Large Plan Printing

[David Hayward.]

Hi, I have a plan in digital PDF format which measures 55" x 36" (140cm x 91cm), full size does anyone know where I could get this printed, ideally on one sheet.

I have searched online and also tried Staples however none seem to go larger than A0, which is not large enough.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

David

[FlyinBrian]

Some independent copy shops can print almost any length (paper is roll fed) not sure what the paper width capability would be.

Try googling local copy shops and contact them

[AVC]

Hi David

I normally use Metro repro. They print in continuous and I think that with a max width of 36". I've printed plans up to 90" long.

The price is quite reasonable too. For me is quite handy because I live very close to Newcastle, so I don't know how much would the shipping costs increases the total price.

NB: for some reason, their website is not working now, but I've made there my copies of the Ballerina plan a couple of weeks ago, so they are definitely open.

[Stuphedd]

I did have a plan copied , made a plane exactly to plan only to realise that when I came to glue it all together one wing was 1/2" longer than the other !!

The plan had been progressively stretched over the 50" span !!!!

The wing was the only bit that went length wise so the only bit you could tell was out !!!

( and I had 5 copies made !!!)

[AVC]

I had the same situation years ago with a BUSA Citabria Sport plan, and since then, the first thing I do when I copy an original plan is to lay the original over the copy (or vice-versa) and compare both.

If it's printed from a file though, you don't have anything to compare, but you can do a "sense check": measure height and width of formers and compare with lateral / top view of the model, similar for the wing ribs, etc...

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

If your plan is over the print size your copy shop can do, get them to scan it and save it as a PDF - then take it home on a memory stick (or get them to email it to you).

Using a graphics program, cut and paste areas until it fits their print capability, save it back to the stick - with a new name to avoid overwriting the original - and pop back (or email it) to get it printed.

PDF seems to be a preferred format and easy to use to maintain the original part sizes but other formats can be used, of course.

[Geoff S]

When I was working all the drawings I got printed were circuit diagrams but they used the same layout as mechanical schemes. All of them had the message 'Do Not Scale', which meant that users should rely only on the dimensioned information and not actually measure the drawing itself. That's because even the best quality paper is dimensionally unstable and can stretch or shrink with environment changes (damp, I suppose).

We aeromodellers ignore that and actually use a paper plan as a jig for the actual build. That doesn't matter most of the time if you use the same drawing for everything and errors cancel out. Anyway, who cares if the wings are a few millimetres longer or shorter than the original if they're both the same. That falls down if you different prints for each wing as Pete discovered.

Geoff

[David Hayward.]

Thank you everyone for your responses, most helpfull.

David

[Piers Bowlan]

I don't know where you are David but I live in West Sussex and use a local printers in Portslade called, James P Maginnis Ltd. Always very helpful when enlarging plans to any size and not expensive either. Hopefully you can find someone similar in your area.

I am about to get PM's Ballerina plan printed (same size) so that I can cut it up and produce a set of parts. I will also get the wing printed in reverse as only the right wing is shown on the free plan, as you know.

[David Hayward.]

Hi Piers, thanks for your response I actually live in Chichester so not so far away. I have a plan of a 4-40 bipe in pdf format and was hoping to have it printed, but it is 54 1/2" x 35 1/2" full size and most printers I have found only go to A0 which is not large enough.

Martin above has suggested breaking the pdf into two parts, so I might try this. My aim is to build a 'first' biplane suitable for a 'learner'. I am going through the early stages with a high wing trainer at the moment so looking ahead a little; just like to keep building.

I am also building the Ballerina and had the wing printed in reverse locally, but again their maximum size is A0.

So many models to build! Hopefully I will be able to fly them as well in time.

[Piers Bowlan]

Nigel at Maginnis has a wide printer that prints off a roll and I have checked and there is no distortion of the images. If you you email him the PDF file and tell him exactly what you want he will print it for you. I downloaded some three views of aircraft from the internet and he manipulated the images I wanted to fit on the paper (enlarged plan of wing, side elevation and front view). He did this while I waited and, as I say, it was just a few pounds. I sometimes go sailing from Chichester marina so if you were not in a hurry (weather terrible at present) I could pick up your printed plan and drop it off to your home. Just PM me if that suited.

[stu knowles]

**LINK**

For anyone wanting to copy, rescale, restore, in fact to do anything with a model plan I can heartily recommend Derek at the above site. He has blown up, and copied stuff for me, restored an old plan that was so yellowed and faded I thought it long gone. The result was a crisp printed plan as clear as the day it was new.

I have no connection with Derek other than as satisfied customer. His prices are extremely reasonable and the turn around time is good to.

stu k

[kevin b]

Pm sent