1:48 Turnbuckles 50 pc. - 5,5mm / 0,9mm

Turnbuckles 1:48: resin 3D print, 50 pieces

A detail accessory from the Czech brand Art Scale Kit. The box holds 50 pieces of turnbuckle in 1:48 scale; the manufacturer gives a length of 5.5 mm and an eye with an outside diameter of 0.9 mm. These are small parts for hanging wires and cables, not a kit.

The real subject

Biplanes and older designs held their shape thanks to a system of bracing wires between the wings and the tail surfaces. The turnbuckle was the fitting with which the ground crew adjusted the length and the tension of every wire, and without it the aircraft could not be trimmed. On a model in 1:48 scale and larger the turnbuckles are clearly visible, and a smooth wire without them therefore looks unfinished.

Building and painting tips

Resin prints cut, sand and drill well, they are glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) and painted with ordinary modeling paints. The manufacturer recommends dipping the parts in hot water before cutting the supports off: the material softens and does not chip, and the hardness returns once it cools. Spray a primer before painting. Sand with your airways protected. Thread a filament or stretched sprue through the eye, secure it with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue and tension the wires only once it has dried. Turnbuckles are usually painted in a metallic or dark shade so that they stand out from the surface of the wing.

Who the set is for

• Builders of biplanes and older designs in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who do the rigging properly and do not want to simply stretch a filament
• Patient builders used to working with very small parts

This is a detail accessory. The basic kit, the filament for the wires, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.