Airborne Magazine - Issue #249 | Page 47

Fuselage Tops, bottoms and ply sides are laser cut with interlocking tabs. Laid out on that mandatory flat table, they were laminated and joined for assembly. The fuselage is built in a box shape after this laminating is complete. No plan is needed here, just a straight line scribed on the table and the top side fuselage frame aligned through its entire length with this line. The fuse is built upside down, and screwed and glued. Internal formers all snap into the allocated tabs. Triton wood glue, nails, screws and clamps, leave you with an accurate box like fuselage. The engine box is huge and the assembly leaves you with the offset built in. Additionally, AMR have even scribed an offset centreline on the front to ensure the offset of the engine still keeps the drive shaft centred in the cowl. Saves hours of measuring and ensures those all important mounting holes are drilled perfectly. Waved my magic wand and the wings were done. Don’t we all wish it was that easy! Now the truth you non-believers! Because of those jigs, I got so involved that they were completed in 3 days. (Remember the Waco had 4 wings plus 2 cabanes making 6 wings of previous experience.) So guess who forgot to take photos? So as penance I offer my smiling face and two completed wings. As a copout I could have said old age but who of us wants to admit to that? Airborne 47