This is what it should look like. Clean up any loose balsa or rough areas with Permagrit files

I use this Dremel freehand router for the next step. I guess you could also use a sanding block with a strip of 80 grit on it, but I have not tried that.

Now PRACTICE on some scrap balsa, and set the router depth so that the cap will fit flush in the pocket formed by the router. Now get up your nerve and route out the pocket you drew in the previous step.

Glue one cap on at a time. I use the Gluit, and tape the cap in place to dry with the elevon installed. This is what the bottom looks like just before gluing on the cap.

Here it goes just before the glue dries.

Go back and fill any gaps with Model Magic.

If you did it right you should have a tight gap with as much throw as you want.

Good luck, try it

REALLY nice work! Thanks for posting. I'll be using this soon.
BRG
Cooper

Matt,

Another step that you could add to really lock the hinges in is to drill a hole through the surface perpendicular to your hinge line. about 3/4 of the depth of your hinge, then fill with aeropoxy from that hole. until the aeropoxy oozes out around the hinge at the hinge line. After it dries you will have to rip a chunk out of the wing or surface for it to pull out, as it forms a Tee with the shaft of the Tee being the hinge. I have also started using the BVM CF hinges for all of my hidden hinge lines they work very well and a very strong.

Good tutorial!

DR

Thanks Matt,

I'll be using the techinque for the flaps that I will putting on my F-15.

Great article. It should be archived......

Not sure how we do that.......hmmmm


Bob

I was thinking the same thing when I saw Jeremy's paint tutorial. Of course, everything except the swap shop is technically archived anyway, as the posts never expire - but it would be nice to have an easy way of finding just the "tutorials" like this one and Jeremy's.

Seems to me that the easiest way to do this would be if we used a separate "how to" forum for this kind of info, so that there is a central core of such articles. Of course, if we did that, we would probably get the usual complaints about "I only ever want to look in just this one forum"... so that might not be well received.

Gordon

matt,

wonderful tutorial. I will be using soon. I understand how the long wire lines up all the hinges. one question I seem to miss. what sets the actual hinge depth, that is how much of the hinge hangs out of the trailing edge in post #13?

I love the idea of building the leading edge cap around the pivot point. rather than just "wallering" out the balsa.

Hi Pat,

Yeah I looked back through my photos, and I did not have one that showed the depth of the hinge. Just imagine the center of the hinge wire. It lines up precisely with the cap on the leading edge of the elevon. In other words it lies half way in the trough that you make in the leading edge of the elevon, before putting the cap on.


Yep that is the beauty of the whole thing. I do all of the composite surfaces on the Bandits and F-4 the same way.

Matt, this is a great tutorial, thank you for posting it, that looks like a far better method than the way I've done it in the past, what I like most is, the single hinge pin that is removable.

Once you paint your surfaces and are ready for final assembly, what do you do to keep the hinge pin from sliding side to side?

There is just a little wood block set into the root, and a 90 degree bend in the wire gets captured with a couple of screws. The whole idea is a variant on something Rich Fong wrote up many years ago, maybe on the RC Jet list?

On my old fast Bandit, the elevator pins came in from the tip of the stab, as the elevator torque rod was in the way (very much like how BVM does the Super Bandit now).
Those had nothing holding them in but friction, they never came close to moving in almost 500 flights.

Nice articale on hinging !! Keep up the great work,stefanP

:thumbup:


Two thumbs up Matt, excellent tutorial!!

Can wait to give this method a try

Thanks!

Todd

Nice work Matt. Thanks for sharing it with us!

This kinda stuff is the reason I love this place...(tears in my eye).
Tommy

Not bad for a west coaster! Great job Matt!

Tim

Glad you liked it.

Hey Tim I have seen a couple of your planes, looks like you might know a thing or two yourself, how about getting the camera out?