RE: DH 2
On the topic of Plug-in Wing panels, this was a subject of some limited discussion at Hoosier Dawn Patrol. I would like to revisit the topic to get the ideas out on the table... Here's what I recall:
One method is attractive for it's simplicity: wooden dowels protrude from the center section which go into corresponding holes in the ribs of the outer wing panels (reinforced with plywood bushings). With the lack of a guide tube, the dowels are typically not more than 2 rib sections long. Easy to make & proven effective, but it does rely entirely on the flying wires to carry the flight loads & to retain the dowels in their respective holes.
Another idea mentioned was to use aluminum tubing on the center section (male) & cardboard tubes (female) on the panels. Because of the cardboard guide tube, this system could span several rib sections & would seem to be stronger for supporting flight loads than the short wooden dowel method, should the flying wires ever fail. A little heavier, a little stronger, a little more work to make.
There's also the aluminum joiner bracket system. Sig makes one, I've seen others on RCU make these out of just strips of aluminum stock. Basically an aluminum joiner strip on one end goes into a C-channel bracket mounted in the wing panel & is captured with a socket screw. This would be very strong, provided the C-channel brackets were supported by enough wooden structure in the wing to distribute the loads. This would be the heaviest option & so maybe it wouldn't seem as attractive for the smaller 1/4 scale DH2.
For the aluminum / phenolic tube system, do people typically drill a hole through the cardboard & aluminum tubes & run a bolt through them to prevent the aluminum tube from backing out of the cardboard tube (should the flying wires stretch)?
Are there any other joiner designs people are considering?
Greg