try getting in touch with Precision Enterprises in Vermont - they carry
something called Wonderwire. It's the carbon monofilament used in composite
structures (a la F-16, a modern jet for the terminally WWI types among us).
The great thing about it is that you can hold a one foot piece by one end
and it won't droop. The material available now is about 6 mil if I recall
correctly, so it's good for 1/48, maybe too thick for 1/72. By pre-drilling
holes and pre-cutting the wire lengths prior to painting, I was able to 'rig'
an otherwise finished 1/48 He-51 in about 15 minutes.