rtf wing joint
 

Hi,

I am putting my first RTF together and am wondering if I need to glass the joint and what is the best way to do this. I have built many kits some years ago and know how I would do them.
I have just about decided to remove the covering from the bottom of the high wing plane and class the bottom just over the side walls of the fuse. I am thinking of cutting about 1 nd 1/2 inchs off the top , glass and use the left over covering to recover the glass on the top. I am sure the covering is low temp and very cheap covering.

2 to 6 oz glass???
CA or epoxy ???
thin CA or Thick CA????
I am also doing the same plane for my friend , who is just getting into RC planes. I am doing mine first to learn the best way to put the RTF kits together so as to do a better job on his.

One more question, I let a little Thin CA wick into one of the ailrons wires and has made that one stiff. I can move it and it will work some what free but still kind of stiff. Is there anything to run into that area and free it up without hurting the wood???? I have some debonder, would that work.
thanks

RE: rtf wing joint
 

I would join the wings per the instructions in the manual. Reengineering this sort of defeats the purpose of buying an RTF (quick, easy assembly).

Try wicking the debonder into the torque tube. That's about the only possibility without cutting up the wing.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

It would help us to know what plane it is too.

Pylon racer: glass the wing
3D Aerobat: Couldn't hurt to glass the wing
Fast sport plane: Couldn't hurt
High wing trainer: Don't bother

My 2¢

Jon

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Yes. Deciding to glass or not depends on the purpose and flight envelope of the airframe. What are you assembling?

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Since it was mentioned as an RTF I guess I jumped to the conclusion that it is a trainer. I am not aware of a lot of RTFs that are not trainers.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

I got the plane at the Toledo show, $65 out the door and paid cash. The box is has nothing on it and the instructions don't give much, just "Eagle Trainer on the front and the back it says "TUT-40 TRAINER" It look like it is fairly well made for a cheap ARF, but I'm not very knowledgable about ARF's.

I guess what you said about an ARF being an easy build and making it harder by glassing the center makes sence. I used 12 min. epoxy putting the wing together and it has a large spar, 6 inchs X1/4X1/2in. and I put epoxy all over that when installing it.
There is a 1inX2 in piece of ply on the top toward the rear of the wing.
If people are having good luck with this kind of assembly of wing halfs I'm good to finish it then. That was my main concern, if it will hold together.
Wish I knew the maker, I plan to take it to the club meeting tonite. I'll bet someone will ask where to get one!!!!!
Thanks I'll give it a try.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

I guess I did not come right out and say its a high wing trainer type plane, and this quote makes sence. We are not going to do any more than we have to while flying it. As soon as we get these two planes in the air I want my friend to start another plane for this summer, hope he picks a high wing like a Cub that would be great.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

If it is an "RTF" (Ready To Fly) how is it there is any assembly to do?

Ed S

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Don't bother glassing the joint. Just assemble per instructions, check it over good, and fly.

FYI: Next time use no less than 30 minute epoxy for critical bonds. The shorter the cure time doesn't make as strong a bond.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

sorry my fault, not used to the new terms, I should have said ARF.
It did come with glass ,instructions did not say what to do with it. I am going to put it on the bottom of the wing. I will cut away some of the covering and epoxie the glass on with 30 min epoxie.
thanks for the help , I'll try and do better with the terms[:o]

RE: rtf wing joint
 

another tip for you: when you ca your hinges in, put a little vaseline over the end of the torque tubes. that will keep the ca out of them.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Ya, I remembered that when I started putting the glass on the bottom of the joint. I got lucky the sticky wire came out of it. I should have had the wing tilted the other way anyway.

Thanks a lot for the help, its great to get back in after all these years. I don't know how I would do without this forum and you people ( can't say "you guys" anymore), I'm sure there are good lady flyer out there now and looking forward to fly-ins this summer.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

I have aerobatic ARF's that I have not glassed the wing. I have wrung the cr@p out of them and have not had a failure. IMO glassing the wing on modern models is not needed.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Thats interesting, how do you put them together ????????I am going to put another one together just like this one for my friend, he wants to get into RC , thats why I bought this one so as to learn the best way to build it and get two high wing planes for us to play with. I can use some practice also.
I had planed to use 30 min epoxy on his wing and clamp it together if the dehidral looked good without laying it flat and proping the other half up.
any help is is great............

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Stick
I am going to chime in here;) Put anough 30 minute epoxy on it that you have to wipe the seams with alcohal on a towel to clean it up. If you do not feel comfortable with that glass the center both sides and you will not have to put only a 1" stip of glass. Just to be safe and not have a wing part in the air. Better safe than sorry;):eek:
One other thing is make sure that the wings do not have covering on the ribs to be joined epoxy will not stick to covering that is what causes the wing to fail.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Hi,
I have done a lot of kit building in the past, I would not leave covering on to glue anything together . Its just that I have not put any ARF's together and don't know what I can get away with and the best way to do it. Its funny when I got into rc the only help I had were the members in our little club and they were great to work with and fly with BUT now with the internet the help and different ideas are great. I feel anyone can learn from anyone at one time or another.
I have to agree with the person who said cutting the covering off to glass on a ARF kinds of defeats the whole idea. But the bottom of a high wing plane to glass is a good idea if someone thought it was needed.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Stick
Sound like you have been around as long as I have so If you are happy with it go for it. It sure don't hurt to ask if in dought. The 2 of you have a great time!

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Ya, we will. I took early retirement and how have time to play. I would like to take at least one summer off and look for something to do this fall. Just going to see what happens, if some one offers me a great job hi pay with little work I might go for it. the wife says I look great in a apron!!!!!!

RE: rtf wing joint
 

Our club has several retired guys. They all say they work harder now, since they work for their wives, than they ever did at their old jobs.

RE: rtf wing joint
 

I''m not working hard, but I am helping out in the house more as she is still working. I plan to play more golf, fly more planes and go cowboy shooting more!!!!!!!!!!!! I got planty of work around the house to do, and I''m looking forward to some of the projects. The nice thing is when I decide to take one of my many coffie breaks I got you guys to go back and forth with.
life is good and the weather is warm (finaly).