Aligning everything
 

Hi all!
I just wanted to get some advice on how you all align your wings and tail feathers, especially how to know if the fin is running straight down teh centerline of the plane. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Wild Beat.

RE: Aligning everything
 

Good question. I like to make some pretty careful marks on the firewall, for centering and offsetting the engine mount. At the time, it's just one more mark to put a mark on the top of the firewall, an eighth of an inch to the side of the centerline. A piece of string taped over that mark and run back over the fuselage gives you a good eyeball reference for aligning the vertical stab, or the slot it goes in.

Before the fin, though, I'll get the wing aligned, again with string and reference points. Then the stabs go on, with the wing providing a place to block up the fuselage upright. With the table, string, and a big triangle, you can eyeball everything into place.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

RE: Aligning everything
 

Wild Beat:

What kind of plane are you working on?? Top wing, sholder or low wing and how big is it. on my last kit i used a triangle to get the vert stab straight up and fabric tape measures to get the position correct. Are you working on an ARF or a Kit? Most ARF's have it setup in some form or fashion to get the vert fin right and some instructions in the manual to help with setting up the wing and horx stab lined up correct. I've set up a few so let me know if I can help further.

Miloh.

RE: Aligning everything
 

Good thread. Miloh has a good point as to what type of plane you are working with. Flat sheet horiz. stabs make vertical fin alignment pretty eash with a square. a tapered horiz. stab is a different matter. I have found that the more I do this, the better I get at it. there are a lot of different methods used to do this. this would be a great thread to get everybodys ideas. Some planes are not so sensitive to alignment as others, say a trainer type vs. a pattern ship or aerobatic plane. Regardless, you should make every effort to get the stuff as aligned as possible. I also use the fabric tape or something that doesn't stretch for alignment. Just the other night, I was using a 4' long 1/4" dowel to measure tip to tail, etc. to get in alignment, using pencil marks for reference. Just check everything. After you're satisfied that everything is right, check it again! Take a break, clear your mind, go back and make sure it's right, and THEN if you're still satisfied, put the glue to it. I think where a lot of things go wrong is when the parts are removed for gluing, then get put back slightly off. You might make a dry run of this just to make sure you can get it back exactly like you had it. Hope this helps. Anybody else got any tips?
Randy

RE: Aligning everything
 

Hey all. Thanks for the great hints. The plane is an MK Acro Z. The stab and the wing are just fit and go items as far as I am concerned. The wing incidence looks bang on, so just a mearument to make sure it is centred nicely will do. For the stab, I can set it at 90 degrees to the fuse side pretty easy, cause there is alot of room for a set square. However, I glued on the blcks for the fin slightly off, so its not pointing down the centre line. (Its off by a little). Any hints on how to make it straight? I am thinking of using the string Idea, by getting the middle of the first and last former, and using that as a reference?

If you have any other tips it would be cool, so that I could use them for future projects.
Thanks!
Wild Beat.

RE: Aligning everything
 

As far as checking wingtip to stabtip, I use a ruler. For incidence, I use a meter. But for the fin allignment, I use 1 eyeball. Hasn't failed me yet.

RE: Aligning everything
 

I use two identical fabric measuring tapes. From behind the plane you pin one measuring tape from left wing tip to left stab tip. The second tape you pin it to the right wing tip to the right stab tip. You can then try to equalize both distances using the two tapes measurements. You can also use the same idea for measuring both wing tips to the tail, bring the two tapes together at the tail. You can then adjust the wings for exact alignment. I find this to be more accurate than the string, strings tend to stretch. The dowel idea is also a good idea, the only drawback is that you have no distance references as the fabric measuring tape.

Garthwood

RE: Aligning everything
 

I want to add ,like Randy said, that the tricky part is ligning up these measurements, for these areas I use epoxie which gives you enough time to align things up, I then pin these areas to stay in place, at the same time use blocks. I keep an eye while the epoxie is curing so nothing has changed or moved. I use the 30 mins. epoxies for strength and time.

Garthwood.

RE: Aligning everything
 

I make all my measurements for wing and horizontal stab placement from the center of the fuse at the firewall. If I should be aff a bit on wing installation, I don't want to carry that over to the stab.

As Minn mentioned, one eye works best (for me) when trying to get the vertical stab 90 degrees to the horizontal. It also works very well for making sure the horiz stab is level with the wing. ;)
Dennis-

RE: Aligning everything
 

Hey,
Keep em all coming. My only problem now is making sure that the fin is running down the centerline of the fuselage. Any hints? It is a very small fin, so I don't think it has to be a million % accurate. The rudder is so big that it should should not be too big of a problem.
PS. Anybody who likes the idea of an Mk 3D plane but were put off by the ACRO Z's looks, don't worry, it is REALLY sweet. Their colour scheme wrecked it, but the plane itself is SEXY!

RE: Aligning everything
 

Hey all, just got a problem.I was finnishing the plane off today gettting it ready, and I noticed that the sheeting on one of the wings is very very thin, I must have sanded too much. I was thinking of gluing two balsa rods along the bottom on the inside? Any more suggestions?
This is my first built up wing, hence my amatuer mistake! [:@]

RE: Aligning everything
 

Already covered??


Miloh.

RE: Aligning everything
 

Getting it ready for covering that is...Woops...:D

RE: Aligning everything
 

If it has no covering on the wing yet you might get away with putting a sheet of 1/32 or 1/16 balsa on it and sand it to contour. without being able to see it it's hard to say.

Miloh.

RE: Aligning everything
 

If I was to put the new sheeting under the old sheeting in the rib bay?

RE: Aligning everything
 

I was thinking on the outside but if you can get it inside that would be even better.

Miloh.

RE: Aligning everything
 

I thought I would be able to get some sheeting through the last rib bay, but can't so I added some wood spars across the sheeting to the ribs, and its very strong now. The tail and fin are also on, and very close to perfect (out by 2 mm from wings). Its nearly ready for covering now.