BECKERFLY

1st. time on this site and love all the info, i have been reading alot on here about the aw edge 540 29% that i am building. setting up plane just like the one on aw's website down to same motor and servos. i have been reading alot on here about the 4/40 bolts to retain wings and them failing or comming loose in flight. should i stay away from the crash forum and continue building per instructions?? or is there a bettery way. also any other tips are appreciated. i have a few smaller kits under my belt and just about to start with wing and stab mounting on this one.

hfleming

My Feedback: (1)

Drill a 3/8" hole 2" deep into each wing root. Install a 6-32 threaded insert into a 3/8"x2" dowel. Glue the dowel into each wing root. When the wings are installed you can use a 6-32 bolt to pull the wings tight against the fuse sides. Just drill a hole in the fuse sides where the threaded insert/dowel line up from the wings, if needed install a lite ply doubler on the inside of the fuse sides. Keep using the standard 4-40 mounting option, the 6-32 will just be added safety. This is the method I use on my Lanier 25% Laser.

Just a suggestion.

Heath

BECKERFLY

hfleming thanks for the reply sounds like a great idea that will work.

OnTheEdge

there is a very comprehensive review on the larger 540T by Robert Keahey. He has a section on how he modified the A/W wing method to very similar to what Heath mentioned above. I did this mod on my Edge and it works very well.

>Open this site:

http://www.rrcc.org/

>>Click on "reviews" (left side of screen)

>>>Open "Aeroworks 33% Edge 540T ARF"

>>>>Open "8/15/2001 - Wing Retainer System "

This shows photos and all. Just be very careful when end drilling the dowel as they can split.

Best of luck................Mark

matlok

BECKERFLY

I used the threaded 1/4-40 studs from Desert aircraft on my 29% edge, this or any of the above methods work well. A lot of people have different ways of retaining wings and they all seem to work sucessfully. As far as the 4-40 bolt into the top of the wing method (as aeroworks suggests), I had a Lanier 25% Edge built this way go through the top of a tree - the tops of several trees actually - at full throttle, reduced the fuse to sticks and tore the tips off the wings, but what was left of both wings was still securely mounted on the wing tube. And the wing tube was bent back about 10 degrees at each wing root! So it's plenty strong, you just have to worry about the screw vibrating out. Hope this helps.

2lo

My Feedback: (4)

Beckerfly, I pretty much did what HFLEMING did, epoxied a 1/2" dowel in the wing root, tapped and epoxied a 6-32 bolt into the dowel and use a nylock nut to secure, simple , effective, and not much weight.

lennyk

My Feedback: (12)

be careful with the stab retention also,
a guy I know had his screw back out and the stab half rotated
and crashed the plane

BECKERFLY

thanks to all who replied. another question. when i was drilling the 8/32 holes in one of the aeileron dowels for the 8/32 nelson control linkages i buggard up and drilled crooked even though i was using a drill press, will not hold up to stresses of flight any ideas of how to fix??? thanks!!

2lo

My Feedback: (4)

Fill with epoxy and go again,
Is dowel already installed in aileron? If not, drill it on a press first.

BECKERFLY

2lo , thanks for reply i appreciate the help. per instructions (i thought) the dowels are already installed on control surfaces.

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

i like the ideas you all mentioned i have the way AW recs. on mine. i mounted my bolt under the wing and 255+ flights all is holding well. i would love to have the wing bolt comng from the insdie of the fuse as this would prevent any really bending down like i do to check my bolt. i have seen my flying buddy intall a wooden plug into his wing tube to further add something to screw to along with seeing on the internet someone mounting a (welding) a nut into the tube. I think i may look into a toliet bolt so that i will have that wing nut part on the bolt on my next 2 wing project....

PS i have a boat hull tank 16 oz on my edge which fits under my wing tube because it very thin so that you all can run you tank on the CG like the gasers do. let me know if you all need a pic.