Originally Posted by
SeamusG
What's the plane? How about a picture or two?
Usually the "rudder" is the bit that gets mounted too soon creating problems because the torque rod that connects the two elevator halves typically needs to be "captured" by the rudder's leading edge. Thinking that's why red head was asking the ?
you might be able to get away with using a bent wire torque rod, slipping it between the rudder / vert. stab joint (maybe making a small notch for the torque rod), cut the hinge slots and then slip the elevator halves onto the hinges and torque rod. things like this, are why I don't even make provisions for mounting control surfaces until the plane is all covered......and sometimes not until it is all painted, if using fabric. another reason is that repeated on and off cycles of the hinges and control surfaces usually leads to looser fitting hinge slots and sloppy surface alignment. do it once,.... get it right and get it tight.