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| Hi I just joined Flying Giants and have been an rc fanatic since I was 6 years old. I have a busted World trainer 40 and I need to construct a new vertical stabilizer. Any suggestions on how the heck I can build this from scratch and with no idea of the specs? | |
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Alright there Sabre,
Lets build a vertical fin...... Is there anything left of the old one? If there is, piece it together to make a pattern for your new one. If not, this is where your aerospace engineering career STARTS! More than likely you have a solid balsa fin and rudder on your trainer. I'd suggest either a 3/16" or a 1/4" piece of light balsa that has a good straight grain to it. (Get it at your hobby shop and ask somebody there to help you pick out a good piece with a good grain. Look at it. Learn from it!) If you don't have an old fin to copy, pull out a piece of copy paper and draw one. Draw several and then choose one. Cut out your fin from the paper and lay it over the wood to trace it out. Sand it on both sides and round the leading edge. Sand an ever so slight radius to the trailing edge where the rudder will be hinged to the fin. Make a rudder the same way. A good rudder chord (front edge of rudder to the trailing edge of the rudder) on a .40 size trainer should be in the neighborhood of 2 to 2 1/4". Radius the leading edge where it will be hinged to the vertical fin and round the trailing edges to suit yourself. Cover both pieces with the covering and color of your choice. Hinge them together temporarily. Make sure to trim the covering from the bottom edge of the vertical fin so the glue will adhere to the top of the stab or fuse that you want to glue to. Glue the fin on the rear of the plane making sure you have it true vertical. When the glue has set up good, glue in the C/A hinges, put on a rudder horn and hook it up to the push rod. Go fly. Now wasn't that simple? Cameras!!!!!!!! Digital cameras are NICE to prove to the rest of us how you did. We're all waiting to grade you on your performance! Good luck!
WT
