Okay, after 6 flights (with no buddy box) I crashed my Avistar. (caught a downdraft while on final approach, flipped the right wing down HARD!) Fuselage was totaled but the tail feathers were undamaged, along with the major mechanical parts (engine, servos, Rx). I have a new fuse comming and I was ambitious enough to repair the wings myself (replaced 6 inches of leading edge from main joint out on left wing). My problem is this...

When putting the pieces back together on the most damaged wing after repair, I used thin CA to reattach the Aileron, but before I was able to totally seat the hinges, the glue dried! Now I have a gap of about 1/8th of an inch between the trailing edge of the wing and leading edge of the aileron. Will this be a major thing? I mean will the wing not work now?

If it's not a major thing that's great, but if it is, how do I fix it? I have used 30 min epoxy to re-attach the torque arm to the inboard area of the aileron and I don't want to have to break this piece if I don't have to. Is there some sort of glue dissolver I can use for both the CA and epoxy so I can try again?

And BTW, my new buddy box is on order so now I can have my Instructor close aboard should the need arise!

Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Seal the gap with clear monokote or packing tape. The important thing is that air cannot get through the gap. The only complete fix would be to cut through the hinges, remove the aileron, cut new slots for new hinges then re-hinge. In the future, insert the hinges in the aileron, slide this into the wing so all hinges are completely set in place, then use the glue.

this is why a gap is bad, btw if the gap is 1/8 all the way down ant doesent taper and is clost to the gap in oter wing then tape over else, use some de bonder (from LHS) and re glue (with NEW hinges ) using the pin meathod where you glue after inserting.

Both ideas sound great, I'll try the de-bonding first and if that doesn't work will go w/plan 'B'. Muchos Gracias!

If you use the debonder method, new hinges won't stick properly.

After replacing them, drill a hole through each side of each hinge and glue in a tooth pick. Then cut the tooth picks flush with the wing. (Use round tooth picks)

Great! I never would have thought of that. I got the de-bonder today and will be trying it out tonight in the workshop. Thanks Minn!

oh so thats now the tothpick thing works... never really needed to know so i guess i never found out.

Okay, Plan "A" didn't work (De-bonder didn't work, darn JET!). So I went ahead and cut the exposed areas of the hinges and cut new slots and installed new hinges. No binding and only a slight gap between the wing and control so all's well that ends well.

Now all I have to do is wait for the fuselage and put that together again and I'll be ready for next weekend. My FHS has my new Buddy Box and cord on backorder along w/another clubmembers. He said by next week for sure.

Wish me luck on the next flight, I hope there are no more downdrafts to battle (LOL!)

That quote brings back old memorys. Yes it works well and no i havent
used this method in years. LOL

Nice to see minni still remembers these old methods.
I use to install all my hinges that away once upon a time. LOL

Still got a old topflite contender with the hinges installed that away
and there still good after 20 plus years. LOL