

Good old rigging , looking forward to seeing how you tackle this Lance . Just make sure your spiders are well rested have a positive attitude , good physical shape and of course didn't have too many beers the night before . In the end results if a job was well done , give them a milk shake , yes spiders like milk shakes ...strawberry would be perfect !

Good Morning Terri!
You are so right; some times those little Guys are really good and sometimes not so great. As I said a few posts ago, this isn't a DH2 or "Fee" however the rigging is different, complex in it's sequence, and there's a lot of it. Should be a real "slice" to say the least. Slow with lots of breaks methinks; I'll certainly keep everyone posted if only for sympathy!

Cheers,
Lance

A couple of quick photos to bring progress up to date before I open the cage and let the "Spider Rigging Crew" loose for a couple of days (at least!)
The six flight control cable inspection ports got finished with decal strips per the references which show fabric finishing strips doped on. I used some spare WNW Roundels painted over (enamal) and then cut into strips to match the colors. A carefull coat of semi-gloss clear was applied after all were dry. The starboard lower wing panel......

The engine assembly has been installed, cowling and radiator in place, and as mentioned earlier the exhaust stacks re-installed. Fit was excellent with the exception of the rear exhaust fairings which I suspect were "builder alignment error" of the engine module. Minor shaving down of the rear of each valve cover solved the problem. The prop is "posed".


That "machro" setting on the camera sure makes things look rough. In reality I'm quite pleased with the finish thus far.
And thats all for now; I'll update once the rigging comes together a bit. Comments, observations, and suggestions most welcome as always.
Cheers,
Lance

Hello Lance:

So far it is looking quite nice. The decal on the pulley windows is a nice touch, looks good. Looking forward to the rigging and your thoughts on EZ line. It is what I used on mine.

Best

Mark

First, Thanks Mark, so far so good!
The pre-rigging is as far as I can take it without some more construction. I have given up on the EZ Line, it's still somewhere in the postal system or, Gawd forbid, bowels of Canada Customs/Border Services. My notice of shipment from WNW did not include the usual tracking number so I'll give it a few more days and then contact the good folks at WNW in New Zealand.
I am somewhat nervous about the fragility of the struts, decided to use the A/M metal ones from True Details however discovered they are at least 2mm too short. In fairness the set is made for the Roden/Encore Kit. Lots of care to be applied in tensioning of the monofil now that I'm back to the kit struts as I can see the entire structure will be very bendable and "wonky".

The tiny rigging spiders have been very busy and completion will be a test of my patience and finger shrinking powers.

The final step before getting at the lines was installing the various stuff that will be hard to access once the upper wing is on. Aldis sight, metal sights and wind screen all went on this morning so there's no excuses to delay rigging anymore!

More to follow soon; hopefully it'll be all good and not a shot of me trussed up in yards of monofilament!
Cheers,
Lance

Lance,
Excellent progress my friend.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

Looking great Lance, looks like your decals went down really well too.

Mark

Greg, Mark,
Thanks for the encouraging comments.
The decals were absolutely great, a mix of Pheon, Encore, and the WNW Box Sheet. All worked very well and the microsol really snugged them down. So nice to work with really good products.
Progress on the rigging is very slow; it took me a full day's modelling time to do the Cabane cross wires and front interstrut wires, rear pair to go. I can see why Mark (MGunns) recommended pre-rigging with EZ Line; unfortunately mine is still in the mail and MIA. Lots of awkward posturing of both the model and builder with Optivisor almost grafted to forehead to get this far. The interplane rigging will be a lot easier as I maximised the pre-attachments as much as possible and there's lots more space to work in. Not much time available today however I hope to complete the rigging over the weekend, "he said with a naive and stupid grin"!
Cheers,
Lance

^^^^^see what happens when those spiders don't get their milk .....they had no energy I tell you !

Looking forward to seeing how your rigging turns out



Terri

Very nice progres Lance - I alwys find it daunting at this stage of rigging, looks more like a tangle of limp noodles Bt once the spiders get thier act togehter it all works out.

Looking forward to the continuation of this beautiful build!

Mikael

Mikael,
Thank you for the positive comment; it is, as you say, daunting at this stage so positive feedback is welcome indeed!
I got the rear cabane cross braces on (had to go to .018 mm guitar wire as threading was impossible for these ones with the upper wing on) Now I'm pre-locating the landing gear and wing root pairs to their buckles on the upper wing, will follow with gluing the interplane struts on (which have their bottom cross braces and buckles on)and then I can tension up the lot. I'm still a little aprehensive about the tensioning process as the struts are very pliable and any movement of the top wing causes visible sag in the various cabane wires.....no way to tell until we get there.
Even with this progress the number of wires hanging all over doesn't appear to be reduced, I'll feel like I'm getting somewhere once one side is done hopefully.
Will get back at it........
Cheers,
Lance

Slowly but surely............
All of the pre-routing is complete so I can now attach the interplane struts. Only downside is one landing gear cross brace "pinged" off by an errant fat finger, I can recover that later. I did pop one buckle on the base of the forward gear strut but it turned out to be an easy re-install. Once the struts are on I'll be tensioning matching "pairs" left and right alternately to reduce the possibility of sag on previously installed wires.
This one's a "bear" however I beleive it'll work well with a slow approach.
Still no sight of the EZ Line from WNW. They advise that small bulk orders are shipped letter post vs. parcel post and can take considerably longer (20-30 working days to Canada!) I've recieved kits in less then 10 working days in the past
Should be able to get at it later today and hopefully get some photos tomorrow........
Cheers,
Lance

The progress index hit a minor bump in the road, had to go back to the real world for a couple of days (for that read my "part part time" retirement job). The rigging is about 75% complete, going well, it's a beautiful Spring like day in the middle of our winter and I've got the afternnoon free so hopefully I'll get this project moving again. I also "pinged" off the windscreen; I swear I have to repeat half the build at this stage every time. Presently it's one forward cabane and one Landing gear cross brace plus the windscreen to re-do.
Oh well, what would the average modeler do if everything went 100% right?!? Update will follow hopefully soon.

Cheers,
Lance

You are certainly doing a great job,Lance.

And we all know what a "ping" is and how frustrating it can be. I've felt like screwing things on before. Just carry-on and it all comes together.

No worries Lance,
At least you kept it from the black hole beneath your desk. All parts accounted for, deep breath and back at it!

I will be needing one of those part time jobs in the future as well. Retirement. . .another black hole. Eagads I am depressing.

Hi Lance,

I totally agree with Steven: take a deep breath and on to it! However, I am totally new to the rigging concept, and can hardly wait to do it for the first time. I am very attentive observer! Thanks for presenting your great skill and devotion. I feel somehow embarrassed among all the grey hear at the EA forum I am still running on dippers, remember?

All the best,
Entoni

Entoni,
You are far too generous with your compliments but Thank You, it's great to get encouragement.
I have to say the quality of your work is most impressive, by the time you have grey hair like me and many of our members it will be beyond comparison I'm sure. Good luck with the diaper challenge. We all (at least most of us) have "been there and done that"!!(and take it from me, there is always a spare few minutes available for your project)

Cheers,
Lance

Stephen,
It's your lucky day; you are talking to the world's leading expert on retirement. In November I was honored with a small Retirement Dinner (the fifth such gesture I'd recieved over the past several years). In early Feb. they pleaded with me to come back yet again but on the condition that there would (emphatically) be no recognition of my ultimate departure!
Casual/part time is the answer; you can satisfy all of your family and hobby requirements and wishes and the limited but still present income will allow you to continue to get those kits, bits, and books you need to feed your Hobby's voracious apetite. The key is have something that gets you out and about no matter how little; get a break from the bench (freshens ones perspective) and keep your world slightly bigger then the confines of your "cave".
Take it from an expert, the "black hole" you see coming is actually a gateway to better things! It's worked five times for me and hopefully will a sixth!
Cheers,
Lance (Mea Culpa but Stephen started it!)

Finally some photos to bring progress up to date. As stated earlier all rigging wires were installed with their buckles at one end, most to the lower surface of the upper wing. The only portion completed prior to mounting of the upper wing were the front, rear, and side cross braces of the cabane struts and landing gear struts. The upper wing was attached to the pre-aligned cabane struts and then the interplane struts (with their respective cross brace wires and buckles installed to one eyelet), all with CA.
At this point she surely did look as though a large crew of spiders had been at her; mono lines everywhere and no apparent order to the scene!
The upper wing after installation and routing of wires prior to tensioning and gluing..........

The interplane struts after installation prior to completion of the rigging......

All of the mainplane rigging was then completed over three long sessions, this went very well with the exception of some collateral damage. One wire each on the cabane assembly and gear and pinging off the windscreen.
A couple of overall shots.......


A couple of close ups...........

This one shows the repaired gear rigging.......

Finally the broken cabane brace, before.....(and also before trashing the windscreen)

............and after replacement and touchup. (windscreen safely stored elsewhere)

Next comes the flight control rigging, first the elevator, rudder, and tailskid followed by the aileron control horns and wires. First though I'll be adding on the fuel sumps and doing some touchups including covering over a large smudge of silver on a PC-10 lower wing, hardly shows at all!?! A little more weathering to be done as well.The windscreen, Lewis Gun, a scratched magneto hand crank and upper wing vents will be added last.
Getting close to the home stretch and happy to be there, comments, suggestions and advice most welcome. Thanks for looking and I'll update again soon.
Cheers,
Lance

Lance,
Your rigging looks outstanding my friend. From one retiree to another this is one impressive project to follow. Keep up the good fight,you've nearly got it whipped now.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette