•    MODEL and AIRCRAFT  ACCESSORY  ARTICLES of INTEREST      CONTENTS :
    LAST UPDATE -JAN 26- 07

    •

  • BALANCE  TIPS
    Quit guessing at the setup of you airplanes. An accurate deflection degree indicator that can be fabricated from scrap found around your shop. You do need a clothespin, a plastic school type protractor, some brass tubing, screws and a fishing weight. Start by drilling a hole in the protractor exactly at the zero by ninety degree center axis. The hole should be sized such that you can just slip in one of those brass eyelets that come with your servo mounting grommets. Peen the small side of the eyelet over the protractor plastic to keep it in place in the protractor. Take a three inch long piece of 1/8" brass tubing and flatten the center section over a length of about 1/2". Drill a #44 hole (i.e. the right size for a 2-56 screw) through this flattened section. Take a small size of music wire and solder it into one end of the brass tube. This music wire will be the pointer to read against the protractor, so you may want to file a point on to the end if the wire. The distance between the hole drilled into the brass tube and the end of the pointer wire should be slightly less that the distance between the hole drilled into the protractor and the outside edge of the protractor. Solder the other end of the brass tube to a lead weight. John used a one ounce fishing weight, but the less weight you can get away with, the better. The amount of weight required will depend on the freedom of movement when the pointer assembly is attached to the protractor. Attach the pointer assembly to the protractor using a 2-56 screw, flat washers and either Locktite or a jam nut to keep everything in place. Set the protractor on a known level surface, such that the pointer can move freely, and bend adjust until the pointer is at the ninety degree mark on the protractor. Take a standard wooden clothes pin and cut about a half an inch off of one leg. Cut a groove on the outside of the long leg about one to two inches long. Epoxy one side of the protractor into this groove.  To use, simply clamp the device on to the horizontal surface to be adjusted. For example, after a trim flight, set the airplane on a suitable surface and clip the indicator onto the control surface. Read the degrees deflection on the protractor. Reset the transmitter trim to its center position, and then adjust the clevis until your previous deflection reading is obtained.
    Reprint with permission of Howard Sullivan

  • CANOPY TIPS   REPLACEMENT
    ( CHEAP REPLACEMENT )
    A replacement canopy is sometimes a real problem. Try studying the shapes of various soft drink or other plastic
    bottles to find exactly the contour you need. You cut the area of the bottle where it necks down to the cap it a
    variety of sections to make windshields or entire canopies. Don't forget that heat, in the form of hot or boiling water
    may change the almost right shape to the perfect fit.
     Control Horns - Control Rods
    Control Links - Clevis Types and Setup
    (CANOPY GLUE)
    Formula 560 is an excellent canopy glue from the makers of ZAP.
    (TINTING)
    A easy way to add a different look to your creation is to tint the canopy a color that compliments your airplane's color
    scheme. Rit Cloth Dye, available in most any supermarket, fabric store, or drug store will tint the clear plastic
    quite well. Mix up the dye in luke warm water in a container large enough to immerse the entire canopy. Dip the canopy for period of one minute or so, until you get the feel on how fast the dye is "taking". Rinse in cool water and dry off. If it is not dark enough, dip it again. Sometimes it takes quite awhile. You can tint by making a fixture to hold only a certain part of the canopy in the dye.
     3D canvas tutorial (how to design a canopy)
     How to make canopies
  • CLEVIS TIPS    SECURING
    (SECURING)
    There is usually some plastic tubing provided in the package of clevis when they come from the hobby shop. provided    Silicon fuel tubing, cut to about a 1/4" length will keep your clevis closed.
    You should always use a 2-56 nut on the threaded rod to lock in the clevis once you get the clevis properly adjusted.
    This lock nut prevents  the push rod from rotating and thereby changing your control surface deflection. Most of the threaded push rod ends have the threads pressed on the wire instead of cut on with a die. The 2-56 lock nut becomes almost mandatory in these conditions and also allows slop energy transfer.canopy in the dye.
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  • FASTENER TIPS   Nylon Bolt Installation
    NYLON BOLT INSERTION
    If you ever have had trouble getting nylon bolts started when attaching the wing or other major subassembly, try this. Bevel the threaded end of the bolt so it will tend to be self centering when you're trying to get it started. The easiest way to bevel the bolts is to stick 'em in one of those school kit hand held pencil sharpeners and twist.
     

  • FIBERGLAS TIPS (3)  Creases & Lumps  Nylon stockings   Unraveling Fix
  • Click for Fiberglas Tips

    CREASES AND LUMPS
    Prior to applying the fiberglass cloth to the center section of the wing, take the time to iron it flat with your clothes iron.  Place the glass cloth or the center of the wing and tack it down to the surface with one drop of CyA (each corner, top and bottom). This may require that you may have to pull the cloth taught, but don't overdo it! Now you should have the cloth resting smoothly on the top of the wing. Now apply the resigns (or CyA) over the cloth. You may find that after 3/4 of the cloth is attached that you now have puckers along one edge or the other, but this is easy to fix.
    Lift the material where you tacked it to the wing, pull taught and tack it down again.
    NYLON STOCKINGS
    Women's nylon stockings are a cheap substitute for 1/2 ounce fiberglass and are especially handy in covering a wing. Simply slide the nylon over the wing, pull out the wrinkles and apply the resin.
    RESIN PRIMER
     0-ANEW.JPG (636 bytes)  Resin casting primer
    UNRAVELING FIX
    To keep fiberglass cloth or tape from unraveling and making all those nasty, loose threads, try spraying the part to be cut with spray hair set. It dries in seconds, does not get too stiff to work with and makes a nice clean edge. Hair Spray seems to be compatible with all adhesives and coatings.
     
  • FIELD BOX TIPS (1)  Radio Flyer Wagons 
    RADIO FLYER TYPE WAGONS
    Build or Put your Flight Box in a Radio Flyer type wagon sold at most toy stores. 
    There was substantial surface area inside the wagon to accommodate all the "stuff" you need in a field box.Make a
  • receptacle at each wagon corner to hold  3/4" PVC pipe. Then "plug in" a cradle fabricated from PVC pipe that was designed to hold whatever airplane you wish to cradle.
    With his set up all you have to do is lift the wagon from the car, plug in the cradle, set the airplane on the cradle, and roll the whole kit and caboodle out to the pits or to the flight line.
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  • FLYING  TIPS (2) Control Reversal    Flying Technique    Flying
  • CONTROL REVERSAL
    Something to pay attention to when learning to fly is control reversal. Control reversal is when the inputs on the transmitter sticks must be reversed when your plane is flying toward you, rather than away from you. When flying away from you, there is no problem, just move the stick in the direction you want to turn. Many new pilots become Disoriented when their plane is approaching them. To help with this, move the stick in towards the low wingtip. This will level the wing when your plane is coming toward you,avoiding a sharp bank, and possibly a crash.
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    • HANGAR RASH
      HANGAR RASH
      Hanger rash is the bane of every modeler. A cheap and easy way to afford some protection to your pride and joy is as follows. For a wing cover try taking a beach towel and fold it in half, lengthwise. Ask the wife to sew the towel together down its length and across one end.  For the tail surfaces, find three styrofoam blocks of appropriate size. Slice out slots in the blocks such that you can slide a block over each end of the horizontal stab and over the top of the fin.

  • HINGE TIPS (2)
    INSTALLATION WITH EPOXY
    Use a plastic drinking straw as a disposable "hypodermic". Flatten the end of the straw between your fingers and test fit into the hinge slot so you will get the hang of inserting it. Then mix your epoxy, scoop some up in the end of the flattened straw, insert it into the slot, and "milk" the epoxy into the slot. You can then wipe the outside of the hinge slots off before inserting the hinges. This assures that each slot is filled with epoxy. Then (To really assure they wont pull out),Take a small drill and drill though the control surface and pin the hinges with a toothpick. The toothpick should then be cut off flush, and a small piece of covering placed over the toothpick pin.
    Another method for inserting the hinges into the slot is to carefully dip the hinge end that hinges in wax. Insert an L shaped pin into the holes and then remove this pin after the hinge is installed. ( If it was easy it would not be fun) I hate doing hinges..
    HINGE SLOTS
    Use a circular saw blade with a hole for a 1/4 inch mandrel. Using a 1/4-20 bolt as a mandrel, chuck into your drill press.
    Make sure the material being cut is square with the cutting blade (This can be done by taping the opposite hinge piece material to the other side of the material being cut.Set the depth you want for the hinge slot. This cuts perfectly aligned hinge slots of the right size fast and neat.
    Tubular Hinges - Knuckle or arrowshaft hinges for gapless hinge lines.Hinge Gaps
    Sealing Hinge Gaps - Well Worth the Effort
    (HINGES)
    When installing CyA hinges, mark and slot balsa as you normally would. Remove approx.1/8 inch off the out side corners at 45 degrees so that the hinges go in easier. Then take a T-pin for the outside holes in your hinge and insert through the hinge so that the hinge is where you want it for installation Remove the T-pins, and insert toothpicks.Turn you material to where any glue or thin CA you may be using will not seep towards the front
    of the hinge.Avoid too much CA. A drop will
    do it per hinge hole. Mark the top of your hinge locations. If your are covering the model with Iron on material, use a strip first along the edge you are installing your hinges. An exacto blade will cut the material where your have your hinges located.It is easy and neat.
    (RADIO)
    Find a motorcycle or sewingshop in your area.Get Velcro strips that are 1/2" wide.These strips are double sided in that the fuzzy stuff is on one side of the strip and the velcro stuff is on the other side. Use these straps as the pull ties.They are much softer around the wiring.
  • INCIDENCE METER
     Incidence Meter Use this schematic and information to build your own incidence meter to help get the decalage right on your small rubber models.

    • INSTALLATION TIPS
     (BATTERY and RADIO PLACEMENT)
    Keep your weight forward. To balance a nose heavy aircraft, 1 oz. at the tail could be all it needs. While the same aircraft,
    if tail heavy, could take as much as 10 oz. or more to balance.Temporarily place the battery, receiver and servos in place and check the C. G. without adding dead weight.With everything Assembled.. it is easy then to add weight where you need it. Check also if the model is balanced laterally and add weight as required at the wing tips.
    (HINGES)
    When installing CyA hinges, mark and slot balsa as you normally would.Remove approx.1/8 inch off the out side corners at 45 degrees so that the hinges go in easier. Then take a T-pin for the outside holes in your hinge and insert through the hinge so that the hinge is where you want it for installation Remove the T-pins, and insert toothpicks.Turn you material to where any glue or thin CA you may be using will not seep towards the front of the hinge.Avoid too much CA. A drop will
    do it per hinge hole. Mark the top of your hinge locations. If your are covering the model with Iron on material, use a strip first along the edge you are installing your hinges. An exacto blade will cut the material where your have your hinges located.It is easy and neat.
    (RADIO)
    Find a motorcycle or sewing shop in your area.Get  Velcro strips that are 1/2" wide.These strips are double sided in that the fuzzy stuff is on one side of the strip and the velcro stuff is on the other side. Use these straps as the pull ties.They are much softer around the wiring.
    INSTRUMENT PANEL TIPS
    CHEEEEP
    Browse through full scale aviation magazines until you find a cockpit view of about the right proportions. A pair of scissors and some white glue will put you in business.
    If you have a scanner, scan the image into the computer and enlarge or reduce the scale as desired.Great if you have a colored printer.
  • HOW TO CAST LEAD NOSE WEIGHT
     How to Cast Lead Nose Weight - By Michael Shellim, a relatively simple method of casting lead nose weight to fit

      LANDING GEAR TIPS
    Landing Gear Engineering - - Where, when and how to beef up the gear.
    POLISHING
    You will need the following materials:

    400 to 600 grit Wet-or-Dry Sand Paper
    Emery Cloth
    Twinkler Silver Polish
    Aluminum "Mag Wheel" Polish
    Wet sand the aluminum (sound a little strange, but this goes pretty quickly). Keep your sanding strokes long and lengthwise along the gear. After most of the scratches are gone, the next step is to go over the landing gear with the Emery Cloth (don't wet sand with Emery Cloth, use it dry!). Just as you did earlier, keep your sanding strokes long and lengthwise along the gear. Now wipe down the gear to remove all the dust and crud. After that, apply the Twinkle silver polish and buff. Don't try to get the gear to shine at this point, that will come after the next step.
    Go over the gear with the Emery Cloth lightly, this will bring the aluminum to it's optimum sheen
    Lastly go over the gear with the Mag Wheel Polish to protect the luster of the aluminum.
    REINFORCEMENT
    What do you do if your  landing gear seems to get weaker and weaker? Just remove the gear from the airframe and
    remove all the hardware from the gear wire (i.e. - the wheels, collars, pants, etc). Preheat your kitchen oven to 450 F degrees. Place the wire on a cookie sheet in the oven for one hour. Turn off the oven and let the gear and the oven cool down together. Don't try to speed up the cooling process! What you have just done is to re-temper the music wire and
    you should have put new life into that old gear. Note that soldered joints should not be harmed as solder doesn't melt until about 700 F degrees. This tip assumes you have used a high temp solder (silver solder or other low lead solders will melt at low temperatures and possibly leave lead deposits.
    LINK PROBLEMS
    Of all the considerable number of little items that cause us problems flying RC, one has continued to stay with us - the link between our control rods and the control horn or servo arm. Despite constant upgrading in the hardware available to us, despite the considerable number of new items in the hobby shop, we still have linkage failures now and then. We may be lucky - only a disconnected throttle - or we may lose a plane if a control link fails.

    Linkage problems can come from any one or a combination of 3 basic areas - the hardware itself, the modelers (or designers) installation, or from wear and tear over a number of flights. In this article, we'll look at some of the typical types of links and examine good and not so good features of each. See diagram.

    The Z-Bend: Used right from the inception of escapements and servos, the z-bended piece of music wire WORKS, and has negligible chance of disconnecting. They're easy, cheap, totally reliable. So why not use them everywhere? First, there is no way to adjust a z-bend; you're stuck with it once installed. They're relatively hard to connect and disconnect, they usually require drilling out the holes on standard servo and control horns, and have a tendency to self-enlarge those holes over time, causing slop. But they're still very useful in some installations - an example would be the connections on an aileron bellcrank hidden in the wing, where you can't see to inspect or get in to adjust anyway. Here the reliability of the z-bend overshadows any other considerations.

    The Snap Link: These wonderful little devices are heavily used, and rightfully so. They come in metal solder-on, and nylon and metal screw-on forms, and can very easily be connected or taken loose. The screw-on types, of course, provide for easy linkage adjustment. So where's the problem? For one thing, the lead-in from the control rod must stay pretty close to the plane of rotation of the control or servo arm; while they rotate nicely IN their little holes, any bending in other directions tend to make them self-disconnect. And they can also cause binding if they are overrotated up against the servo or control horns. The nylon types can break, the metal screw-on types can vibrate on the threads, causing radio glitches or even thread failure.

    The Snap Link with Keeper: There are several ways to keep the snap link from being wrenched open and off, ranging from a piece of fuel tube slipped over it to some neat little springs that do the same thing. Perhaps the best, though, is the "golden link" which has a metal clip that will keep the link positively closed until YOU want to open it. For positive peace of mind, these are worth the money!

    Snap Keepers: These are nylon clips that will (hopefully) keep an L-bended wire onto its control or servo arm. They snap on the wire on both sides of the arm, and in a low-stress installation may be useful. NOT recommended for critical flight controls.

    The Quik Link: Perhaps the easiest of all to install, these are indeed quick - just insert into a hole in the servo or control arm, snap on a nylon keeper, and thread thru the wire or cable, and tighten the screw down where you want it. But these links have some pitfalls which may cost you a plane if used on flight controls. First, the nylon keeper "button" that holds the unit on the control or servo arm may come off , allowing the whole thing to disconnect - this is especially true if there is any wrenching or twisting involved. And under those conditions, they may not want to rotate properly, causing binding. Also, especially when used with music wire, the screw can slip. Quik Links are quite often included as kit hardware, but a lot of careful flyers will only use them on throttle cables, if at all.

    The Ball Joint: These cost a bit more than other links, and are quite often worth it. A ball joint has it all - positive no slop control, no binding with moderate wrenching or twisting, easily adjusted, and hardly any way they will disconnect themselves. In any situation where the control arm must be free to swing in more than one direction, this is the way to go - the connection to the servo on a strip aileron installation is an obvious example.

    NOTE: Almost all the above hardware comes in two popular sizes - 2-56 and 4-40. These figures refer to the wire and thread sizes involved, the 4-40 hardware being much heavier and stronger than the 2-56 versions. The heavier gear should be used in any plane above .60 size, and should even be considered for a fast .60, especially on aileron and elevator control systems. More information concerning how you set up your control systems will be addressed in future articles. ....Clay


    • POPSICLE STIR STICKS
    My favorite is Popsicle sticks, but I have heard of bamboo chopsticks with their ends carved to a thin paddle shape  excellent epoxy stirrers.
      PUSH RODS
         CABLE PUSHRODS
    Cable pushrods for the throttle linkage has its advantages. It doesn't have to be an exact length.
    It can be cut long and still serve well. The cable will flex when pushed forward and not cause a bind at the servo.
    FASTENING TIP
    An easy way to secure Ny-rod or Golden-rod type push rods to the sides of the fuselage is to use small pieces of light fabric. Take a strip of the fabric and lay over the outer case of the push rod and press against the surface to which you wish to attach the push rod casing. Flow thin CA on to the fabric to bond the fabric to the surface. Try a piece of
    Saran Wrap between your fingers and the fabric to keep yourself from being bonded with your model.
    PUSHROD LENGTHS
    An easy way to get the lengths exactly right is to tie a string to the control horn on the control surface. Drop the free end of the string through the fuselage. With the control surface in the neutral position, tie the other end of the string to the servo arm. Cut off the excess string at both tie points. Now, cut the string at both tie points and what you end up with
    a piece of string which is the exact length of the push rod you will need to fabricate.
    RUBBER BANDS
  • RUBBER BANDS
    Alliance brand rubber bands are the preferred brand for wing hold downs and other model applications. They do not deteriorate as rapidly as American brand (and others). Try them!
    SECURING YOUR WINGS     SECURING YOUR WINGS
    I suggest it takes two # 64 rubber bands for each pound of total aircraft weight. Therefore, a six pound airplane would require at least six rubber bands on each side of the airplane to properly secure the wing. If you see your wing separate
    separate from the fuselage while pulling out of a dive.. is another indicator that you do not have enough rubber bands.
    As a general rule I always use a minimum of 8 rubber bands for any given aircraft.
    When you get the wing mounted and all the rubber bands you need over the wing, put one more rubber band on the rear dowell going across the fuselage (not back over the wing). When you are done flying for the day, slide your hold down rubber bands off the front dowell. This rear rubber band will keep the others from flying all over the place.
    SEALING TIPS
    BLIND NUTS
    Use a paper punch to cut out little circles of gummed paper. Stick these pieces to the backside of firewall blind nuts.
    by doing this, you can fuel proof the tank compartment with resin without fouling the threads of the blind nuts.
    CONNECTORS
    Slide a piece of 3/8" or 1/2" heat shrink over one of the pig tails, then push the connector together. When satisfied, slide the heat shrink over the connection and shrink it down with your heat gun. The heat shrink can be easily removed when necessary with an Xacto knife.
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    VELCRO USES
         Velcro can be used on anything you might wish to transfer from one model to another (Such as Pilots etc)