I am about to begin assembling my P40 ARF and would like to know how many people build ARF's  using CA, per the instructions, on the wing and stab joints.  Also, this model came with pin hinges and the instructions say to use CA.

Others may say epoxy and only epoxy.  My thoughts are that a company like Brodak wouldn't make a recommendation that would result in the airplane falling apart in use.  So, can anyone confirm their success or failure using CA per the instructions?

Hi Dick and Glenn,

1. RE: CA for wing.
Many people recommend Epoxy and it works great. Epoxy is very strong and is thick enough to fill most small imperfections in the joint fit. It is HEAVY so we have to use it judiciously ;-)

With that said, Mr. Brodak's instructions are also correct. Using CA is more than strong enough for our use in CL. The CA is stronger than any wood we use, including ply. ........ "BUT" this is only true if you have a very close fit of the two parts to be joined. If you have gaps in your wing you can use instant setting thin CA to glue the wing in while it is held in alignment. Once this is done THEN use thick "slo" CA to fill gaps. Large gaps can be filled with thin balsa scraps, mico-balloons, or other model filler.

FWIW: I have a Brodak P-40 that has 400 flights on it now. The wing was attached using CA and micro balloons. Except for using CF PRs and ball joints, the entire plane is built stock per instructions. :-)  Great flying plane, it has won 5 CLPA trophies in it's short lifetime.     

CA is very strong when used properly, it is always stronger than the wood. It is fast and easy to use. I use it on my 32 pound planes with no problems.

2. RE: Hinges. 
My understanding is that John has wisely gone to pin style hinges on all his planes. CA hinges are fine for RC but they are way too stiff for our CL planes and should NEVER be used in a CL plane. 

You can use CA glue for the pin hinges but again it depends on the fit and you have to make sure you get it in correctly in a "very" short time frame. It is strong enough if you apply the glue in the slot adequately, but the time limit to get the 2nd half in all at once is not worth the risk, IMHO.  I, and many other modelers, think Epoxy (>15 min. type) is easier to use with these hinges. You can mix a batch and do a 1/2 of a wing at one time. ..... If you want the ultimate hinge security you can install them (with CA or epoxy), then drill a small hole through the wood and the hinge (from the bottom) and CA in a toothpick into the hole. This will lock in the hinge for all time. This is easy to do and does not take long. Doing this for just the inboard and outboard hinge would be enough for the ultimate in  safety. I do not do this for our CL planes because they are relatively small models that fly at slow speeds and are not under a lot of stress.

If you used CA for your pinned hinges I doubt you could pull them out with a pair of pliers. Make up a demo to help you sleep at night if you are worried about them. Let the CA have an hour to fully cure and the wood will fail way before the CA. :-) I did this about 40 years ago and I have been using CA on everything ever since.

PS:  If you are still worried about using CA, it may be worth your time to go to one of the CA mfg. web sites and read up on the different types of CA and their specific uses. Lot's of good info there.

ZAP CA site:   http://www.zapglue.com/

You will really enjoy your P-40, it is a great plane!


PS: I know that you guys probably know most of the above, I just wanted to give more details for any new people or retreads reading this thread who are building their 1st CL ARF.