Ultra Stick 40 arf-my first attempt at a balsa/ply plane-just noticed the horizontal stab is warped. If you stand at the rear of the plane, looking down on the stab, the left front corner of the stab is warped from 1/16 to 1/8 inch up. I've never dealt with covered models before-how do I remove this warp-heat gun or iron-and where do I apply the heat?? If heat is needed on the part of the stab with the yellow and blue trim, how do I keep from ruining the trim? Thanks, Mike.

Use the iron on the side you want to lower or raise. As you heat
that surface, twist the direction you want it to go then hold till
cool. Let the shrinking of the film on that side work for you to
draw the warp out. I've found the use of the iron is less painfull
to the fingers as you twist out the warp.

Just don't go overboard with pressure or you'll end up breaking some of the wood inside. I think the warp thing must be pretty common. I just finished a 2nd US40 and noticed the warp after everything was together - Ahhhhhhhhh!

Then I went back and look at the destroyed UltraStick (thus the 2nd one built) and saw that the stab there also had a warp. However the plane flew that way like it was on rails. The destruction of the plane by the way had nothing to do with the warp in the stab, someone happened to turn on who shouldn't have.

In any case you probably won't get all the warp out so don't get to frustrated. It will probably fly just fine.

PS Make sure you laterally balance the plane, especially if you have a side mounted engine, otherwise it tend to fall out of a loop unless you correct it during the manuver. Great plane.