Mike's models: Se5a 1/38 scale card model

Se5a

https://www.zealot.com/resources/se5a-1-38-scale-resized-version-of-the-excellent-original-zio-prudenzio-model.2451/

I started by cutting out the fuselage assembly (a) and on the reverse side, colour in as shown.

Curve the fuselage sides with a dowel to make it easier to glue the top and bottom edges together.

Glue the underneath sections of the fuselage commencing with the rear and when dry, the front.

Glue the top of the fuselage at the nose and then in front of the cockpit.

I attached the front engine cowl “g”, in the following sequence:-

1. 1. Attach at the base.

2. 2. Glue one vertical side and when dry, glue the other vertical side.

3. 3 . Shape the top of the fuselage and complete the gluing of the cowl.

Assemble part “a2” to the seat “c” and glue them in place. Now glue in part “a1”.

Assemble parts s1-6 and k & k1.

Fit them on the fuselage.

Assemble the tailplane and rudder and just fit the tailplane for now. (The rudder will be fitted after the wings are in place).

I originally pre-assembled both wings but found that when trying to fit the lower wing to the fuselage, it was not easy to get a perfect fit against the curve of the underside of the fuselage as the wing camber was not correct.

I therefore printed another lower wing, coloured in the centre section and pre-shaped the leading edge with a dowel.

The rear of the lower wing’s upper surface as glued to the 2 tabs on the underside of the fuselage.

I then glued the rest of the lower wing’s central upper surface to the remaining fuselage tabs with medium superglue, pressing the surface into shape. This gave me a perfect fit of the wing to the fuselage.

I then glued the rear centre of the bottom wing in place, also with superglue. Each of the trailing edges of the wing were then glued together and finally the wing tips.

The upper wing was assembled normally.

All the struts were then assembled, making sure that the splayed ends were not glued together.

As per Mr. Murphy, I glued the wing struts “m” on the wrong way around!

They should be angled to the rear so that the upper wing is forward of the lower wing. Fortunately, I was able to slice them off the wing and reglue them at the correct angle.

The wing was placed above the lower wing and the front port and starboard struts glued in place on the marks on the lower wing. The wing was then checked that it was central and parallel to the lower wing before gluing the 2 rear struts in place.

The fuselage to wing struts “j” were now fitted.

After checking the alignment, all the struts were given a coat of thin superglue to stiffen them.

Parts ”n1” and “n2” were now assembled, again taking care not to glue together the mounting tabs.

Part “n3” was curved around a toothpick and then glued to it. When dry, the toothpick was cut 2 mm away from each end and it was then fitted to the undercart.