Progress on the E8N1 Dave continues. This kit is very well engineered in terms of parts fit and simplicity of construction but requires planning and forethought, especially when deciding how to rig the model. Hasegawa did not provide any locators for the rigging wires. To further complicate the matter, the rigging wires on the wings have airfoil shaped fairings where they attach to the wings. I spent quite a bit of time trying various methods to replicate this, all of which ended in failure. I finally solved the problem by using the teardrop fairings from a Classic Airframes SuperMarine Walrus. While these are not technically accurate, they offer a type of fairing that is passable. My good friend Charlie Swank made a mold and cast two sets of these fairings for me. The next challenge was placing the teardrops in the proper locations. Remember, rigging locations do not exist on the kit. I used Arawasi International Extra #2 which features an excellent article on the Dave.
Using drawings, photos, and a bit of estimation, I marked off the locations in pencil and then attached them using Future Floor Wax. The next step is to drill the holes to accept the rigging wires. Looking closely, you can see the pencil marks for the holes.
On the rear fuselage I added the rudder control cable exit fairings. I sliced these cone shaped fairings off of the lower rudder of a 1/48 Otaki Ki-44. The control horns on the lower rudder were made by cutting apart the life boat davits from a DML 1/700 guided missile destroyer. The tie down/handling ring on the lower rear fuselage was made from a piece of steel wire. The tiny holes on the fin and lower rear fuselage are for the tail rigging wires. As stated before, locators for the rigging are nonexistent. Fortunately Arawasi International Extra #2 has excellent 1/48 drawings to help locate these.
- Michael Furry -
Excellent details! Rigging is always one of those challenges when building a biplane.
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