.
Allow the decals to set overnight to finish drying. Once dry, they will be solidly adhered to the model. When completely dry,
wash off any soapy smears with a soft clean wet rag.
Hinging The Control Surfaces
The hinges in this kit are designed to be installed with Thin CA glue. Thin CA (any brand) is the ONLY type of glue that can
be used on the hinges - do not use epoxy or any other type of glue!
56.
Let's start with hinging the elevators to the stabilizer.
a.
Begin by marking the location for the four hinges on the trailing edge of the stabilizer and the leading edges of the
elevators, according to the plan. A fine-line felt tip pen works best for this.
b.
Using a #11 hobby knife, cut a slot approximately 1/2" in depth for each hinge.
Start by cutting a very shallow slit at the hinge location. This first slit should be
very shallow so you can better control the direction of the knife. It's main purpose
is to establish your hinge slot in the right place, so concentrate on staying on the
hinge line and don't try to cut too deep. Now make 3 or 4 more cuts in the exact
same line, going slightly deeper each time. As you make these additional cuts,
concentrate on staying in the slit and keeping the blade headed straight into the
center of the wood so that it won't come out the side of the part. You will find that
as the blade gets deeper into the wood, it will become harder to move it along the
slot.
Try "wiggling" the knife handle in the slot to make it cut, instead of trying to "slice" the blade along in one continuous
motion. Continue making additional cuts until the slot is approximately 1/2" deep. CAUTION:You must use extreme care to
avoid cutting yourself while cutting the hinge slots. If the balsa wood breaks while you are pushing on the knife, the blade
could go into your hand before you can stop it. A good precaution is to wear a leather glove on the hand that is holding the
model part while you are cutting the slots.
c.
After all the slots have been cut, insert a single hinge halfway into each hinge slot in the stabilizer. If the hinge is difficult to
push in, re-insert the knife and move it back and forth in the slot a few more times and then try again. DO NOT GLUE THE
HINGES IN AT THIS TIME!
d.
Now carefully slide the elevator onto the exposed half of the hinges. You will find
it easiest to slide the part onto the hinges at angle, one hinge at a time, instead of
trying to push it straight onto all the hinges at once. Don't be overly concerned if
the hinges don't end up perfectly straight or centered in the slots - they do not
have a center line. ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT GLUE THE HINGES IN AT THIS
TIME!
e.
To set the proper amount of gap between the model parts, simply deflect the
control surface to the maximum amount of travel needed. This will automatically
set the proper hinge gap! Keep in mind that for best control response the gap
should be kept as small as possible, but big enough to allow full movement of the
control surface. Make sure everything is functioning properly before proceeding
to the next step.
f.
With a fine applicator tip on your glue bottle, carefully place 2-3 drops of Thin CA
glue directly onto the hinge in the gap. You will notice that the glue wicks into the
wood and the hinge. Quickly turn the part over and apply 2-3 drops of glue to the
other side of the hinge. Continue this process until you have glued both sides of
all the Keep a rag handy to wipe off any excess Thin CA glue. (If you get some
glue smears on the plastic covering, don't worry about them right now. Once all
the hinges are glued, you can go back to clean the smears off with a little CA
Debonder on a rag.
g.
Let the glue dry a minimum of 10 minutes before flexing the elevators. At first you might notice a little stiffness in the joint.
This will go away after the hinges have been flexed a few times.
h.
Repeat steps a thru g hinge the ailerons to the wing.
Summary of Contents for Four-Star 20EP
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