Weights

[Bantstudios77]

Hello I have just started work on my BAe Hawk and i have noticed that i am ment to put a 5g weight in the nose of it. I do not know any stratagies of doing this or have any items small enough to fit in there. I had the same problem with my 1:72 Vampire. Does anyone have any tips on how to overcome or solve this problem for any small scale models?

[T2B]

Everyone has there own method such as bluetac and/or small nuts n bolts. I use small round fishing lead weights with polyfila to stop them rattling. And as a general rule I use more than is recommended just to be sure. On the new tool small jets space is generally limited so you can add more behind the cockpit bulkhead or similar space so long as its in front of the main under-carriage legs. You'll probably know but the closer you are to the pivot point, you'll have to increase the weight that you add! 

[peebeep]

I've still got some steel shot acquired off the late Ted Taylor that he used to sell as a sideline whilst exhibiting at shows (he used to sell it in old plastic 35mm film tubs, remember those?!). It's ideal to pack into a small space and fix with some epoxy glue. If you have difficulty getting some shot then you might tray Deluxe Materials Liquid Gravity.

[Ratch]

I've been using tyre weights for a while.

A 5g tyre weight to the rear of the compressor plate (Lightning F.2A) with cyanoacrylate.http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24495349/408368964.jpg   http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24495349/408368976.jpg 

[Whisperhead]

I've used blue tac with small garden pebbles embedded within before. 

[T2B]

Yes many methods can be used depending on what materials are available and the individual modellers preference, the only important points are to keep the weight forward of the pivot point and try to avoid rattles lol

[DavidJC]

I use 'Liquid Gravity'. It's expensive but great stuff even for the smallest of crevices. Couple of drops of white glue here and there where you can and sprinkle Liquid Gravity over it. Think Blue Peter style glitter spreading to tip it back in the bottle and you're away.

[Peter s]

I bought some 2oz lead deep sea fishing weights on eBay not realising how big they were (about 3" long) . It's turned into a happy accident. Cut a chunk off with side cutters and hammer into shape with a full size claw hammer. The worst Airfix ever to weight down is the tuccano but several others (b25, New buccanneer etc) need lead. Blue tac etc just isn't heavy enough to add enough weight in a small space. 

I found with the A4 skyhawk that some lead in the very front of the drop tanks helped that one.

[Dad Paul B]

Fine lead shot is very good as it packs very efficiently. You can still get it in fishing shops although its use is frowned upon for good reasons, Bismuth is preferred but is not as dense. You can also get small lead billets intended for casting your own weights which is good for larger weights as it cuts easily.

Both of these stick well with cyanoacrylate.

[Trevwoody]

As an angler.. lead shot has been banned from use for many years now. Alternative materials are in use for fishing now that don't poison birds if they swallow them.  For modelling, the closest is liquid gravity if you need to put the weight into an odd shape. For standard shapes, I use offcuts from car tyre balance weights or some big sea fishing weights.

[John Symmons]

Hi Bantstudios.

Making some modern jets and even some WW 2 aircraft with tri-cycle undercarriages can be a bit of a challenge. Probable the best to use is some old lead solder cut to fit and or smallish ball-bearings from your local bicycle shop, you'll need about 6 to 10 mm diameter ones. these are best secured with Blue-Tac or simular, you can even use old Plasticine. As Ratch says old lead tyre weights are another good substitute, but getting them to fit can be a challenge. If you save your old No 11 blades you’ll find that 12 to 14 weigh about 10 grams (almost ½ an ounce).

I recently made a old Frog model of the Heinkel He 219 that was a serious tail sitter and had to cram over two ounces of solder into the fuselage and cowlings, and even so it only just sat on it’s nose wheel. I’m at present having the same problem with another old Frog (ex Hasagawa) model of the Nakajima G8N1 Rita bomber. Again with over two ounces (50 Grams) of weight into the nose and cowlings. Luckily with both these models I was able to tape the fuselage together, tack on the tail planes, plug in the wings with undercarriage legs plugged in to get some idea of the weight needed before joining the fuselage halves. Another WW 2 type that,s a serious tail sitter is the P 38 Lightning. The only WW 2 aircraft with tri-cycle undercarriage that’s not a tail sitter is the Hasagawa 1/72 Kyushu J7W1 Shinden although 1 gram weight is recommended, luckily this can be installed after building if you add the canards last.

I’ve included a few photos of the He 219 and the G8N1 to give you some idea what a challenge this can be. The He 219 was weighted with solder fixed with Blue-Tac and the G8N1 also with solder plus some ball-bearings mainly fixed with acrylic dry wall tile cement, ( very useful stuff for making dioramas and sea-scapes, now I’ve found a new use for it. It’s also good for gluing tiles to walls.)

Hope this helps and looking forward to seeing some of your results.

 

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Port and Starboard fuselage halves of He 219 with solder weights in fuselage anbd cowlings all fixed with Blue-Tac.

 

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G8N1 cowling with two lengths solder weight fixed with Blue-Tac

 

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G8N1 Fuselage halve clipped closed with weights hidden inside to check nothing fouled the closing. the tape marks the undercarriage pivot point.

 

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Looks a mess but all will be hidden once the fuselage halves are joined. Note the ball-bearing used in the very nose part. The white is the tile cement.

 

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All gone: Hidden from view. Halves not glued just clipped together.

 

Remember we do this for fun                              John the Pom