Hello, I am building my first RC airplane (Kadet LT-40) and have just finished the Stabilizer. Anyways, initially while cutting the balsa pieces for the stabilizer I made a small mistake, and needed more basla. SO I went off to the local hobby store to happily find the same size sticks that I needed. I am know finished the stabilizer, and just noticed that I think the balsa wood that I got at the RC Store is slightly softer then what Sig supplied in the kit. Not by much, but it is slightly softer. Because the balsa is for the leading and trailing edges of the stabilizer, is this going to make a noticeable structural difference. I don't want to rebuild the whole stabilizer, but do want to do a great job. What do you expereinced ones recomend? Will it be fine, or should I spend the time to rebuild it?

Thanks for you advise!

Jer.

One thing you can do besides getting stiffer grade balsa, is after you use the softer wood to fix the error take Thin CA and a small piece of folded cloth and put a light coat of CA all over the soft balsa. Use the bottle to apply the CA to the wood and the small folded cloth to spread it out. The wood will soak it up and dry very stiff and durable. Be sure not to stick your fingers together. Also, if you refrigerate the CA it will dry a lot slower than at room temperature. Good Luck.

Depends on how much softer the wood is than the original... and how hard the original was.

Medium density (not super easy to crush between finger and thumb) is a fairly wide range of hardness... and anything in the range is fine. Soft balsa would cause a problem...

If hardening the balsa with CA... (or other glue, others can work) be sure you've done your sanding FIRST. Then after the glue is appld the grain will be raise a bit any you'll have to sand again. But if you apply the glue before rounding off the LE... you'll asnd off the hardened wood AND the sanding job will be very difficult.

It will depend on where you actually used the softer balsa, if it is udes just as spacers/fillers or ribs between leading and trailing edge then it shouldn't make much difference.
If you used it as the leading or trailing edge you should do as suggested and strengthen it with some thin CA.

Also, if you are in doubt and don't want to risk your plane, it shouldn't be too difficult to rebuild the stabilizer with stronger balsa. It would beat loosing a plane to a failed stabilizer. Besides, it's fun to build and easier to get righyt the second time, lol.

Enjoy the hobby and welcome.

My only expeience with an LT40 was as an ARF. I think the other answers you received concerning the balsa were very good. the only thing I have to add is that my LT40 ARF was quite tailheavy. I always carefully balance all my new aircraft. When It was finished and flown with a .46 it was quite an enjoyable airplane.