Ultrasp99

I'm building a 35% Edge 540 and was wondering the best way to align the wings, Stabs, and fin.

Should I start with a flat table and measure everything from that?

Should I level the fuse and use incidence meters?

Should I setup the wing first then set the tail feathers?

Looking forward to your suggestions and ideas.

Thanks, Steve

ibow24

My Feedback: (10)

Hi Steve,
I am at the covering stages of a 35% Carden Extra....My first giant scale so I know what you're going through.
It looks like you are farther along in the building process than I was when I set the incidence. I did mine before I installed the top turtle deck. Anyway, here are some suggestions.
I have a 5' piece of aluminum channel that I use as a straight edge. I set the fuse on a table then the al. channel on top of the fuse.
set my digital meter on top of the channel and then blocked up the fuse until it was at 0.0 deg.
From there I slid the wings onto the tube and using a robart incidence tool without the meter on the bar (I used the digital meter) and set the wings at 0.0 also (there are some who say you should set them at + 0.5 degrees but I stuck with the way it was designed).
It's easier to have someone help to line up and hold everything in place. Once the wing is at 0.0 , CA a small scrap of balsa block to the fuse under the wing root to hold it in place at 0.0 so you can then begin the process of installing the wing root blocks and screws etc.
I went back and forth with the meter between the fuse and the wing many times to make sure I didn't bump and anything and it all remained at 0.0. The digital meters aren't cheap but I think it was a great investment.
Check out John Mitchell's building of his Extra on Carden's website. It can also be found on john's website www.aeroprotect.com

Now here is a really EASY way to do it that a Carden builder told me about at the Toledo show last year. It sounds simple and if you build straight and true it should work. ( I already had mine done as above)
All he does is take a measurement from the plans.. measure down from the top of the fuse to the top of the wing root at the trailing edge. Transfer that measurement to your fuse, slide the wing on and double check that it's accurate.
You need to measure very accurately and I suppose plans shrink or expand a little bit with temp and humidity change but he said that's the way he builds all of them.

If you need help with anything else let me know. I'm not an expert but I just went through all the things you are going through too.
You can also call Dennis at Carden. He was a big big help when I had questions and always took time for me.
good luck
Steve

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

I did the same with my Aerotech kit. I was told not to glue in my pheonlic tube in the airplane till after the incidende though. Of course that was after I already glued mine in. Luckily I got my wings and stabs at 0.0 without too much effort.

I also drew the lines from the plans but trusted the incidence meter for final alignment. Just take your time

CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

If you are going to set the incidence to ZERO, you are actually better off using the MEASUREMENTS from the prints vs an incidence meter.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Only if your plans are exact. (my aerotech plans stated that there may be some irreglularites that should not affect the kit).

So I trusted the incidence meter.

CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

You don't even really have to use the measurement from the plan (IF YOU ARE THAT CONCERNED)..... Once you have the phenolic wing tube in place, measure the centerline of it and then use the same centerline for the front and rear anti-rotation pins/bolts. The only real issue is WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN BUILD STRAIGHT.

99.9% of the time, the measurement from the plan is fine.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Yep, that's what I did. Put measurements same both side and front to back..........then set the incidence meter. It was barely off. I centered it to 0 anyways.