Sig LT-40 Kit
#2
Senior Member
- flat building surface that will take pins. A section of drywall works well.
- pins
- exacto knife and razor saw
- thin and medium CA. thick is useful to have as well.
- CA tips for applying thin CA
- CA accelerator is handy, especially with thick CA. I apply it one drop at a time from a syringe.
- 30 minute epoxy
- sand paper, various grits, and a sanding block
- acetone is great for cleaning CA and dissolving dried CA crud from CA tips. Visit the paint department at Home Depot. Just leave the CA tips soaking it in when not in use. They will remain clog free. CA debonder at the hobby shop is little more than acetone.
- methyl hydrate (a.k.a methanol) for cleaning epoxy. Also at Home Depot.
- a selection of small clamps
- wax paper or other material to protect the plans from glue (Great Planes have a "plan protector" product - it just a roll of thick plastic, but works well nonetheless)
- and heavy elastic bands to assemble the fuselage.
I'm in the midst of one... my tips:
Use epoxy on the dihedral brace to join the wings, and inner ribs (the instructions say CA).
You have time to work, and it will be stronger. You'll need some clamps if you use epoxy.
Same goes for the firewall (I don't recall any specific glue mentioned in the instructions.)
Same goes for the landing gear blocks.
A strip of fibreglass is used to reinforce the wing center joint. This is easy to apply if you have some spray adhevise to hold it in place before flooding it with CA.
I would get a about 6 36 inch sticks of 1/4 inch balsa triangle stock and use it to reinforce the fuselage joints (sides and formers). Just glue them inside after it is all together. If you can get soft balsa it is easier to press into the joint if happens to not be exactly square.
- pins
- exacto knife and razor saw
- thin and medium CA. thick is useful to have as well.
- CA tips for applying thin CA
- CA accelerator is handy, especially with thick CA. I apply it one drop at a time from a syringe.
- 30 minute epoxy
- sand paper, various grits, and a sanding block
- acetone is great for cleaning CA and dissolving dried CA crud from CA tips. Visit the paint department at Home Depot. Just leave the CA tips soaking it in when not in use. They will remain clog free. CA debonder at the hobby shop is little more than acetone.
- methyl hydrate (a.k.a methanol) for cleaning epoxy. Also at Home Depot.
- a selection of small clamps
- wax paper or other material to protect the plans from glue (Great Planes have a "plan protector" product - it just a roll of thick plastic, but works well nonetheless)
- and heavy elastic bands to assemble the fuselage.
I'm in the midst of one... my tips:
Use epoxy on the dihedral brace to join the wings, and inner ribs (the instructions say CA).
You have time to work, and it will be stronger. You'll need some clamps if you use epoxy.
Same goes for the firewall (I don't recall any specific glue mentioned in the instructions.)
Same goes for the landing gear blocks.
A strip of fibreglass is used to reinforce the wing center joint. This is easy to apply if you have some spray adhevise to hold it in place before flooding it with CA.
I would get a about 6 36 inch sticks of 1/4 inch balsa triangle stock and use it to reinforce the fuselage joints (sides and formers). Just glue them inside after it is all together. If you can get soft balsa it is easier to press into the joint if happens to not be exactly square.
#3
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From: Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Congratulations on choosing a great kit. I agree with sir JimTrainor. I will throw in my €0.02 and also mention that it might be a good idea to ad some triangle stock to the tailfin where it meets the stabilizer, it looks a bit flimsy. While building I accidentaly knocked it with my drill and it snapped off [&:] Imagine that happening in flight. (I should be mre careful where I swing my drill though)
#6
Senior Member
I'm not keen on the look of the tri-stock bracing on the vertical stab.
Plan A was to extend the main vertical spar (the one that carries the rudder hinges) down into the fuse. Too much hassle.
Plan B was to brace it by building a turtle deck to round out the top rear fuse, this would extent back to the base of rudder thus bracing the vertical stabilizer. Same effect as tri-stock but nicer to look at at. Too much hassle.
Plan C - Flying wires. ahh, simple, effective and a look to suite my taste.
Plan A was to extend the main vertical spar (the one that carries the rudder hinges) down into the fuse. Too much hassle.
Plan B was to brace it by building a turtle deck to round out the top rear fuse, this would extent back to the base of rudder thus bracing the vertical stabilizer. Same effect as tri-stock but nicer to look at at. Too much hassle.
Plan C - Flying wires. ahh, simple, effective and a look to suite my taste.
#8
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From: Ocala, FL
Don't add any more weight than required to the tail as you will find it to be tail heavy as it comes. Also, a good bet is to replace the wire landing gear with the aluminum type. It make it much easier to land without the bounce that you get with the wire style. I used a OS 46 FX in mine and it flew great. Have heard that it is somewhat underpowered with a 40. Good luck and happy flying.
#9
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From: Minnetonka,
MN
I would agree to put the cable on the LT-40 stab and fin. Mine did not have it and now I no longer have this plane. I put them on all of my planes now. Before putting them on my Super Sportster, I sheared both sides of the stabilizer in a high speed dive (no longer do that). Here is a link from tower for a nice cable setup http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV30&P=0
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From: Huntsburg,
OH
I have a LT-40 also with a saito 56,and it was really til heavy I had to add a weighted spinner and some lead weights to the front,but, it flys great now.Enjoy the plane you'll love it.[8D]
#11
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From: Carrollton, KY
I got the LT 40 ARF with evo .46 nt . I have been flying it as it came, and it is fine if you ask me. Except the front landing gear is a PIA. If you don't land just perfect it gets bent.
Wings,
Wings,
#12
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From: Evans,
CO
You might think of changing to a faults nose strut. much stronger! and you can remove some of the dead weight from the nose.
available here [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXH124&P=0]click me[/link]
available here [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXH124&P=0]click me[/link]
#14
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From: Evans,
CO
The wheel is suported by an axel that goes through both sides if the fork. And the spring coil's absorb most of the impact of a less then steller landing!
ORIGINAL: wings
That just may work! Does it just support the wheel on both sides instead of one, that way bending is minimized?
Wings,
That just may work! Does it just support the wheel on both sides instead of one, that way bending is minimized?
Wings,



