Something Extra wing gap
 

Build my first kit - a SE, however when I slide the wings on to the wing tube, one side, the left wing, will not fit flush against the fuselage. It touches at the front, but then has about a 1/8 inch gap all the way to the trailing edge . Will this have any effect in it's flying characteristics? :confused: I'm anxious to get it in the air and don't really want to go through major modifications, unless absolutely necessary. Any reply is appreciated. Thanks.

Ken

SE
 

Ken;
This is not totally uncommon to make a mistake of this sort. What you did is in your trial fitting of the parts you inadvertently left out checking inner trailing edge to Tail post measurement prior to final gluing your wing tube in place.

As the Fuse Sides are identical this is the only place this mistake could be made is in the wing.

To fix the problem you need to check your measurements. Check the trailing edge to Tail post(Or end of the fuse)(If the fuse is crooked this isn't going to work either) make sure that these distances are the same. Now check the Stab to the wing and insure these are the same as well. If and only if these are perfect then you can use a 1/8 piece of Light ply laminated over the root of the wing and sand flush to fit the fuse. Cover that small area check your measurements again. If they are all good as well as the incidence, CG Balance and Lateral balance your ready to test fly.

The other place that you may have made a mistake is the Tube alignment reinforcements inside the fuse. as the glue was setting it may have shifted. Thus moving the Tube slightly forward causing the gap to appear from the leading edge to the trailing edge.
Repairing this problem would be to either ream the whole larger an make another Ply reinforcement. Removing the Old one and replacing it with a new one. Or removing the bottom wing covering in the middle and readjusting all the Tube alignment holes in each rib.

Or
 

To be direct, it will not affect the flying of this plane. I had one come out the same and it flew awesome.

Something Extra wing gap
 

you probably did the same thing i did when i built my se. i think what happened was when you were building the wings, the root rib was not exactly 90 deg. to the wing tube. before i realized what had happened, it was too late to do anything about it. i can't tell that it affects the flying though.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Same thing also happened to me. I was able to fix it by putting a very slight bend in the metal wing tube. The gap completely disappeared. Best thing is it took less than a minute to fix.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Go ahead and fly it. Thats what the trim tabs on the TX are for.
Mine is the same way and it flys great.

TME

Something Extra wing gap
 

Why? Would anyone even think of going to a flying field, to have your aircraft scrutinized by other modelers that wasn't sound in construction?
Why? Would a Person that has pride in his work show up for others to see other than good workmanship?
Ken, was asking a question as to how and possibly rectify a mistake in construction. Yes he asked if it would fly! Possibly! But, do any of you know if THIS! Aircraft will fly as the rest of you assume it may.
Are you going to be responsible for his aircraft if the wing separates? How far out is the alignment? Do you have enough aileron control to recover from an aircraft that violently turns away from the Bad wing? Is there spectators that may be hit by debris?
Safety First. Don't fly an aircraft that may be subject to and incident. You have enough things that can go wrong with Radio gear, let alone a construction problem that may cause it.

Fix the problem.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Scorpianjack,
Give the guy a break! I am sure your first plane was perfect.He did say it was his first kit.Who said he is goin to the flyin field to have his plane scrutinized?I think he is going to the flying field to have some fun flying.

Ken,
Just my 2 cents,I agree with TME , Prophecypilot and TheEdge

My thoughts too !!
 

You know what ?

There is always some nit picky person who can scrutinize and pass judgment on everything including the best of things.

He built the plane to fly, its gonna fly just fine. 1/8th inch, isn't all that either.

Maybe if you looked at it this way,

He has more than likely opened himself up to far more people here, online, than he would at his club.
So far, I see only one post which doesn't give positive encouragment.
I bet the guy's down at the field would commend him on his fine efforts (even if it wasn't)
Positive encouragement for efforts made, prosper ten fold.

Go have some flying fun.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Ken; Edge.
It's sounds as if I'm condemning the young man's aircraft but by all means I'm not! I stated that his mistake was common, not uncommon. By all means I'd like to see his aircraft in the air and having fun. But there is small things that need to be taken care of, on any aircraft prior to taking it up for the first time.

You just don't want a brand new aircraft crashing on the first flight!
The comments were for those that thought it's alright to take any aircraft to a flying field that is not or may not be safe.

Your only talking about a 30 Min repair of the problem (Maybe). Why not take the time to fix it right prior to going to the field?

Something Extra wing gap
 

Ken's plane is not going to crash because of a 1/8th inch fore-aft gap as he decribes. My SE has the same condition and has not seperated or had any violent turns.

TME

Something Extra wing gap
 

Well I never took the wing off of mine so you could just make sure the ailment pin is in and cover over it with a small stiip of covering to pacified others . These Planes usually need repairs because they are so much fun you just have to act a fool. Iam making heavy repairs to mine { almost a new plane }the new wing doesn't come off . The wing tube was destroyed.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Mine has the same problem, the only thing that I did to make sure that it was safe, ist that I increased the TE dowl by about an inch on both sides. The plane flies like a dream, and the gap doesnt effect the plane one bit. I realized that it's the metal bar that is causing the gap. If you take the bar out and line up the wing to the fuselage, if it's like mine, the wing sits pefectly beside the fuselage with no gap, but when you slide in the metal bar, the gap appears.

Scorpionjack........hush up and relearn how fun this hobby is/was 30 years ago when you started :)

Something Extra wing gap
 

OK Enough is enough! What! in my post offended anyone? There is nothing I said I would retract. Building an aircraft from a box of wood is and art as well a craft. Seeing your aircraft fly for the first time is a pleasure no one can take away.

To Build an Aircraft RIGHT! is Experience!! Today's INTERNET and Forums as this one allows the experience to be passed on. If I tell you that a gap in your wing saddle is a mistake and can be corrected with a little more time and patience then fix it if you want. If not so be it! Leaving a gap, bending the Wing Support tube, covering up the gap with monokote is not the solution.

If you read the posts and take in what is being said I wasn't being harsh at all. You that have commented as to a problem you neglected to repair is your problem. Don't pass it on as the Norm to a new modeler it's wrong.

Now don't be sending me anymore of these garbage emails! For you Tmproff, I'm almost 50 and started at the age of 6 modeling flew my first nationals at the age of 8. I've had well over 200 students over the years and my best is #2 Canadian Champion and # 30 in the World. Yes I taught him how to build and fly and yes I'm proud that I contributed in any way. I'm a very Jovial person and love this hobby with over 54 Aircraft in my stable that makes me an Addict.
.

Something Extra wing gap
 

Just remember if looks like an air plane it will probably fly. So many people never build a kit or a scrath plane slight or nonstructural defects might be overlooked to encourage them to build more.I have only built 12 or so over 2 years in the hobby all but one is still in service . So fix it or not stick with building it is more fun to fly the ones you build perfect or not.

Chill
 

Everyone ease up on scorpion, he meant well.

Jack, even I thought your post came off a teeny tiny on the pretentious side....and I am the most easy going person on the BB...just ask Injun Ear......ROTFLMAO! I get your point. Showing up with a kit that took 7 months of work that has an installation that is as neat as a pin and looks like ARF wished it looked is an unbelievable feeling (and I almost always never use THAT "f" word).

Seriously, the SE was (note the "was") my second kit, I don't remember if it had a gap...but I'm not sure I would have cared. The wing wasn't going anywhere and I had untold minutes (!) of fun with that airplane.

Now, on my most recently completed AW 29% Edge 540, I had a gap between the root and fuse........horrors! I made a sanding jig to make the fuse and root mate PERFECTLY ( I even had to add another piece of sheeting to the root I sanded so much off). I LOVE that plane, I love it even more when people ask me if it is an ARF.

I think in Ken's example (correct me if I speak for you wrongly), as long as its airworthy, he's gonna chalk the gap up as something to make sure is correct on the next kit and fly the piss out of it. As you keep building that list gets longer but becomes more automatic. Soon, some kind of magic takes over and when you look at your creations....you start to turn your head different ways as you look at it just to see how good it looks at different angles. Its a shame the ARF "assemblers" probably won't have the same pleasure....maybe they do, never assembled one.

Eventually, Ken will get to Jack's plane (no pun intended) of existance and the hobby will be better for it. Touching, huh? It's all good fellas. Have a great time.

Bob

Something Extra wing gap
 

kgetch,

Fly the plane. Be happy. Don't worry. It'll fly!

If it has that 1/8" gap almost all the way down, you could fix it prior to covering with some sandpaper on the front root or some scrap balsa glued to the root and sanded flat if you wanted to.

:)

Update on my SE
 

Just a quick follow up note. I flew my SE - with wing gap and all - for the first time this yesterday. The plane flew awesome - actually, it flew alot tamer than I originally thought it would (of course I was being cautious). Landed like a trainer and all. Thanks for all your replies - I appreciated all the feedback - that's why I asked in the first place. This is a great site!