.
Go back over the side seams with your iron, then seal the material to the top edge of HR at the front and F-6 at the back.
Trim the excess at each end leavingan overhang of about 1/8" to iron around the corners. Seal down the 1/8" overhang to
the front of HR and back of F-6 (you may find that slits in the overhang every 1/4" or so will help during this step). Now you
can use a heat gun or iron to shrink the rest of the materialover the stringers.
Covering The Tail Sufaces And Ailerons
The stabilizer, elevators, fin, rudder, and ailerons should each be covered with two pieces of material - bottom first, then the
top. Iron the material from the center out to avoid trapping air bubbles. Once the ailerons have been covered, cut away the
material to expose the slot and hole for the torque rods. Also remove the material over the notch in the leading edge of the
rudder (fuel-proof the exposed wood in the rudder notch with CA or epoxy).
Decals
Cut out the decals with sharp scissors, leaving about 1/32" to 1/16" of clear at all edges and rounding the corners as you
cut. Wet the surface on which the decal will be placed with soapywater (use dishwashing detergent). Place the decal on the
model and squeegee the water from underneath with a balsa paddle. This procedureallowstime for repositioning and
prevents air from being trapped under the decal. Allow several hours to dry.
INSTALLING EASY HINGES
Sig's famous EASY HINGES have been included with your kit to hinge all of the control surfaces. Each ultra-thin hinge is
actually a three-part laminate - a tough plastic inner core sandwiched by an absorbant wicking material. They have been
chemically treated to slow down the reaction of thin CA (which is normally instant), to allow the glue time to soakall the way
to the ends of the hinge and into the wood surrounding it. Once the glue has dried, the hinge cannot be pulled from the
structure without tearing wood out with it! We recommend that all surfaces be covered before hinging.
58.
Using a No. 11 X-Acto blade (or similar), cut slots approximately 1/2" in depth and slightly wider than the hinges. Cut eight
slots in the stabilizer and eight matching slots in the elevators at the locations shown on the plans.
59.
After all of the slots have been cut, insert EASY HINGES halfway into the stabilizer slots. DO NOT GLUE THE HINGES
YET! Next, carefully slide the elevators onto the hinges. You'll find it easiest to slide the elevators onto the hinges at an
angle, one at a time, instead of trying to push it straight onto all of the hinges at once. Don't be concerned if the hinges
aren't perfectly straight or centered in the slots - they'll work regardless of their final position.
60.
a. To set the hinge gap, deflect the elevators to the maximum amount needed. For best control response, the gap
should be as small as possible but big enough to allow full movement of the control surface without binding.
b. EASY HINGES were designed to use THIN CA (any brand) for maximum glue penetration. Place three or four large
drops of thin CA directly onto the hinges in the gap. The glue will wick into the slot as it penetrates both the wood
and the hinge. Continue this process, gluing the same side of all of the hinges, then turn the stabilizer over and
repeat the gluing process on the other side of each hinge.
61.
After the glue has cured (3 to 5 minutes) the joint should be flexed to full deflection in each direction a couple of dozen
times to reduce the stiffness. Don't worry about shortening the life of the hinges, as they are almost indestructible.
62.
The rudder is hinged in the same manner as above, but it is easier to install AFTER the fin has been glued to the fuselage.
Cut slots for three hinges now (3 slots in the rudder, two in the fin, and one in the back of the fuselage).
NOTE: The fuselage slot may be difficult to cut, but don't be tempted to omit it. The bottom hinge is vital to the integrity of
the rudder because it absorbs loads from both the servo and the tailwheeL Jab the knife straight into the joint at the rear of
the fuselage, pull it straight out, reposition it slightly, and repeat the procedure until you have a slot that's long enough for
the hinge.
Summary of Contents for Four-Star 40 SIGRC44
Page 1: ......