AEROCLUB BIPLANE JIG Review

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 04:54 PM

Some have cuaght on to this new product sold by AeroClub. A few have been able to get one. I say a few because they have been sold out since their introduction at last years Telford England Model Show. Many have pointed out Jigs are not new and often have been used made with home made materials, wood blocks, styrafoam, legos, Balsa wood etc. It's been pointed out those all work why spend money for one? Becuase of the English Pound to Dollar ratio they are not cheap. More like along the lines of the cost of a Micro Mark "Hold N Fold".

Well here's what Ive found. The reasons for obtaining one are the same as getting PE folding tool. You can fold without one but if you are going to use PE again and again and want consitant easy results then the tool comes in handy and save a a lot of time and agravation as well as preserving the integrtity of what are now expensive PE parts ever getting smaller and more delicate to work with.

The same reasoning applys to this JIG. It allows one to quickly and consistantly set Precisie measurements and angles, securing the Wings and Fuselage of a WWI ACFT while one makes the adjustments necessary to square ones work before fixing and setting that final bit of CA. It also acts like a third set of hands holding your work for you while you set about fixing the struts in place.

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 04:58 PM

The Jig comes in a Box as roughly a 7" by 7" THICK Brass PE Fret.

There are roughly 34 Pieces which have to be Cut from the fret and some bent to right angles.

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 05:03 PM

I set about cutting the pices out with a heavy VERY Sharp Blade on a Leatherman Tool on top of a soft board which I later moved over to a cutting pad which work fine. The pieces cut off just like a giant PE Fret.

I filed off the Burr's with a hobby metal file and later to savetime Fired up the Dremel Cutting Wheel to shave off som eof the many sharp edges and burrs left from seperating the parts.

I then got to FOlding :

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 05:07 PM

The Kit comes with it's own Brass Box/Open end Wrench and set of three part bags with Short Machine Screws, Washers, and Nuts.

CAN YOU SAY, ERECTOR SET? Teh assembly will bring you right back to those days you toiled with your erector set for the very first time desperately intent on contructing what ever giant elaborate machine image had been on the front cover of the box.

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 05:12 PM

Here are the parts cut and laid out.

There are two main wing Jigs which hold the wings at the proper angle and hieght all which is very well designed to be easily adjustable.

There are also a mirid of accessory Jig pieces which can be customized to hold either the engine cowling, fuselage fore and aft, tail assembly and or even booms.

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 05:20 PM

The hardest part of the whole assembly aside from dropping and catching tiny little washers and Nuts all over the place was getting the orientation of the wing leading and trailing Edge Clips correct.

I had to take these off and turn them around a few times. Carefull reference to ALL the images in the Instruction booklet will finaly lead one to the intended direction of these parts.

mgtaylor · 27 May 2006, 05:32 PM

It went togehter quite easily and really I was finished with the whole project in less than an Hour or so.

I hope to put it to use here quite shortly and I'll let you all know how it works out. The Jigs all have several slots in them to allow them to be secured by screws into the work table or building board or as the instructions suggest can be taped down.

I posted these to give some people a chance to see it closer up than what is presented on the Aeroclub website in order to help give them a better presepctive inwhich to make a decsion as to whether they would want one for themselves.

About the availablity. As you can see it is a very simple but well designed heavy Brass PE Fret. It can't be TOO difficult nor take very long for AeroClub to run off a few batches of them. My suggestion is to follow up your orders with inquires to the site as to when your order can be filled. I would think they will move a little faster to fill them the more back orders they have and the more people following up with them? Getting things from overseas takes long enough as it is with the shipping.

I am hoping to get a lot of use out of mine with the Numerous WWI ACFT Kits I have stocked piled form the floor to the cieling in garages and closets.

Best of everything yours Mike
www.misterkitusa.com