Was all set to iron the covering to the bottom of the fuselage when I remembered these things.... they're distinctive, and easy enough to install without adding hardly any weight. Can anyone tell me what they are?

I think they were for flares to be released if needed.

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I think they are flare tubes for dropping signal flares.

Originally Posted by skcope

I think they are flare tubes for dropping signal flares.

I wonder why would he want to drop a flare? Why two tubes?

The full size Spirit surely does show a lot of wear and tear. That could prove to be an advantage later when your completed Spirit accumulates the odd ding or two. You just need to point to a close up of the original and authoritatively claim, "prototypical you see." You are going to have to start covering and painting to a lower standard though.
Best,
Robert

When it was new, I'm sure it looked smooth and relatively un-blemished, and this one is modeled after the pre-atlantic crossing version. It will need some mud spattering to be truly authentic though.

The esc and rx are held in place with a dab each of silicone caulk. Placement of the battery box will depend on how she balances. Fortunately there is some room to move.

Regarding the flare tubes, think about having to land in Paris or somewhere short of that in the dark. That is why they needed them.

Just watched the Spirit of St. Louis last night and again today on cable--what a story! A year after Lindy's flight, 4 men flew a used Fokker trimotor from Oakland CA, to Hawaii, then on to Fiji and finally to Australia. Think about trying to find Hawaii or Fiji with the navigation technology of 1928. Fiji is is tiny compared to Europe. The men were Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, another Aussie (Ulm) and two Americans (navigator and backup pilot). See this link for more info.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...ight=pan+pacif

Right ,but did they wear seat belts?

I believe the Pacific, is why the Atlantic is referred to as "the pond."

The center section te is more thin than the plan shows, trying to get closer to a scale look.

Originally Posted by skcope

Have you tried a pencil eraser? Chock a pencil in an electric drill eraser side down and you can make swirls that way. A drill press is great if you have access to one. I have also glued small swatches of Scotchbrite pads to the end of a dowel with epoxy and had decent results.
-Scott

That's what I used. However you may have to try several types. My pencil eraser worked very nicely but went missing before I finished and I could not find exactly the same eraser again. The pink ones are too soft. Some white ones are too hard. Also your scale is quite a bit larger so a pencil eraser might be too small.

Originally Posted by phillip57

Was all set to iron the covering to the bottom of the fuselage when I remembered these things.... they're distinctive, and easy enough to install without adding hardly any weight. Can anyone tell me what they are?

Those are indeed flare tubes but I believe they were added for the Guggenheim tour after the plane was returned to North America. Similarly, the carb heat box control cable, cowl louvres, and the flags painted on the cowl were not present for the flight to Paris. If you're modelling the plane as it was for the crossing then omit the flare tubes. I do see that you've not yet framed in the periscope.

The periscope framing will come. Although, the instrument panel is mounted too far forward for the periscope, I'll put in the frame for looks.

phillip57, I`ve read your build log from the beginning during last weekend...wonderful job !!!! I learnt a lot from your building skills, thanks for sharing so many photos with us. I have a lot a photos from the San Diego reproduction, just let me know if they are useful and I can send them to you.

Cheers, Paul.

Thanks Paul, Glad you're along. There's plenty of documentation for what I intend, this won't be a contest plane, but a fun flyer.
Today was hand holds...