RCU Forums - View Single Post - Preferred Elevator Hinge Method?
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Old 01-11-2018, 04:43 AM
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kdunlap
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Well, CA hinges work very well. I have them on airplanes up to 50cc and have never had a problem. Dubro, Robart, and Great Planes all make good hinges, just beware that the trade off is that you may have to do some adjusting of the control surface and the trailing edge if you decide not to go CA. This is not a simple drop-in operation. For example if you use a hinge (Great Planes/Dubro) with that little metal rod in it, you will need to trim each surface to recess the hinge joint. Otherwise you will have a large hinge gap along the length of the elevator that may need to be sealed. But none of these are complex operations. But all of these work better before you cover or paint your airplane. One thought is to just go with the CA hinges and work the joint back-forth gently a couple of dozen times. This will loosen up the surface. You don't need to have complete 100% friction free "flopping" for things to work right. Just make sure you use the appropriate slotting tool for the replacement high you purchase. Makes life much easier.