A string of pictures follow, showing how we did the cabanes on our Picos. In no way is this meant to suggest that anyone else should do this. It works for us, period.

1. I sanded the plastic, to lose the gloss, before punching out the parts.
2. Mark the outline on 1/64" plywood, (grain running length-wise).
3. Spread a bead of GWS glue on the pattern.

4. With the strut mounting hole location dimples facing up, place the plastic parts on the glue, rubbing in a circular motion, for full coverage.
5.Separate the parts and allow to dry for a few minutes. (My "Rule of thumb", for any contact cement, is ; if you can lightly touch the applied cement, with a clean, dry thumb, and not stick to it, you are ready to mate the parts).
6.Do so now, carefully positioning the parts.

7. Apply a flat weight, and allow to stand overnight.

8.Use a good knife to cut out the bays.

9. Good scissors may be used to trim around the outside.

10.Drill out the screw holes.

11.Now mark the plywood for glue, as in step 2. (Caution; be sure the wood-side is up when marking during this step)!
12.Repeat the glue process.

13. Repeat the overnight weight.

14. Process will continue later.

15. After you finally have the struts all cut out, lightly round the edges, with a small emery-board, such as used by manicurists.

16. Finally, you can use a brown Sharpie, or mahogany stain, or the color of your choice, to finish the job.

17. I would not go to the trouble of laminating the inter-plane struts, (that's the 2 out by the wing-tips). Just buy a few lengths of 1/16 X 1/4 basswood, at your LHS, craft shop, or hardware store. just round the edges, as mentioned in 15., and finish as appropriate. (Be sure to taper the ends, for a more realistic look).

I have to tell you guys that I have a solution for the cabane struts--use the stock struts and cut strips of plastic (from the pieces of plastic that surround the struts) that are the same width as the front and rear struts. Use canopy glue (RC56 or equivalent) to glue these strips to the cabanes--use closepins to hold the doubler strips to the cabanes and let dry overnight. The result is much stronger but still flexible struts. I have tried this on the last two moths with no failures.

Hi Lancer31 and Pat,

Both of your ways are all smart ones ! Lancer's one looks more scale, while no more $$ invested on Pat's one. Thank you for all your inputs.

Chen