Hang 'em high - but how?

[Rowsdower]

I got my second 1:18 aircraft, the Seeman 109 today and I have no room to display it or my Spitfire. I'd like to hang them from the ceiling but memories of midnight crashes of model planes when I was a kid are keeping me from it. I've seen that some of you hang your planes so if anyone can give me some ideas that you have found successful I would be grateful.

Also my Spit's right gear will not lock into the retracted position meaning I have one gear down when its "flying". Does anyone know any tricks to cure that? I poked around a bit but I don't want to break anything.

BTW, I searched for topics on the above and below problems but didn't see anything. I apologize if this was already discused.

[tmanthegreat]

I have had much success with hanging XD and BBI planes, some as large as the F-18, F-16, and TBM Avenger. My room has a plaster ceiling, so I use an eyehook and fishingline. I screw the hook into the desired place, then make a couple loops with the fishingline, tying it with a double knot. I use 50lb test line, which is a bit excessive, but has no fear of breaking under the weight of a large plane.

To this day, I've had only two accidents with falling XD planes: one was my Corsair, which fell because I didn't use a double knot and the line slipped while I was messing with it; the other was my F-104, and that was because I used too small a hook in too large a hole, so it eventually fell out. I hung the very heavy BBI F-16 and F-18 with large hooks and the heavy line and have never had a problem.

Hope this all helps!

[digger]

Trick I got from a fellow board member was to hit the knot of the fishing line with a dab of Krazy glue or Zap a Gap (model glue). This keeps the knot from slipping.

[flpickupman]

Another knot you might be familiar with is the fisherman's knot. This has proved effective with even the Avenger, and I'm only using 10lb test monofilament. 10lb should be sufficient for the smaller aircraft, but 15 or 20lb might be a better choice for heavier aircraft. The being said, the 10lb line I'm using doesn't appear to be excessively stressed by the Avenger. It just happened to be what was available. I did, however, hang the Avenger away from the bed for a few weeks to ensure it wouldn't land on my head. For the hanging point, I use a small screw in hook, same as Tman.

Here's an example.


Another thing I do is tie a small loop at the top of the line to keep the plane from sliding nose-up or down. It also allows you to set the dive angle however you choose.

An example of this.


Good luck.

[aferguson]

hmm......i used 10 lb test on my Apache years ago and it snapped after a few months at the front (heavier end). You may want to switch your 10lb test for 20lb on the Avenger. It snapped about 2 inches from any knot so it wasn't slippage or a knot cutting the line.

The ceilings in my place are concrete so i can't screw a hook in. When i need to hang a really heavy bird, i'm going to have to drill, put one of those plug thingy's in (that expand when you screw a screw into them...anchors i think they're called) and then screw an eyehook in.

Because of the pain in the butt factor of that, up til now i have been gluing plastic cup holder hooks to the ceiling with Loktite. After several years of cold winters and hot humid summers no hook has given way, so i am confident it's a sturdy method.

For anything really heavy (like the F-18 ) i would drill a hole though, as essentially i am gluing to the paint on the ceiling and have reservations about its maximum strength.

[Rowsdower]

Thanks for the great tips guys! Last plane I tried to hang was a 1:48 scale Monogram B-29 and it didn't turn out so well for the Superfort or for my head, lol.

As for the Spitfire landing gear problem, I didn't want to make another topic just for that but I guess I should. I don't like cluttering up boards.

[rmoore456]

I make a large single loop. When tied I put a drop of super glue on the knot. One cup hook into the ceiling, I always find a joist or rafter and screw into the wood. Take the loop and wrap around the nose, then the tail. Take hold of the loop on both sides of the fuselage, would be holding two lines now. Slip them over the cup hook. To prevent the fish line from slipping on the hook I wrap the line around the hook once. Have never had a failure with this. 12lb. line on the 1/18 and 2lb. line on smaller scales. If I make the loop too large I will use a second cup hook to take up the slack.

Ray

[Teamski]

point, I use a small screw in hook, same as Tman.

Here's an example.


Good luck.

I'll say! I would add a second hook ASAP!!

I haven't lost a plane in the 5 years I have had them hung. 2 Hooks with 20lb test line works really well.


http://news.webshots.com/photo/28377479 ... 8193JRrLgj

-Ski

[Teamski]

Thanks for the great tips guys! Last plane I tried to hang was a 1:48 scale Monogram B-29 and it didn't turn out so well for the Superfort or for my head, lol.

As for the Spitfire landing gear problem, I didn't want to make another topic just for that but I guess I should. I don't like cluttering up boards.

Thats funny! I had the exact same thing happen to me as a kid. I had a 1:48 B-29 hanging over the head of my bed and it fell. Luckily, I was at school at the time.

-SKi

[Quixote511]

I had a B-29 hanging in the center of my classroom, and I had the A-bomb dropping out of the bomb-bay wish fishing line. It looked great. Well, sometimes instead of calling on kids to answer questions, I randomly throw a frisbee out and whoever catches it has to answer. On one fateful day, I shot down my own superfort and the wing cracked on the girl's head. Thank God; she was not hurt. However, the superfort was sent to the boneyard.

[Rowsdower]

Quite a squadron you have in the room shot Teamski! The diving Stuka looks great.