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Old 06-07-2005 | 07:58 AM
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Sturtz
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From: El Reno, OK
Default RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build

Something I guess I didn't post before. I sanded my joiners down quite a bit after epoxying the wing halves. As the 30 min epoxy started to kick and harden I joined the halves to the fuse and bolted them down. I could see that some gap would be present and sliding the joiners together at the field would end up being a pain. But I ended up with little or no gap . In fact the outline of the airfoil is present on my fuse sides now after many flights. Tight fit. After bolting it all together I stood the plane on one wing tip and applied pressure to the other while it went into final cure (hardening). One click of right aileron trim during the maiden flight proved this to be a good decision after all. I was worried the wings would cure off by a small degree. Not so.
The nylon wingnut system I have for the TE works very well by the way. Very little pressure is needed to bring the TE's against the fuse tightly. I did however notice a slight movement in the entire wing after the first few flights. Just enough to make a clicking sound when I rocked the plane from side to side. The nylon landing gear I'm using has great flex. And will take a hard landing without bending or breaking. Really absorbs the shock and goes right back in place. I highly recommend them and the larger low-bounce wheels on this bird.
Here's a verbal rundown on how I assemble my wing at the field and what I do to seal the tiny gap or play between the joiner and the fuse.
First I slide the wings on and connect the joiner. Then I slide the two bolts in from the back to the front. The large wingnuts are easier to handle in the forward position than facing the servo tray. After they are tight I put the two nylon wingnuts on my nylon TE bolts and tighten. Before putting the belly pan on I take two micro servo control arms and push them between the joiner and the fuse at the area where they will fit. This completely removes any gap or flex during high G manuvers.

Last Sunday I finally put the Edge through the torture test. Wide open into the wind I banged the elevator full back on high rates to test for snapping. My Extra300s will snap quickly doing this harsh move. The Edge pulled almost a complete loop before snapping. And then rolled over and back into normal flight just as quickly. Any plane will snap doing this adverse move. But I was surprised that the Edge pulled that much loop before snapping over. These wings and joiners are tough. And now I can see why VF stresses the tri-stick and flying wires for the tail. This plane will really pull the high Gs and give you back the change. If I would have tried this type of stuff on a few of my other planes it would have been a funeral.