Questions about flight stands

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Guroburov
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Questions about flight stands

Post by Guroburov »

I'm thinking of getting more aircraft later this year (I currently have three fighters and one helicopter). I'd have loved some corsec engineering stands. Since they're gone, what I'm wondering about is sourcing parts to make my own flight stands. I saw some really good flight stands online on flickr used by mhluther for his WWII fighters and loved the magnetic telescoping stands with gimbals to angle the aircraft. I've been searching online for parts but can't find anything good. Do any of you have any advice for sourcing parts or making good flight stands?

Guroburov
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Guroburov »

Ideally I want to make about 40 flight stands (32 fighters, 8 bombers). I just really like the telescoping stands for different flight levels vs dice on the base. I've seen some with magnets on the end so I'd just have to glue nail heads or magnets for heavier aircraft. I just like the ones with a gimbal to have banking aircraft. Ultimately, I could live without the gimbal. I've found a few magnetic pick up telescoping rods but don't know if they'll be strong enough to hold the minis (not sure about the weights). Also the cost at $2-10 each with more parts needed could get pricey. I'm looking at getting about 100 or so WWII aircraft so anything to help cut costs is good.

redleg
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by redleg »

I use clear plastic stands that I think are from Litko. I glue a little magnet on the top of the stand and little magnets on the bottom of my aircraft. I've cut and glued to make a few stands taller than others, but I would love to get my hands on some telescoping stands.

I tried the nut thing to make the aircraft bank, climb or dive on the stands, but there is a weight limit, at least for my small nuts.

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Cav Dog
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Cav Dog »

Like Redleg, I use Litko 2" acrylic flight stands with magnets for my NOE helos and GHQ flight stands for my CAS fixed wings. I use magnets there as well, although I tried super glue and epoxy and neither seemed to work for very long. I now solder the magnets to the top of the rod. My soldering skills are not great so they look awful but the magnets, and therefore the aircraft stay put.
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embuchho
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by embuchho »

Does anyone know the diameter of the peg on GW flight stands?

I have drill bits but I don't have a measuring device fine enough to measure the diameter of the peg.

madman
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by madman »

Here are the neatest ideas I have seen yet for flight stands, and I have been doing this for over 40 years. See the picture in the first post. There is a fore and aft tube on the bottom of the plane and the stand ends with a side to side tube. The bent wire between them allows almost full positioning range.

https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/foru ... me-nov-16/

PolishGI
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by PolishGI »

I went the Litko flight stand way with using magnets with my aircraft. One magnet on the stand and one magnet on the model has been able to handle a CH-53 and CH-47 so far... Next up, when I get around to it will be the C-130 I have... (fingers crossed)
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Guroburov
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Guroburov »

I've thought about the tutorial on TMP to make my own telescoping rods but may look at buying magnetic pickup tools instead and using those. Just gotta figure out how to attach them to bases. At least with 1.5-5 lb pulls they can hold the figures. I'd love to find one with a gimbal but will do with what I can source. Litko is another option on the table. I just have to decide and move forward.

Guroburov
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Guroburov »

Okay, so I bugged mluther on flickr about his flight stands and he told me all the parts he used and his source. A place in Florida called jewelstoolsplus. They have the magnetic pick up tool I wanted with the swivel head. I'm getting some on Tuesday and then I'll need the parts. I'll post them when they're done.

Guroburov
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Guroburov »

So it's been a crazy last couple of days and I've just now gotten all the parts and time to get back on the forum (real life keeps getting in the way of fun). As promised, I finished the first flight stand and came in here to post photos and build plan. I got the telescoping magnetic pickup tools with swivel from jewelstoolsplus. While browsing in Home Depot, I explained what I'm trying to do and my better half, and budget Czarina, had some inspiration to do it better. We bought other parts including 1" heavy duty anti-skid pads, #4 3/4" pan head phillips screws, #6 washers, and a 1/4X1" chrome steel spacer. I bought 1.5" pads for bomber bases and 1" ones for fighters.

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So first, I slid the spacer onto the pickup tool shaft and set aside. The pickup tool has a screw in pocket clip on the end you can take off and ignore. Next, place a washer in the space on top of the heavy duty anti-skid pad and place the screw up through the bottom of the pad. The screw will be very loose in the hole in the pad but the washer on top will help cushion the pickup tool.

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Then you tighten the screw into the pickup tool. The screw isn't threaded as nicely as it could be but it won't matter. It'll fit quite well and isn't hard to screw in. And you're done. The spacer adds some nice weight to counterbalance the planes. I'm planning on clipping off nail heads and gluing those into the bottom of the aircraft, which should be enough for lightweight fighters. Bombers may require an extra spacer for their greater weight and magnets to hold. But that's a fight for another day. Enough rambling....photos!

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Flight Deck Decals
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Re: Questions about flight stands

Post by Flight Deck Decals »

Brilliant! I seem to recall seeing the non angle version in a Harbor Freight $1 bin at one point.

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