Hi,

I'm not sure if the CMP Hellcat is constructed similarly to their Zero which I am building, but I had concerns on how the separate elevator halves were to be installed. On the Zero, the horizontal stabs attach to the fuse very securely with two aluminum tubes which connect one half through the fuse and into the other stab half. However, the actual elevator halves are totally separate (not joined together) and attach to the H. stab with 3 CA hinges. The elevator control rods just "float" in a small hole drilled through each side of the fuse and are then glued into each elevator half. I was worried that this did not have any support other than the small fuselage hole to pivot on, and would put undue stress on the elevator hinges. So I glued a small balsa stick inside the fuse across from each of the elevator pivot holes and then used two torque rod type setups with the rods in short plastic tubes to support and pivot the entire elevator assembly. (Similar to how aileron torque rods would be installed in a wing.) I also decided to use separate servos and carbon fiber rods to control each elevator half, as opposed to the single servo and wooden dowel "Y" rod setup described in the manual. I'm sure I am adding some unwanted weight to the tail with the brace and torque rods, but I feel these changes are much improved over the existing setups. I'm still completing the retracts and engine install, so I can't comment on how well this helps the actual flight characteristics.
If the construction on their Hellcat is similar I would think that this type of modification would greatly improve the rigidity of the elevators. See attached pics of the original manual and my modifications.
Hope this helps.

Regards,