kegelt

Am about to start the work in my new arf. I got the parts to build it as a tail dragger but the hinges in the rudder are already glued in. How to i either take this apart or build it another way. Also this plane has a bolt on wing is it possible to build it to be held on with rubber bands? and one more thing, how do you thin out epoxy to fuel proof bare balsa? Thank You for all the help.

rcmodelr

I'd do it with one or 2 wire loops stich into the bottom of the rudder with the tail-wheel wire (in a fuel-line bushing) running into the wire loops to control the tail wheel steering.

Option 2... I've had surprisingly good results on many planes just by steering with the prop blast over the rudder, and having the tail-wheel FREE-CASTER, not physically controlled by anything other than the ground.

Anything's possible, but I can't think of any GOOD reason to go throug the hastle. I've only gone the other way... change rubger-band mounted wings to bolt on.

I've had good luck thinning the epoxy with rubbing alcohol. Another option (but only do it with EXCELLENT ventilation)... I've done it a few times by spreading the un-thinned epoxy along the top portion of the firewall, then heat the epoxy with heat gun or hair dryer, and as soon as it starts flowing down the firewall, use a brush or spatula (crecit card works) to spread epoxy out over the rest of the firewall.

However, be careful with the heat method. Most of the time, the added heat will also make the epoxy cure MUCH FASTER than it normally would.

kegelt

Thank you for the info it will help very much. but do you think the bolt on wing is more submisable to damage in a lite crash?

JimTrainor

I have one that is setup as a tail dragger. I wasn't to keen on cutting the hinges...

I used a Great Planes tail wheel braked, GPMQ1900 here:
http://www.greatplanes.com/accys/gpmq1800.html

I trimmed about about 3/16 inch off the bottom of the rudder to give a small flat area on which I epoxied a tiny plywood plate (perpendicular to the rudder). The section of the wire tail wheel assembly that would normally sit inside the rudder is now attached to the bottom of the ply plate using landing gear straps. The tiny ply plate is just wide enough to attach the straps. It's not the prettiest job, but it's solid.

The stock wire landing gear will compress the balsa on the underside of the fuselage and become loose very quickly. I put a small section of thin plywood between the gear and the fuselage.... until I tore the gear off, then put some Dubro gear on:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXNM65&P=7 attached using small plastic bolts.
These work great... the also give a bit more clearance for big props. I was trimming the grass with a 12x4 prop using the stock gear.

They wing bolts seem fine to me. The plane will do some rather more violent maneuvers than a trainer, e.g. nice outside snaps..... I think the bolts will do a better job.

One more tip: I found the plane flew around with it tail dropping down... as if it were really tail heavy. In fact, the wing had some negative incidence that caused that. I put an extra layer or two of foam wing tape at the front quarter of the wing saddle (if that is what it's called ???). That straightened out the dropping tail.

Oh yeah... one more tip: The push rod tubes were really cheap black plastic tubes. The plastic was about as thick as you'd expect in a drinking straw. They cracked in no time. I put in some better tubes. The push rods are fine... it's just the tubes that are too cheap.

I thinned the epoxy with with alcohol.

kegelt

excellent advice, i am currently in the middle of construction, and will definetly look at all these options. Thank You Again