Here is another pic of the support brackets you were wondering about. Those little white clips bend ~45 degrees. They are pretty tough and will not break

I've built two SE's, and tons of other planes. I'd have to say that the Sig SE's instructions were the best I've seen, and this is one of the easiest planes to put together. From your photo, I can see that you did leave the elevator joiner wire out. You will have to cut the hingesto both the elevtors and the rudder since you have to install the elevator's first! Also, some people might choose to leave off the stab supports on the tailfeathers. They're the wires that support the tail and some might leave them off to save weight. You MUST put these on. If not, you will snap your stabs. I learned this the hard way. Fortunately, I was able to land mine and repair the stabs and install those supports! Also, I agree with everybody else that the .40LA is weak for this plane. I have an OS .46FX on mine and it seems to be the perfect combo! I use an APC 10x6 prop. Matt

Instructions???? We don't need instructions. We are men!!

Also, there is a Sig SE group on on yahoo (check my sig...) not much there yet, but not too many members either. Some good pics, including some fully cowled SE's. (I'm going to post some pics of my 'duck' SE. looks like it has webbed feet, with yellow coroplast ski's on it for snow use.)

Is there any way that I could get replacement tail feathers (rud., fin,stab,elev.) from my LHS or off a site. Because I dont know how its gonna come out with me making new slots.

-Jordan

really, make new hinges slots is not complicate, don't you have a friend at your club with some building experience?

aniway if you want to spend your money, contact Marca Moode at SIG
[email protected]
to order a new tail group (prepare your credit card)
you may also order online direct www.sigmfg.com

do you really need the vertical fin and rudder also?

just checked on sig site, the tail group is not available as replacement part without the fuselage (the complete package)

but contact sig by email and i am sure they will send you just what you need.

Jordan, making new hinge slots in a piece of cake. You can do it with an Xacto knife. I have a tool made by great planes called the Slot Machine. It cuts hinge slots for you. I think it costs around $20, but it's not nessecary. Anyways, here is what you want to do, step by step. First, take your Xacto knife and cut the hinges on the rudder, and then the hinges on the elevator halves. Line the elevator halves up on your plans and mark where the elevtor joiner wire goes. I think you have to drill 1/8" holes. Epoxy that thing in there real good. Make sure the elevator halves are even with each other. I'd weight them down with something while the epoxy dries. Your instructions should be very clear about how to install this wire. Now, you have to make new hinge slots. First, take your knife and trim any excess from the old hinges. Now, use the knife and make new hinge slots right next to the old hinges. Don't worry bout trying to remove the old hinges. You'll just damage the wood. Make sure the hinge slots on the elevators line up with the slots you make on the horizontal stab. Same goes for the rudder. Now, take a drill bit around 1/8" in diameter, and drill a hole in the middle of each slot. This will help the glue get in there and set real good. Take your knife and clean out the slots so the new hinges will fit in there. Go to your hobby shop an buy soe fiberglass hinges. They are just small rectangular fiberglass pieces. Take a push pin and insert it roughly in the middle of the hinges. Push the hinge into the slots on the elevators to where the pin touches the front of the elevators. Once all 6 are in the elevators, carefuly push the elevators into the horizontal stab making sure each hinge goes into its slot. Once it's flush with the horizontal stab, remove the push pins in each hinge. Take some thin CA glue and apply a good amount to each hinge. Move the elevators up and down while the glue dries. Before you install the elevator halves, you may have to cut a notch in the wood on the vertical stab for the joiner wire to go in. I'm not sure. I've never built the ARF. Now, repeat that process for the rudder. I wouldn't worry about new tail feathers. That's a lot of money you don't need to spend. Have somebody help you with putting in new hinges. It's not too complicated! Matt

thanks for your help.

-Jordan

Line the elevator halves up on your plans and mark where the elevtor joiner wire goes. I think you have to drill 1/8" holes

I think the holes are already drilled in the ARF version of the somethin extra
they are somewhere under the covering matrerial

Ok well i got the elevators off the stab . I seem to only have room for two hinge slots. Will two slots be ok or will I have to come up with somethin else. I dont need to cut the hinges of the rudder right? Because the notch on the rudder I can just cut off to fit the wire in.
thanks

-Jordan

yes, but how are you going to work flat to glue your elevator assembly with you wire fit in the rudder slot?

there are some things I don't understand very well in your sequence, you tell that your rudder hinges are already instaled, but the most lower hinge of your rudder is located in the fuselage....
your rudder and fins can't be already on the fuselage if your elevator is not instaled....

I don't have the SE arf building manual, but if they say in the manual to glue the vertical fin with the rudder already installed and put the last hinge at that time, this is stupid !!!

recheck your book, I am nearly sure that you had to hinge the rudder after gluing the stabiliser and fin assembly.

It look like you hinged all your surfaces prior to do anything else and now you are in troubles

You'll definately need more than 2 hinges on the elevator. The SE is an aginle bird and would dispose of 2 hinges rather easily I would guess. I would make sure you put the same amount on that was originally supposed to go on. If I remember correctly the elevator had 3 hinges on each half for a total of 6. You might need to get a slot cutter if you are having trouble re-slotting your hinges. Or maybe someone in your club would have one you could borrow.

As far as the rudder is concerned, I'm not quite sure what you are asking? Has the ridder hinges actually been glued? If so then I would assume that you are going to need to remove it to do it correctly. If you haven't mounted the rudder yet then you should be fine. Just wait until after you've glued the elev on, then mount the rudder.

This is what im talking about ...........
that little hole there , should i just cut a slot for it to fit there.

what you are showing to us is a dry fit, or are your surfaces already glued on the plane?

lerofit- The rudder assembly and stabalizer are not glued to the fuselage.

-Jordan

ok, glue the joining wire in the two elevators, work flat !!!, use enough epoxy glue, be sure your wire is not fat (clean it with acetone before gluing check the hole position before gluing (see if the total lenght of the elevator assembly will not exceed the lenght of the stabiliser
check also that the two elevator leading edge are on the same line.

Usually i work agains the stabiliser (i use some tape to protect it from gluie to be sure eveithing look good

do all that on a flat table with the all assembly out of the plane

understood?

yea I got it. thanks

-jordan

Have you checked around for a local club?A hobby shop in your area can probably tell you if any clubs in your area.Also join AMA ,a must for insurance reasons. A club will probably have an instructor to help you learn to fly.It's tough to try by yourself.You will more than likely get discouraged and give it up unless you get some help. Good luck!

I am already in a club and I have AMA card. This is my second plane. But the first was a Hobbico Superstar Select which is an RTF this plane is an ARF. Just a "little" more to do for a beginner builder.

-Jordan

Hey guys I just rehinged the elevators but I have a lil bit of hinge gap. Can I use some clear packing tape to seal up this gap?

-Jordan

How much is a "little"?

Please tell me you used more than 2 hinges. Anyway, packing tape works fine as long as the gap is not too large and and you use the proper number of hinges.

could you please post a pic of your elevator assembly before gluing it on the fuselage

In a previous post, our friend montu said that he already hinged the rudder to the fin, this make me think that we will have some more problems. As I already said, I never builded the ARF SE , but i made several kits. In the kit version there is a hinge holding the rudder to the fuselage. What I usualy do is to glue my elevator assembly (hinged) and then then vertical fin and after that I hinge the rudder to the fuselage and fin.
In our case montu will have to glue the fin and rudder assembly to the stabiliser AND DON'T FORGET TO INSTALL THE LAST HINGE OF THE RUDDER IN THE SAME TIME .
On the last pic montu posted, I can see a hole were the joining wire go trough the fin trailing edge, this hole have to be enlarged till the end of the fin trailing edge, otherwise it will be impossible to install the rudder and fin assembly.
all my speculations are based on the fact that the ARF is close to the kit version

I used three hinges dont worry. The gap is less than half an inch.

-Jordan