[Argus]

As some of you know, I'm designing a 36" Beaver for electric. Have been thinking about using the covering material as the hinge material (ultracoat type covering). Has anyone used this way to hinge control surfaces, on this small of plane? How well, or not, did it work? I have done this on my 2m glider, with good results.

Wade

[ken park]

Welcome too the SMALL world!

Yes doing hinges on thin wood surfaces can be done a couple of ways

#1 Monokote hinges
Cut 2 long strips about 3/4 wide
then turn one over and have an overlap of about 1/8 to 1/4" use your iron and heat them together on the overlap. Then cut horizontaly the width you want your hinges and then you can iron them on in a over and under.

#2 Dental Floss! - Yes Dental Floss!
Get the thickest heavyest Dental floss and a very large needle
You first make about 6 to eight holes with the needle about 1/8" from the edges The holes should be opposite each other. Then like sewing you do a baseball stich or better known as a figure 8 going over and under. Do several layers going back/forth. Use CA to seal the Dental floss. The floss will wick the CA. This gives almost gapless hinge lines.

You should find both these methods in old MAN mags with Randy Randolph articles.

[JimBrown]

RC Report had this hinging method in their "How To" section in the December 2003 issue. I've scanned it and attached it for you.

...jim

PS. Subscribe to RC Report. It's the best mag out there for general RC airplane stuff. IMHO.

[JimMcIntyre]

Hey! That's the way we used to do it before hinges became a commodity, only it wasn't dental floss, it was fishing line.

[Cecil Marshall]

Gawd Jim.........You must be "older than you look"

Cecil

[Argus]

Thanks Guys

[JimMcIntyre]

Originally Posted by Cecil Marshall

Gawd Jim.........You must be "older than you look"

Cecil

Thanks .. I think.

My uncle started me modelling ... his knowledge may not have been current at the time but I do remember stitching elevators on my control line planes.