Help - Stab Mounting on Vector ARF

[Harleyman]

Guys, I'm stuck.  I'll try to describe my problem the best I can (photos too).
The Vector has a tapered stabilizer.  The mounting notch is parallel to the top block.
If I mount the stab flush to the notch in the Fuse, there will be a large tapered gap at he leading edge between the stab and top block.
Likewise, if I mount it flush to the top block, I have the same gap but on the underside of the stab.
How can i be sure it's in line with the engine thrust line?
Should I just shim the top and bottom equally?   

Although it's an ARF, I figure the thrustline concerns might be an issue with all builders, not just ARF's.  That's why I did not post this in the ARF section.

[Greg L Bahrman]

Well, I kinda thinks that sucks. But thats the challenge of ARF's......If in it was me I would measure the wing location if it's already glued in place with an incidence meter and then fill in the Stab gaps as needed with balsa making the stab angle of attack match that of the wing. I know you'll have to strip the area around the stab and re-cover it. I would also measure the motor. If it is not parallel to the wing then shim it to match. No matter how cheap or how expensive an ARF is, it won't fly for beans if nothing is lined up properly and then you just wasted your money. But if you take the time to do a proper alignment it will be a thing of joy!!!! The labor that maufacture ARF's could care less about alignment nor do they even understand the importance of it. It will either be a plane that always flew great or always flew bad. FIX IT you'll be glad you did. IMHO

P.S. When I built my ARF the engine and stab were perfect but the wing trailing edge was up 3/16 in. to far. So I had to shim it before I glued it in place. It would of had different performance on the insides and outsides that couldn't be trimmed out. It flys great now and I just love it.

[Mike Scholtes]

I just finished a Vector ARC, which is structurally the same. The stab mating surface is tapered to match the taper (thinner LE than TE) of the stab, as your photos clearly show. If you have an incidence meter that is great, but you should be able to confirm the wing and stab are at zero incidence to each other by drawing lines with a sharpie (it comes off with thinner) along the fuselage using the ceterline (chord line) of wing and stab cutouts in the fuselage. This assumes you have not already glued the wing and stab in place. Given that these models are laser cut and built in a jig I would be very surprised if it was out of line, but still a good idea to check. Since the top block provides very little support for the stab you can shim the area between stab and block. Fill in the area between the front of the LE and the fuse with balsa and fuel proof it.

[Paul Taylor]

Chris,
I see what you are talking about now. Maybe Wynn has an answer. I think he has built a few of these Vectors.


You just need to get it finished before the Cheezehead fly-in!!!!
Get-er-dunn!  That thar is funny, I don't care who ya R.

[Tom Perry]

Chris,

Same problem I had with a different model.  I used a razor plane and cut several thin 3 inch long shavings off the edge of a piece of 1/4 inch thick balsa  I used some testors fast dry cement and glued layer by layer onto the top and bottom of the stab and then sanded for a perfect fit.  I was able to use some of the covering trimmed off the gluing surface of the stab to cover the cracks that were filled.

 

[Warren Leadbeatter]

FWIW I have built a kit Vector and the LE of the stab needs to be shimmed equally top and bottom.

Cheers