4
a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol. Monitor the position of the hinges
as the glue dries, making sure they stay properly aligned.
c) Repeat the process to glue four hinges in the other flap.
NOTE: Keep in mind that it's not necessary to use a lot of glue when
installing point type hinges. The outer arms of the hinges have
many grooves and ledges that do a wonderful job of capturing the
glue and securing the hinges in place. Only a thin coat of glue
inside the holes and a thin coat on the hinge arms (just fill the
grooves) is all that is needed. Too much glue will make a big mess
as it oozes out of the hole and gets into the hinge's pivot joint.
❑
5) The flaps are now hinged to their appropriate wing panels.
a) First, trial fit the flap in position to make sure that it lines
up with the top and bottom surfaces of the wing panel. Make
adjustments in the mounting holes in the wing as needed to
achieve a good fit.
b) Again, mix a small batch of epoxy glue and apply a thin
coat inside the holes and to the hinge arms. Insert the four hinge
arms into the holes in the wing panel and slide the flap into
position. Check to see if any excess glue has oozed out of the hole
on either side of the hinge. If so, wipe off any excess glue with a
rag soaked in rubbing alcohol. Use pieces of tape to hoId the flap
in correct position while the glue dries.
c) Repeat this procedure to attach the remaining flap to the
opposite wing panel.
d) After the epoxy dries, flex each flap repeatedly to free up
their movement.
❑
6) The ailerons are now hinged in place to each wing panel.
The supplied hinges for the ailerons are the CA type and should
only be glued with Thin CA. Note that the installation proceedure
for these CA hinges is the same for the CA hinges in the elevators
and rudder. Consequently the following step-by-step instructions
for gluing CA hinges will not be repeated later in the book when
those surfaces are hinged. You can refer back to this section at that
time.
a) The CA hinges supplied have a die-cut center slot that can
be used to accurately place and center the hinges equally into both
the wing panel and the aileron. To do this, use a business card and
pair of scissors to cut four "wedges". These should be cut wide
enough at the top so as to not pass through the slot in the center
of the hinge.
b) Working on one aileron at a time, insert four CA hinges into
the pre-cut slots in the leading edge of the aileron.
Push the
hinges in halfway, up to the die-cut center slot.
Place a card
"wedge" into each of the hinge slots.
❑
7) Carefully push the exposed side of the four CA hinges into
the slots in the back of the wing, right up to the card wedges. Make
sure that the aileron is in its correct position, with a reasonable
clearance between the aileron and the flap, and between the
aileron and the wingtip. If everything checks out, proceed with
gluing the hinges permanently in place.
a) Begin the gluing by flexing the aileron downward, exposing
the hinges between the wing panel and the aileron. Then, remove
the card wedge from the first hinge and apply 3 or 4 small drops of
glue directly onto the exposed sections of the hinge. You will notice
that the glue is quickly wicked into the slot as it penetrates both the
wood and the hinge.
Note:
For CA hinges, we always recommend using a fine-tip
applicator on your CA glue bottle, to better control the flow. Also,
if you get some glue smears on the plastic covering, don't worry
about them right now. Once the glue has had a chance to dry, you
can clean the glue smears off the covering with CA Debonder.
b) Remove the card wedge from the next hinge and again,
apply 3 or 4 small drops of glue to the exposed portion of the hinge.
Repeat this process to glue the remaining hinges.
c) Turn the wing panel over and flex the aileron in the
opposite direction. Repeat the gluing process on all four hinges.
Return the aileron to its centered position and let dry.