We used to have such plastic shape-forming strips (about 18 inches long) in
the drawing office, in 1960. They could be formed into any curve of
reasonable radius, and were very handy for joining up a set of coordinate
points that the fixed French curves wouldn't fit. They had a cross-section
about 1 cm square, with a beaded edge for the DO pencil, and contained thin
strips of what appeared to be a lead alloy.
Although I imagine such strips are still available from drawing office
suppliers, one long enough to profile a Europa fuselage would be expensive
for occasional use. I suggest a length of thick copper wire (annealed for
preference) or similar material could be used instead. A cardboard template
could be cut to the shape of the wire to confirm a precise fit before
cutting the support material.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Sandra Dixon & Jan de Jong
Subject: Re: xs fuselage profile
On the subject of copying shapes - I seem to remember once having seen
and handled a strip, rod or bar of a material that looks and feels like
plastic,bends easily in shapes and does not spring back when the bending
force is removed.
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