Fuselage help
 

Am building a pt 60 trainer and have a slight twist in the fuselage. The stab and rudder have not been glued on yet.Do I have any worries?? F
Do no know how the twist occurred,please help.
Thanks patrick r.

It would help if you posted a photo so we could get a sense of what "slight" means in this case. I once removed a fairly substantial twist in a framed-up fuselage by soaking the back half in the bathtub for a few hours. Then, using a large screwdriver as a lever, I clamped the fuse to the workbench, pulled on the screwdriver so the fuse twisted the other direction, and clamped the screwdriver in that position and left it until it dried. Came out straight and I'm still flying the plane some 23 years later.

The twist is not visible to the eye only when you put a square against it.....

Don't worry about it. With the wings on the plane, just mount the tail feathers and make sure they end up square and parallel to the wing (i.e., sand or build up the tail mounting areas until they are). What the fuse does in between the wing and the tail doesn't matter much as long as the wing and tail are square to each other.

I agree. On that kind of plane a twist you can't see without measuring is too minor to worry about.

Thanks guys you lifted the weight from my shoulders...

Guys , for future reference what types of plane's should you worry about a fuselage being warped???

Patrick R.

Possibly a precision aerobatic plane or pattern (but dependent on the amount of twist). High-wing trainer not a problem.

I would be more concerned if the fuselage was banana-shaped than I would with a slight twist, as long as the tail feathers are square to the wing. Banana shaped puts the tail group out of line with the thrust line of the plane, not to mention the banana fuse may have some weird aerodynamic effects.

Thanks to all for your info. You all have been very helpful.
Patrick...

+ 1 more on everything RBACONS said.