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Building the Schuler 1:3 ASH 26
Rick Briggs
Installing the Side Combings
Before we start, I want to let you know that this is the first time I have gone to this much detail for a scale ship. I did use a lot of photos of the full size ASH 26. By no means is this an exact replica of the full size ship. I just wanted to get as close as possible without going completely mental. This hobby should be fun, at least for me! If you are a little intimated here, don't be! working with a good quality car body filler is real easy, Just use a good brand of filler. I will try to show you my tricks of the trade, as it were.

Here you can see I made some temporary formers to help shape the combings. I used 1/4" balsa wood with masking tape applied to the outer top surfaces. Why masking tape? Bondo or car body fillers won't stick to masking tape! The formers were spot glued with C. A. Take a little time to place them even and at the same level with each other.

Use more masking tape to protect the outer surfaces to the fuse, if its already painted as this one is.

The blue block is to shape the spoiler and flap control recessed area.

Here you can see the combings with the formers removed and roughly shaped. Remember the little blue block? now you see what it did.

When you start filling the area with your filler, do it in layers of 3/8" or so, don't fill it all at once, car filler will get hot if you try to fill to thick of an area, heat is not good for glass fuselages it will warp and deform your nicely painted ship. I have a cold bucket of water with a rag ready just incase it gets to hot.

I use 80 grit sand paper to do all the basic shaping. As you get closer to what you want in the shapes, start using finer sand papers, I usually finish up with 220 grit. Also I use the 3M wet or dry papers, DRY, they last longer.

Here you can see the air vent, and the mounting plate for the hand crank for the seat adjustment. I used a piece of carbon tube I had laying around, the mounting plate is a piece of 1/16 aluminum plate cut and shaped, then bonded and faired into the surface.

Here is a good example of how you can work with the filler, if it doesn't look good just add a little more and sand it till you get it the way you want it. And the best thing, it goes fast because you are working with a material that dries quickly so you can get fast results.
Here the spoiler and flap recess is taking shape, along with the faring for the tow release. Also notice the notch at the top edge of the combing. At this point I am using 220 grit sand paper. Once you get close to the shapes you are making, Spray a light cote of light gray lacquer primer to see the shapes more clearly, then sand to final shape.
These are the spoiler and flap controls. I have made the control rods of brass tubing in combination with an EMS hand grip. The ends of the rods are in brass sleeves, later you will see how the finished controls will be installed. The sleeves are notched into the side of the combings using a dremell tool. I tack them in place with CA, remove the rods, and then I fill with body filler, and sand to final shape. Use masking tape over the ends of the sleeves wile you are filling, so you don't get filler into them.
Here are the finished, flap, air brake, wheel brake and tow release handles. Using brass tubing and EMS handles from their cockpit kit. The tow release was made form a birch dowel, turned and shaped on my drill press.