1:18 Aircraft - ceiling attachment process

[kevrut]

I use 3 strings for each plane. I guess I should of indicated that. One string for each wing and one for the tail section. 1/18 is too big for just one string.

Kevin.

[flpickupman]

I use 10lb test monofilament that I borrowed from my brother hung from cup hooks screwed into the drywall ceiling. The only thing I did differently with my Avenger was double the line.

[aferguson]

i forgot to mention that i use one single string per hook....so two in total....again with no problems in 7 years. I make a little tiny loop at one end, thread the other end of the fishing line through it, sort of making a lasso and slip it over the plane. Do that times two and put one line on each hook. That way there is only one single fishing line coming down from the ceiling per hook instead of the multiple lines with other methods.

[kevrut]

I use one hook per plane.
I run one line straight from the tail section to the hook.
The other line hooks to the wheelwell on one side, goes up to the hook, loop the hook twice, and then down to the other wheelwell. This allows you to tilt the plane from side to side and it'll stay where you leave it. It also elininates the wing sag problem. I just can't raise or lower the nose unless I take some slack out of the line.
It's actually 2 strings with 3 points to hang from.

[Yankee John]

One thing to keep in mind about fishing line; It is meant to be used to catch a fish that is FIGHTING back at you.

Any fisherman can tell you how a 5 lb Bass, Walleye, or Northern Pike on the end of a pole will fight so much that you would think that it weighs 10 times as much!

Our planes are just hanging there fighting gravity and the occassional breeze. I use 12 pound Spiderwire and it is plenty strong!

John

[Threetoughtrucks]

It's OT but a buddy was legally blind, he was a diabetic and a mess, anyway he saw only shapes and one night he hears a scratching at his back screen door. He sees a shape and assumes it's his big fat cat. He lets it in and goes about his business. I arrived an hour later on some hobby business and knowing I like cats, he's tellimg me about his cat going crazy in the kitchen....would I take a look. Yup, a fat racoon making his home in the pantry, ripping apart anything he can. I got the racoon out and my buddie's Mom had a fit when she got home...

Nobody was allowed to play with my buddies 1/1 halftrack for two weeks. That lady was tougher than a Midas muffler.

And no, the buddy didn't drive the halftrack, his seat was permantly the right seat while we drive. He had bought it and restored in the years before his eyes went south.

TTT

[Panther F]

Hanging them by the fuselage will save the wings in the future! I remember when I built model airplanes (not very heavy at all) I did it the same way but used a thumb tack and sewing thread instead.

These planes of course are much heavier, so the 24 guage clear line I use is 75lb rated, so only one hook is needed and it's so thick that the breeze in the room doesn't affect them very greatly.

Man ... that Snake Stuka really looks great! The animal stories cracked me up!

[acisne]

Any method without having to make holes? I have a dropped ceiling with those square stuff...

Do you have a "grid" type ceiling with the metal frame? If you do, go to a grocery/big box store and see how they hang signs. They use these round plastic clips that rotate into the frame. They do it with a long pole with an attachment so they don't have to use ladders.
Ask a manager if you can have some, their new signs come with new clips so the old ones get thrown out with the old signs.

I haven worked in a store in 15 years, but that is how they used to do it.

[iflabs]

Yeap, I have the grid type ceiling with metal frames. I did a further search and apparently these hooks are called t-bar clips. Come to think of it, my ceiling is only 8-9ft from ground up. Maybe I should plaster the models onto the wall instead. >.>

Hmmm...some of the hook up in the pictures look sophisticated. I'm inclined to believe some of you had precisely engineered all the attachment points with thousands of mathmetical equations. Har har har.

[Panther F]

My ceilings are only 8 feet and I hang them about 13 to 15 inches from the ceiling. I'm 6 foot tall and there is plenty of clearance!!

[iflabs]

Anyone have diagrams for their fishing line setups? I've been tinkering with some random setups of my own and haven't found one I'm satisfied with yet.

[AlloySkull]

I do a lot of playing with it. Hours. Also, make sure to adjust your ailerons, rudder, elevator, etc. to match, it helps you decide what looks best. It helps having a bed under your planes, as in my room. You lay there for about 15 minutes debating. Make adjustments. I can make some simple diagrams if you want. It's not too hard. But your best bet for complex and great looking still flight is to have two hooks. You can have one be main support and have the basic direction and yaw, and then have a second for pitch. Or vice-versa.

I've experimented with many ways. I found snelled fishing hooks work great. Just catch the hooks into the landing gear bay, or ANY place that can possible catch, even leading and trailing edges sometimes work, depending on distribution of all the hooks. But if you hook different places on each side, it will easily pitch and yaw the aircraft with one ceiling hook. But I usually add a second to make minor adjusments to that.

I also found that taking fishing line and running it under the very root of the wing and then back up and tying a knot, so it makes a triangle shape, cradling the wings, is VERY effective. You can also cradle the nose and tail to simulate pitch. All you have to do is measure each piece and make one shorter by so much and figure out which wing will be down and which will be up, same with nose and tail. Get as much support as you can.

Always go with two hooks, it also prevents movement from fan breeze, and A/C breeze. I use snelled hooks for my earlier hung planes, but I think the cradle looks better as you don't have hooks hanging out. I'll draw some diagrams in Photoshop or something to give some of you guys an idea, and post 'em soon.

Here it is...



This is the cradle diagram.

[Panther F]

Too many holes in the ceiling and too many strings. All you need is one hook into the stud and one large loop around the fuselage in front of the main wing and one that wraps around the front of the rudder then back under the rear wing or like the Spitfire, loop it under the landing gear.

Adjust the pitch of the plane, then wrap the line around the hook twice so it won't slip. I super glued the knot in my line so it would not come loose.

The trick is using one hook in the stud. Stud finders are cheap.

[Yankee John]

Here are of my planes in "flight". A single hook for each strung with 12lb test fishing line.

John

[acisne]

If I don't find a stud, I used one of those plastic sheetrock that use a metal screw in the middle to hang pictures on walls. I just use a hook instead of the metal screw.

[AlloySkull]

Yeah, I see where you're coming from. But the reason I use two hooks is to prevent ANY sway from air movement. But you're right, two lines can be used where I use four. But see I'm hanging jets, so the meeting point is above the center of the fuselage, so it doesn't really take much away. Not to mention in my room's lighting you can't really see it anyway. I just hung a new F-104 to those specs and it works great, because anything less and I would have felt like it was lacking. I don't mind the holes, for now, because any holes I make and don't need, I just cover up with pictures. Until I move out...