Tail and Stabilizer Supports
 

I'm building a 4 star 60 and want to reinforce the tail and stabilizer with diagonal rods. I just don't know what they are actually called and what hardware I need to buy. I tried searching tower and since I really don't know what to search for, I came up empty. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

RE: Tail and Stabilizer Supports
 

Flying wires. Thats what Tower calls them. You can make your own using these http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCLZ1&P=0 and metal clevis's with threaded inserts OR the kit and kaboodle http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV30&P=0 . Make sure you put the backing nut on to lock it.
I've done solid rod and wire and it just depends on how you're going to fly it. On the 4*, you probably dont need them. But they dont hurt anything. I was stripping down my Rascal110 a few weeks ago to recover it and discovered a serious crack on one side of the fuse. Without the flying wires I had there I would have lost the plane. Didnt know it till I stripped it.
Edwin

RE: Tail and Stabilizer Supports
 

Does the kit call for reinforcing them?

RE: Tail and Stabilizer Supports
 

Doesn't call for making them, but they look nice and may save you some day going through a doorway:). You can make them from wire like you use for pull-pull controls, or from Kevlar thread (the lightest method), or from 2-56 control rods with clevises on the ends, like Edwin says.

I like to use male spade electrical terminals and the 2-56 rod. Get the terminals made for 16-18 ga. wire, pull the little plastic piece off the crimp end, and solder it to the rod, bend them to the desired angle, drill out the tiny hole to a size that a #2 screw will fit through. Drill your holes in the H-stab, V-stab where desired (usually close to the rudder and elevator hinge line, near the ends); harden the balsa by wicking thin Ca into the drill hole, and put a small screw and nut to hold them. These are the braces I made for my WACO this way:

If you make them from wire or kevlar, they can be like these on my Bristol; Sullivan sells a tail brace kit that uses Kevlar.

RE: Tail and Stabilizer Supports
 

Thanks guys... Great info.

I think I'm going to try the rod and spade method.

Pics will be posted after I finish the plane.