1/72 F-14 Tomcat flaps

the next step; the hanging elements

Gallery Article by Marcin Witkowski

 

          After cutting each flap into three sections, the last parts to do were the hanging elements. These elements are different in each section. In the first, outer section, the element is small, next one is bigger, etc. In the inner section these handing elements are almost completely different. It was a huge problem to make all these portions because of the size in this scale and complicated shape. Before I made one good element I tried out about seven or eight other ways. I finally  used tree copper plates for each element.

           This is the way to do it. First of all I prepared two square copper plates which a little (0,02 mm diameter) hole and one plate in strip shape. This one I put in between the square plates and a steel wire (0,02 mm diameter) into two holes. The steel wire doesn’t sol, so it is very important to save two specific little loops. Then I soldered it together. After wearing I took out the wire, filed the correct shape and removed some tin from the space between the loops. I put the finished element in the hollowed out spaces  in the flap sections.

 Other problem which I encountered was how to glue a copper element with an aluminium flap section. But that’s an other story.              

Marcin Witkowski

      

Photos and text © by Marcin Witkowski