ORIGINAL: John Sohm

First of all, you really can't make a simplistic remark like ''What do you use instead of epoxy?'' without first determining the materials being used in the construction. Let's face it, you wouldn't use latex house paint to paint a full size F-18 Hornet now would you?

Epoxies are very strong and resist most chemicals once cured, which is why they are used frequently in high stress areas. They are usually strong in both shear and tension. In most applications where a glue is needed, you don't really think about compression (remember I said most cases). The different formulations will alter the properties, as you can easily see by the typical brittleness of 5-minute epoxy compared to something like 30-minute epoxy which yields a more resilient bond. Epoxies have great gap filling properties and can be thickened by adding things like glass fibers, cabosil or microspheres if weight is an issue.

CA's on the other hand have great strength in the tension direction but contrary to what was mentioned earlier, not as good a strength in the shear direction. Again, there are different formulations for different applications.

Then there are the urethane based glues like Gorilla glue and such and the aliphatic types like Tite-Bond and Elmer's Carpenter glue and the rubbery type glues like Goop and Shoo-Goo and last but not least the vinyl based glues that stay flexible like RC-56. Each one has their place in the building of R/C planes.

If you are going to be building smaller to mid-size electric planes, vibrations are not too high on the worry list so just about any glue would have a stronger than the material strength joint given a reasonably sufficient mechanical joint. CA's are the preferred glue of choice since they cure quickly and contribute very little weight to the project if used judiciously.

When you jump up to the larger models, you're going to want something that gives a little more strength and durability so epoxies will figure in there.

What I'm trying to say is you have to use the proper glue just like you should use the proper tools when building. The best advice is to ensure your mechanical joints are good and then, based on the materials being joined, select your adhesive appropriately.