I have been working off and on on an Italeri 1/72nd scale Gigant glider, a WWII German aircraft.
The kit is designed to be displayed with the clamshell nose open or closed. Since I am making a wargame model, I wanted a working hinge. I went to a flying model airplane store and got some hinges. Here is a bit of a test fit to try and see how they would work. Test fitting of custom parts is very important. I wanted the hinges to go inside, but they did not open the doors wide enough.
My plan was to pin the hinges to the airplane and doors.
Using my pin vise, I drilled a set of little holes in the fuselage and the doors. I then inserted these little plastic rods into the holes. The rods were trimmed down a bit but left long so that I could adjust them.
Here are the pins holding the hinge in place. I used tape to hold the hinge in place, to use it as a template for drilling the holes. I then put the pins in the holes and placed a small drop of glue on the inside of the cargo area. The pins were flush with the inside of the fuselage. You can see them on the far side.
My plan was to pin the hinges to the airplane and doors.
Using my pin vise, I drilled a set of little holes in the fuselage and the doors. I then inserted these little plastic rods into the holes. The rods were trimmed down a bit but left long so that I could adjust them.
Here are the pins holding the hinge in place. I used tape to hold the hinge in place, to use it as a template for drilling the holes. I then put the pins in the holes and placed a small drop of glue on the inside of the cargo area. The pins were flush with the inside of the fuselage. You can see them on the far side.
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