( 12 ) Tilting Angle and Wing Angle Adjustment [ BOF ]

ADJUSTMENT OF THE TILTIING ANGLE OF BIRD MODEL WHEN HUNG BY THREAD The tilting angle of the bird model can be adjusted when it is hung by thread. Usually the bird model will assume a standard posture or tilting angle within a narrow range if it is finished by following the instruction correctly.

There are three main parameters to adjust the angle: 1) arch of the hanger If you pull the arch of the single unit hanger backward , the model will tilt forward and vice versa. This also applies to the inverted hook of the 2-unit hanger but there is not too much room for the hook of this hanger to be adjusted depending on its shape which may vary slightly from model to model.

2) span of the tail region By widening the angle between the long arms of the single unit hanger , the model will tilt forward and vice versa. In case of the 2-unit hanger, you have to widen the V shape of the transverse 2.5cm wire to achieve the same effect.

3) wingspan / angle between the wings If you widen the wingspan, the model will tilt forward and vice versa. But the wingspan is not permanent because the wings will drop down little by little over time. In other words , the model will tilt forward after the set up over a period of time because the paper used , especially comparatively thicker paper, will rebound over time , making the chest region widen , which in turn will allow the wings to spread more. Also the paper will absorb moisture from the surrounding air , which in turn will increase the weight of the wings and cause them to drop slowly under gravity.

The following table is a summary of the actions against the effects on the tilting angle of the bird model.

Sideways Tilting Adjustment Sideways tilting is usually caused by uneven spreading of the wings and uneven placement of the hanger, which is more easily encountered in the 2-unit hanger because the central strip with the inverted hook is more prone to sideward displacement. Therefore , the problem can be quickly remedied after the cause has been checked.

How to fix the angle between the open wings The angle between the wings when viewed from the front can also be interpreted as the wingspan in this case. As mentioned before , the wingspan will change over time or increase gradually due to gravity , properties of the paper and humidity etc.

ways to keep the wings fixed at a particular angle: If you hang the bird(s) at some places that are difficult to reach , which means you are unable to correct the posture or tilting angle of the birds easily at the right time , for example at a place high from the ground , in the display windows etc. So in these cases , it is desirable to have some means to keep the wing angle fixed at a particular desired value so that you don’t have to worry about being unable to do the timely correction in addition to having more freedom to embellish the model.

1) adding double sided adhesive tape to the wing

After adding double sided adhesive tape to the wings , the wings will lift up slightly as compared to those without the tape.

with double sided adhesive tape

without double sided adhesive tape

Though the effect may not be permanent , it will last at least for a long period of time.

2) adding a DIY plastic regulator ( wing angle regulator ) Cut a long strip from the A 4 plastic sheet of about 1.3cm in width. You can use a common type of small size adhesive tape as a reference. The actual length used is about 4cm but you may cut 8 to 10 cm for easy handling.

fold the strip in half

cut the strip at the place about 2cm or less from the tip

then cut off two triangles from the open end to avoid damage to the paper

open the strip in to V shape

Open the bird model as shown. Pay attention to the layers shown and then insert the strip as shown.

like this

And then adjust the angle of the wings. The plastic device may also adjust itself when you adjust the wing. If you find the wing’s position too high, you can cut short the open end of the strip little by little at a time until it reaches the desirable position. Conversely , if you find the wing not high enough , you can cut a longer strip or wider strip depending on the real situation. Once finalized , you may further add adhesive tape or double sided adhesive tape to fix the strip in position , thus further enhancing the permanence of the effect.

Indeed , this wing angle regulator can be treated as a must to all cases in terms of aesthetic reasons and long term stability of the wings.