Number Of Hinges To Attach Elevators

[Casey]

Hi Everyone

My stabilizer is 28.5 inches long. Should I use 6 hinges or 8 hinges altogether to attach the 2 elevators?

[Pat Chewning]

Use 7 on the inboard side and 5 on the outboard side.   

[frank mccune]

     Hi Ty:

     Would you kindly post a picture of your Dacron hinges.  I am ready to hinge the stab and elevator on my Magican.

                                                                           
                                                                                                                    Tia,

                                                                                                                    Frank McCune

[Dave_Trible]

Frank I'll drop in a photo of the Barnstormer elevator on son in law Kevin's airplane.  Thin surfaces like these and the Magician are difficult to put slotted hinges on (but can be done) so the good old cloth zig-zag hinges might be best.  If you put enough on they effectively seal the hinge line too.  These were cut with pinking shears from an old Dacron/cotton shirt.

Dave

[Air Ministry .]

Seeing some of us are being awkward , or are of Scotish Ancestry 

[Air Ministry .]

Upholsterers Thread , Doubled . Though Ive bludged some hi tech thread from a fishing store for the next ones .
Patterns 1/2 along , by 5/16 + in . Double stitch @ ends , Start and work along pulling in slack . Tack glue the start ,
if useing balsa cement , gloop about four , pull taught with a flat needle or unsharp screwdriver blade , work a along
and again if required. With thinners if neccessary . Takes about three hours to do fourteen on a twin , costs $1 !  

On a typical built up wing trailing edge , you need to put vetrical spacers ( 3/32 ) or blocks , to avoid the tensioned
thread pulling in the sheeting , or youll get hollows or troughs , particularly if the T.E. is 1 / 16 in. sheet .

I dope on a 1 in. wide strip of H Wt tissue in a U along the entire hinge line on both stab & elev ( etc ) beforehand .
Means its tidy, or pre finished  in the hinge . Pre Hardening holes with cement & redrilling ( 1 / 16 ) usually . You can
force the thread down a way with the screwdriver blade while tensioning & securing - or see the dual threads are
parrallel , not twisted as that gets bumps twice as high . Kite Lines o.k. too . Virtually Failsafe if the threads good.
ALSO integrates the two structures when deflected , so your wings stiiffer AND the hinge action is ' Rolling '  on the
Join. Square . T.E.  & full radius L. E. of Elev. The ones shown are firm 1/4 sheet , on a  . 40 F2B Ship . Stab / Elev .


DONT let the dope build up IN the hinge , I usualiy use the brush dry to rub it in / clear while its damp , and run a
blunted blade along though so its not set it before its dry . A NEW blade can skive off into   the flying surfaces or
cut the thread if you dont stop short. AND youve got built in Turbulators or Vortex Generators !   . Probably
used them on 100 aeroplanes - so far . Only Nylon hinges on one ( Finished ) plane as yet .  No Worries .

[frank mccune]

    Hi Guys:

     Thanks for the information! Both jobs look great!


                                                                                       Frank

[Phil Spillman]

Hi Frank, You might try the nylon reinforcing tape that Goldberg used to sell applied with Ambroid  pre-glued to the surfaces and applied over and under as noted above. I have a Ringmaster which I built in 1985 equipped with another Ringmaster's tail I built in 1970's and hinged with the material I mentioned! It's still in service and is still flexible and strong! Amazing! If you can't get Ambroid try DuPont Duco Cement! just rub it into the appropriate spots on your surfaces. I cut my tape to the right length =/- 1.75 inches and clamp it in a spring close pin so that it takes a bend thenglue it on with the pre-bends pointing the way you want them to go! makes it easier at least for me!

Phil Spillman

[Serge_Krauss]

Dacron with sealed hinge line.

SK

[john e. holliday]

Put several coats of dope on the hinge area,  then thinner dope to put the hinges down like Serge shows.  Yes it take more time but it won't show through like using glue.