I have had a couple of people ask me about how to build the laminated two piece wing flaps and elevators on the P40 and sandwich the ribbon between them so I thought I would write it out. 
Note:  For glue you can use either ZPOXY FINISHING RESIN OR 30 MINUTE EPOXY, EITHER WILL WORK.  I PREFER THE FINISHING RESIN.


The stab is two pieces of 3/16" balsa.  Each elevator (left and right) are two pieces of 3/16" balsa also .  Here is how you build the stab and elevators with the continuous ribbon hinge.

NOTE:  THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.  MAKE SURE YOU BEVEL THE LEADING EDGES OF THE ELEVATORS BEFORE YOU PUT THE RIBBON BETWEEN THEM.  ALSO MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ABOUT 1/32 OF A SPACE BETWEEN THE LEADING EDGES OF THE ELEVATORS AND THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE STAB SO YOU WILL HAVE ADEQUATE TRAVEL OF THE ELEVATORS.

Lay the bottom stab pieces on the plan and mark where your wire joiner legs go into the elevators.  This plane uses a wire joiner for the elevators and flaps but the horns are nylon and surface mount to the elevator and flaps.  The music wire pieces that come with the kit are 3/32" but I cut in 1/8" grooves and fill with epoxy.  The way I do this from this point forward is that I cut in grooves on the top and bottom pieces where the wire horn will go into the elevators.  I have a round 1/8" file that I use to cut a groove in all four of the pieces (top and Bottom).  Once this is done, I pin the bottom left and the bottom right pieces of the elevator on a piece of sheetrock or whatever you have that will work, against a straight edge and put the wire horn legs in place in the groove.  I fill the horn channels with 30 minute epoxy and lay the horn in place.  I then cut two small squares of 1/2oz fiberglass cloth and lay over the horns and brush over them with some epoxy.  When the leading edges of the elevators are flush with my straight edge, I cut a piece of Parchment paper or wax paper and lay over the horn legs and weight down the horns and let them dry usually over night.

When this has cured, cut a couple of pieces of 1" white satin ribbon the length of each elevator and lay on your table. Using a straight edge ruler, take a crayon and draw a line right down the center of the ribbon.  This is important because it keeps the glue from wicking into the ribbon and making the hinge stiff.   Repin the bottom half fo the elevators again and using ZPOXY finishing resin or 30 minute epoxy, brush the resin or epoxy over the surface of the two bottom pieces of the elevator being careful not to drip resin over the leading edge of the elevators.  Once you have brushed on your resin, take a old credit card or playing card and squeege off the resin.

Now take to two pieces of ribbon you have cut and place a little less than 1/2 of the width of the ribbon on the leading edges of the elevators making sure you have enough hanging out to go between the stab pieces when you get to that part of construction.  Work the resin into the ribbon so it will adhere to the balsa well.

Now grab the two top elevator pieces and making sure the grooves in the top pieces are directly over the horns, pin or weight down the elevators making sure your ribbon pieces are sandwiched inbetween and you have enough sticking out to go between the stab pieces.

When this assembly is dry, put the bottom 3/16" piece of the stab underneath the ribbon that protrudes out of the elevators and apply resin on the ribbon and complete surface of the bottom piece of stab.  Now lay the top 3/16' piece of the stab on top and weight down making sure you have left as least 1/32 of an inch between the stab and elevators.  Once this is dry you are finished with the stab and elevator unit.

The wing flaps are built exactly the same way but application of the flaps to the wing is a little different.  Go ahead and build your flap unit using the same procedure as you used for the elevators.

Here is how you apply the flaps to the trailing edge of the wing.  You have four pieces of 3/16 x 3/8 balsa sticks in the kit and the ribbon is glued or sandwiched inbetween these using two pieces per flap.  These  pieces will be glued to the trailing edge of the wing.  Take one piece of the 3/16 x 3/8 stick and glue it to the bottom half of the trailing edge of the wing.  This will give you a Shelf to which you can glue the protruding pieces of ribbon sticking out of the flaps to.  Scoot the flaps into position and glue down the ribbon to the applied piece of 3/16 x 3/8.  Then glue the other piece of 3/16 x 3/8 over the ribbon on both the inboard and outboard wing leaving at least 1/32" gap in between the trailing edge of the wing and the leading edge of the flaps.

I hope this helps

Mike

Hi Dean

You can use a birthday candle or plain old Gulfwax paraffin.  I just find the crayon is easier with a sharper point on it. 

Mike