I wondered if anyone had a source for 1/5 or 1/4 scale stream lined rods for Pitts/Christen eagle? I know there are flying wire kits out there but that is definitely not scale ( I worked on full scale S1 and S2 years ago). The full scale had oval rigging on the wings and round rod on the tail as I recall. I need them to add scale to my Hanger 9 christen eagle (1/5 scale about) and a 28% ultimate biplane scratch build.
Thanks

Well, It all depends NOW on just how DEEP your pockets are......There is a VERY good reason why MY 1/3rd scale stuff uses 180lb shark trace for rigging. I LIKE very much the idea of rigging an entire model for $10AUD, instead of $10 per inch........and being wire, it solders easily, if you DON'T buy the stainless one.
The round wires on the bum are easier, I found standard 20" BMX bike spokes are not only plentiful, but perfect size for 1/3rd scale. The 12" kiddies bikes wheel spokes are nice and fat too, and simulate 1/4 scale size nicely. They make the BEST throttle rods too.
Look at the kerbside cleanup piles for ALL SORTS OF USEFUL crap.....old baby carriages (perambulators) are a great source of wheels. I got 15" wire spoked wheeels for a large E.III this way once.....they looked awesome in the air. It's amazing what can be turned into useful stuff with a little imagination.

Now the "How scale do you want it ??" bits :
What your after, but be prepared to sell your soul to pay for it :
Mick Reeves UK : https://www.mickreevesmodels.co.uk/~...es/p2bipe.html
A mate of mine just did his 1/3rd scale Flybaby Bipe with this stuff, it looks great, but the joints are very hard to keep together, even silver solder let's go after some time. Crimped fishing trace wires seem to hold a lot better, and the appearence 10 foot away and in the air is the same. IMHO

Other's :
VERY Pricey : http://www.flying-wires.ch/flying-wi...celist_en.html
Not So Very Pricey : https://www.ebay.com/itm/PEKABE-366-...75.c1#viTabs_0
Another expensive option : http://www.sailsetc2.com/store/index...ging/wire.html

I see these guys on YouTube forging knife blades etc and wonder if there isn't some low-end garage tech availa nd easy enogh to master, that would allow us to find a suitable grade of wire that can be annealed, flattend in a simple set of adjustable pressure roller wheels . The threaded ends might be cut at this while the metal is soft. Retemper and then quence, etc. Of course it may take a bit of experiementation to determin blank lengths.

I saw a fellow from Britain make a temporary long Forge out of pipe and charcoal, supplemented with propane. His project didn't work out but the forge was a success! For rollers I'm thinking a set of grooved rollers set up like an English wheel.

Pressure would be the hard part I think. A 4T shop press or something might be able to be adapted, but then how to pass the material through without dragging or destroying it in the process........
The wheels could be small steel cased bearings, they are wide enough to cover most sizes we'd use, and NGK cases are able to take a fair old squeeze......it took 60,000 psi to crush the set in the machine I saw. Not bad for a 30mm diameter skateboard wheel bearing. I bet we could source wire that would succumb to our will with a little less than that required.....heat the wire, run it through the wheels, re-temper then use. Sounds do-able to me. In theory, says the man with the wooden house, full of nitro, petrol , ether and acetylene...........

Now LIGHT ME UP THAT DANG FORGE !!!! I got's me some 'smithin to do.......