Jordan, making new hinge slots in a piece of cake. You can do it with an Xacto knife. I have a tool made by great planes called the Slot Machine. It cuts hinge slots for you. I think it costs around $20, but it's not nessecary. Anyways, here is what you want to do, step by step. First, take your Xacto knife and cut the hinges on the rudder, and then the hinges on the elevator halves. Line the elevator halves up on your plans and mark where the elevtor joiner wire goes. I think you have to drill 1/8" holes. Epoxy that thing in there real good. Make sure the elevator halves are even with each other. I'd weight them down with something while the epoxy dries. Your instructions should be very clear about how to install this wire. Now, you have to make new hinge slots. First, take your knife and trim any excess from the old hinges. Now, use the knife and make new hinge slots right next to the old hinges. Don't worry bout trying to remove the old hinges. You'll just damage the wood. Make sure the hinge slots on the elevators line up with the slots you make on the horizontal stab. Same goes for the rudder. Now, take a drill bit around 1/8" in diameter, and drill a hole in the middle of each slot. This will help the glue get in there and set real good. Take your knife and clean out the slots so the new hinges will fit in there. Go to your hobby shop an buy soe fiberglass hinges. They are just small rectangular fiberglass pieces. Take a push pin and insert it roughly in the middle of the hinges. Push the hinge into the slots on the elevators to where the pin touches the front of the elevators. Once all 6 are in the elevators, carefuly push the elevators into the horizontal stab making sure each hinge goes into its slot. Once it's flush with the horizontal stab, remove the push pins in each hinge. Take some thin CA glue and apply a good amount to each hinge. Move the elevators up and down while the glue dries. Before you install the elevator halves, you may have to cut a notch in the wood on the vertical stab for the joiner wire to go in. I'm not sure. I've never built the ARF. Now, repeat that process for the rudder. I wouldn't worry about new tail feathers. That's a lot of money you don't need to spend. Have somebody help you with putting in new hinges. It's not too complicated! Matt