Warped ailerons- Covering problem?
09-17-2008, 11:53 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Warped ailerons- Covering problem?
I purchased a Pheoinx Fun Star a couple months back. Turns out that four flighst on the transparent orange covering was four short but panic filled flights, I just couldn't see the plane.
I stripped the covering and recovered with Monokote. White base with some teal , purple and yellow for visibility. Actually a bit of red also to try an blend in the stock cowl. I went out to maiden it the other day and when I did a radio check I wasn't happy with the range check. Took it home and installed a new receiver and then things were fine on the range check. Then I noticed that one aileron wasn't right. I checked the center point on the tips and the right neede a touch to bring it straight, Then standing behind the modle, the right aileron was close to 1/2" low at the fuse, but the tip was right.
When I re-copvered the wings and ailerons. I used Monokote (other than on the tips where I used a light weight glider covering that shrunk a lot like ultrakote) on both top and bottom. of the wings and ailerons. On the bottom though I covered in white and teal stripes about 5" wide depend on the rib pattern.
What I'm wondering is, did the alternating stripes on the bottom set up a twist in the ailerons? I think I was able to heat gun the covering and straighten out the twist, but I haven't checked it, or flow it for a couple days since I made the "corection".
The alternating colors were a mix of sealing to a rib cap and on the aileron, mid air splicing the color bands. I've used the alternating colors on several planes, but all of the others let me make the band widths the same as the rib spacing so all edges were sealed to balsa. On the Fun Star, the spacing of the ribs on the wing and on the ailerons were different. Do I have a wing that I'm going to have to Tune the covering on each time I take it to the field???
Don
I stripped the covering and recovered with Monokote. White base with some teal , purple and yellow for visibility. Actually a bit of red also to try an blend in the stock cowl. I went out to maiden it the other day and when I did a radio check I wasn't happy with the range check. Took it home and installed a new receiver and then things were fine on the range check. Then I noticed that one aileron wasn't right. I checked the center point on the tips and the right neede a touch to bring it straight, Then standing behind the modle, the right aileron was close to 1/2" low at the fuse, but the tip was right.
When I re-copvered the wings and ailerons. I used Monokote (other than on the tips where I used a light weight glider covering that shrunk a lot like ultrakote) on both top and bottom. of the wings and ailerons. On the bottom though I covered in white and teal stripes about 5" wide depend on the rib pattern.
What I'm wondering is, did the alternating stripes on the bottom set up a twist in the ailerons? I think I was able to heat gun the covering and straighten out the twist, but I haven't checked it, or flow it for a couple days since I made the "corection".
The alternating colors were a mix of sealing to a rib cap and on the aileron, mid air splicing the color bands. I've used the alternating colors on several planes, but all of the others let me make the band widths the same as the rib spacing so all edges were sealed to balsa. On the Fun Star, the spacing of the ribs on the wing and on the ailerons were different. Do I have a wing that I'm going to have to Tune the covering on each time I take it to the field???
Don
09-18-2008, 07:24 AM
#2
RE: Warped ailerons- Covering problem?
With an airplane like that, it is very possible that the covering warped the aileron. But don't worry, just twist it straight. Then with your third hand, re-shrink the covering and it should straighten right out.
