10. Wing Assembly and Stringing

Finally, the wings should be assembled onto the fuselage. Four 2 1/2" narrow strips form the inner wing struts, and four 4 1/2" narrow strips form the outer wing struts.

Start with the four 4 1/2" strips, as these are easiest to fix in place. The upper wing should be about 1" forward of the lower wing so that the circular cutout in the upper wing is over the cockpit.

The inner strips can then be bolted in place. The obtuse angle brackets may need some bending with pliers to get the correct angle, although some tension is desirable to keep the wings tight.

The upper wing should be flat, with the lower wings tilted up towards it on either side.

To string the wings, pass a cord through the hole in the fuselage just forward of the right lower wing, and tie the other end to a washer or nut so that it won't pull through the hole. Draw the cord up and around the right top forward strut angle bracket, then along the underside of the right top wing and around the right top rear wing strut angle bracket. The brackets should be loosened and the cord passed around the bolt, and the brackets tightened again, trapping the cord. Pull the cord down under the fuselage behind the lower wing, and up again to the left top rear wing strut angle bracket, along the underside of the left top wing and down again to the hole in the fuselage just forward of the lower left wing.

Now thread a nut or washer onto the cord on the inner side of the fuselage and tie it so that the cord pulls taut, with the nut against the hole through which the cord passes, on the inside. This is tricky but it can be done if you tie a loose knot and then roll the nut and the knot together along the cord.

Thread the cord back through the same hole - the nut or washer anchors it - and pass it back around the model following the same line in reverse so you have a double cord right the way round. Tie the cord off inside the front fuselage, either to a suitable hole or to another nut or washer.

The cords should be taut but not so tight as to pull the top wing down. The wires braced the wings but in the original aircraft, the concern was mostly to hold the top wing down and prevent it from being torn off. In flight it was natural for the uplift of the air to keep the lower wings canted up towards the top wing, but in the model all the wings want to sag down and need some adjustment to get a satisfying inclination. The tilted flat plates extending from the base of the front fuselage section assist in this.