PLEASE WRITE in with your questions;
that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
questions and answers that have been
published (for follow-ups), provide the
number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q432: “I’ve noted quite often in your
various construction articles that you
recommend a hinge tape. This just doesn’t
seem practical for every model aircraft
application. What are the limits when it
comes to using a tape material as a hinge?”
A432: It’s true; I have used tape as a
control-surface hinge for a long time. There
are certain limitations, as you’ve pointed
out, and there are different types of tape for
different applications.
Very few tapes you select will be
fuelproof. So a limitation is that hinge tape
is restricted to nonfueled models, such as
those that use electric power and sailplanes.
Another limitation is the size and weight
February 2010 91
cement gets into the metal pins and binds the hinge, creating more
problems. You also have to consider whether or not, depending on the
control-surface spacing, air can pass through the slot that the two
surfaces create.
So what about the use of hinge tape? With this method, there is no
gap between the surfaces. The hinge material is applied as one piece
and covers the entire hinge surface.
I have found two types of hinge tape that work well, and one of
those is more for park flyer-size aircraft up to my 3-pound limit. It is
Gapless Hinge Tape, supplied by Larry Sribnick of SR Batteries Inc.
It is a 3M product and is a clear material that is reasonably soft and
flexible. That is important, because I have found some tapes that
looked similar but were more rigid and placed a much greater load on
the servo when moving the control surface. I generally use SR
Batteries’ product for models in the 8- to 48-ounce weight class.
For those that weigh less than 8 ounces, down to some of the
smallest micro/indoor aircraft, I’ve had good luck with another 3M
product that I believe is intended for the medical-supply industry as a
bandage/adhesive tape. It’s Blenderm, and it comes in rolls with a
width of 1 inch.
You can buy Blenderm at drugstores. I believe Du-Bro offers it as
catalog item 916: Electric Flyer Hinge Tape.
Blenderm is soft and flexible, so it imposes very little drag on
typical micro-size servos. It also has excellent adhesive qualities; those
hinges won’t work loose easily for sure.
Keep in mind that applying hinge tape is far easier than cutting slots
for individual hinges. Using tape works best on hinge areas prepared
with bevels that are appropriate for top hinging.
The last thing to be concerned with when using hinge tape is the
spacing between the control surface and the main aircraft surface. If
there is too little space, the control surface will bind, thus restricting the
amount of control throw. If there is too much space, the control surface
might flap or vibrate in flight.
Rather than guess at this spacing, I use scrap pieces of 1/16 balsa as
my spacers. I use painter’s blue masking tape to hold both surfaces on
my building board.
Once everything is locked in place, the balsa scraps are removed.
Then I apply the tape, pressing it down thoroughly. Doing it this
way provides an even spacing that is the proper distance running
along the entire control surface.
Q433: “I noted in several of your recent
answers that you encourage modelers to
regularly check their RC system batteries,
both for the transmitter as well as the
receiver (when a separate pack is needed). I
do use a voltmeter with a load at the flying
field.
“I also took your advice and bought a
new West Mountain Radio CBA-III Battery
Analyzer so that I might measure and record
the actual battery capacity on a regular
basis. The other day I noted a funny looking
‘wiggle’ on the graph that my CBA-III had
just plotted. I’m sending you a copy of the
graph. Do you have any idea what caused
this?”
A433: This reader scanned his graph and
included it in the email
to me. I had
seen something
similar to this
before, but it didn’t
bother me much.
To be sure, I sent
the scan of the graph
to Del Schier at
West Mountain
Radio. He knew
right away what the
problem was; the
“wiggle” can be
Right: After applying a small amount of Vaseline on the
two male pins, plug in the connectors and separate
them several times. The required force will diminish.
Above: An easy way to help separate Deans Ultra
connectors’ mating halves is to use Vaseline on the
contact pins.
The CBA III plotted this graph. The arrow denotes a “wiggle”
that occurred because a poor-fitting connector in the adapter
cable was bumped. Make sure you have good connections.
of the model. I generally use hinge tape on aircraft that weigh upward
of 3 pounds and have wing areas of approximately 400 square inches.
If an airplane exceeds that weight and size, I use more traditional
hinges, such as Du-Bro’s nylon variety with integral metal pins or
removable cotter pins, as the company has on its heavy-duty hinges.
There is also the sheet-plastic-type hinge, such as those that Sig
Manufacturing offers that are known as Easy Hinges or poly hinges.
Each of those requires you to cut slots in both surfaces, insert the
hinge, and then apply cement to hold it in place. Cutting those slots can
be tedious, since everything must be aligned properly. Sometimes the
02sig3_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 11:28 AM Page 91
caused by a loose connection between the
battery and the CBA III.
To attach my eight-cell RC transmitter
pack, I used two types of adapter cables.
One of the connectors was apparently not a
good fit. When I moved the cable, I got the
same “wiggle” in the graph that the reader
got.
I made a new adapter cable with a new
connector and ran the discharge test again.
It was perfectly smooth.
Q434: “I noted several months back in
Dave Mathewson’s column in Model
Aviation that a new AMA Forum was being
established. Can you tell me more about
this outreach to the membership?”
434: The new AMA forums are building
as I write this. There is a lot going on with
the AMA Web site. I recently asked why
there isn’t a reference to the forum on the
home page. The answer I received was
that there is, but it does help to know
where to look.
There are a couple of places where you
can enter the forums. At the top of the
AMA homepage, under “Bringing
Modelers Together,” are several tabs.
From the left is “Join/Renew,” “Member
Services,” then “Community.” Click on
Community, and one of the first items is
“AMA Forums.”
Then along the bottom of the homepage
is a series of letters and/or symbols that
ends on the right with “FORUMS.” When
you click on that, “Forum Navigation”
comes up. This is probably the better place
to start.
When you get there, you will be asked to
read a forum agreement statement; accept it
if you agree to the terms. At this point, you
will need to establish a Username and
Password. I had trouble at this point and
had to ask for help.
The best AMA department to contact is
Information Systems. As of this writing (in
October 2009), some staff members will
soon be changing positions, so I’m unable
to give you a name at Headquarters to
contact.
If you have questions, the best thing to
do is click on the “Ask AMA” tab at the top
right corner of the homepage. Then click on
“staff directory.” Scroll down until you
reach the Information Systems department.
There will be names, telephone number
extensions, and e-mail addresses.
I found these people to be helpful, and
I was soon on the forums. There isn’t
much there at the moment, because
members are only now starting to join.
But they will grow with everyone’s help,
so please give them a try.
Q418 Follow-Up: I received feedback that
readers liked the scheme I showed in the
October 2009 column for separating those
stubborn Deans Ultra connectors. I used a
clothespin to easily force the connector
halves apart. This technique works well,
because you don’t have to get both of your
hands inside your aircraft’s RC
compartment.
But after reading this, a member wrote
in letting me know that there is a much
easier solution to this problem. He uses
common Vaseline petroleum jelly. He
wipes it on the connector blades and then
pulls the connector halves out and pushes
them in a few times. As the Vaseline
works in, the connector separation works
easier.
I tried this technique and it works. It
turns out that a noted modeler, Dick Allen,
originated the idea. He used this method for
many years while working as a qualitycontrol
engineer for IBM. The company
believed that Vaseline was one of the best
contact lubricants it could come up with.
Red Scholefield, MA’s battery
columnist, supplied me with that
background info. Red said he has used this
technique for years, applying a thin film to
the connector pins. MA
Sources:
Du-Bro
(800) 848-9411
www.dubro.com
Sig Manufacturing Co.
(641) 623-5154
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries Inc.
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
West Mountain Radio
(203) 853-8080
www.westmountainradio.com
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 90,91,92
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 90,91,92
PLEASE WRITE in with your questions;
that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
questions and answers that have been
published (for follow-ups), provide the
number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q432: “I’ve noted quite often in your
various construction articles that you
recommend a hinge tape. This just doesn’t
seem practical for every model aircraft
application. What are the limits when it
comes to using a tape material as a hinge?”
A432: It’s true; I have used tape as a
control-surface hinge for a long time. There
are certain limitations, as you’ve pointed
out, and there are different types of tape for
different applications.
Very few tapes you select will be
fuelproof. So a limitation is that hinge tape
is restricted to nonfueled models, such as
those that use electric power and sailplanes.
Another limitation is the size and weight
February 2010 91
cement gets into the metal pins and binds the hinge, creating more
problems. You also have to consider whether or not, depending on the
control-surface spacing, air can pass through the slot that the two
surfaces create.
So what about the use of hinge tape? With this method, there is no
gap between the surfaces. The hinge material is applied as one piece
and covers the entire hinge surface.
I have found two types of hinge tape that work well, and one of
those is more for park flyer-size aircraft up to my 3-pound limit. It is
Gapless Hinge Tape, supplied by Larry Sribnick of SR Batteries Inc.
It is a 3M product and is a clear material that is reasonably soft and
flexible. That is important, because I have found some tapes that
looked similar but were more rigid and placed a much greater load on
the servo when moving the control surface. I generally use SR
Batteries’ product for models in the 8- to 48-ounce weight class.
For those that weigh less than 8 ounces, down to some of the
smallest micro/indoor aircraft, I’ve had good luck with another 3M
product that I believe is intended for the medical-supply industry as a
bandage/adhesive tape. It’s Blenderm, and it comes in rolls with a
width of 1 inch.
You can buy Blenderm at drugstores. I believe Du-Bro offers it as
catalog item 916: Electric Flyer Hinge Tape.
Blenderm is soft and flexible, so it imposes very little drag on
typical micro-size servos. It also has excellent adhesive qualities; those
hinges won’t work loose easily for sure.
Keep in mind that applying hinge tape is far easier than cutting slots
for individual hinges. Using tape works best on hinge areas prepared
with bevels that are appropriate for top hinging.
The last thing to be concerned with when using hinge tape is the
spacing between the control surface and the main aircraft surface. If
there is too little space, the control surface will bind, thus restricting the
amount of control throw. If there is too much space, the control surface
might flap or vibrate in flight.
Rather than guess at this spacing, I use scrap pieces of 1/16 balsa as
my spacers. I use painter’s blue masking tape to hold both surfaces on
my building board.
Once everything is locked in place, the balsa scraps are removed.
Then I apply the tape, pressing it down thoroughly. Doing it this
way provides an even spacing that is the proper distance running
along the entire control surface.
Q433: “I noted in several of your recent
answers that you encourage modelers to
regularly check their RC system batteries,
both for the transmitter as well as the
receiver (when a separate pack is needed). I
do use a voltmeter with a load at the flying
field.
“I also took your advice and bought a
new West Mountain Radio CBA-III Battery
Analyzer so that I might measure and record
the actual battery capacity on a regular
basis. The other day I noted a funny looking
‘wiggle’ on the graph that my CBA-III had
just plotted. I’m sending you a copy of the
graph. Do you have any idea what caused
this?”
A433: This reader scanned his graph and
included it in the email
to me. I had
seen something
similar to this
before, but it didn’t
bother me much.
To be sure, I sent
the scan of the graph
to Del Schier at
West Mountain
Radio. He knew
right away what the
problem was; the
“wiggle” can be
Right: After applying a small amount of Vaseline on the
two male pins, plug in the connectors and separate
them several times. The required force will diminish.
Above: An easy way to help separate Deans Ultra
connectors’ mating halves is to use Vaseline on the
contact pins.
The CBA III plotted this graph. The arrow denotes a “wiggle”
that occurred because a poor-fitting connector in the adapter
cable was bumped. Make sure you have good connections.
of the model. I generally use hinge tape on aircraft that weigh upward
of 3 pounds and have wing areas of approximately 400 square inches.
If an airplane exceeds that weight and size, I use more traditional
hinges, such as Du-Bro’s nylon variety with integral metal pins or
removable cotter pins, as the company has on its heavy-duty hinges.
There is also the sheet-plastic-type hinge, such as those that Sig
Manufacturing offers that are known as Easy Hinges or poly hinges.
Each of those requires you to cut slots in both surfaces, insert the
hinge, and then apply cement to hold it in place. Cutting those slots can
be tedious, since everything must be aligned properly. Sometimes the
02sig3_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 11:28 AM Page 91
caused by a loose connection between the
battery and the CBA III.
To attach my eight-cell RC transmitter
pack, I used two types of adapter cables.
One of the connectors was apparently not a
good fit. When I moved the cable, I got the
same “wiggle” in the graph that the reader
got.
I made a new adapter cable with a new
connector and ran the discharge test again.
It was perfectly smooth.
Q434: “I noted several months back in
Dave Mathewson’s column in Model
Aviation that a new AMA Forum was being
established. Can you tell me more about
this outreach to the membership?”
434: The new AMA forums are building
as I write this. There is a lot going on with
the AMA Web site. I recently asked why
there isn’t a reference to the forum on the
home page. The answer I received was
that there is, but it does help to know
where to look.
There are a couple of places where you
can enter the forums. At the top of the
AMA homepage, under “Bringing
Modelers Together,” are several tabs.
From the left is “Join/Renew,” “Member
Services,” then “Community.” Click on
Community, and one of the first items is
“AMA Forums.”
Then along the bottom of the homepage
is a series of letters and/or symbols that
ends on the right with “FORUMS.” When
you click on that, “Forum Navigation”
comes up. This is probably the better place
to start.
When you get there, you will be asked to
read a forum agreement statement; accept it
if you agree to the terms. At this point, you
will need to establish a Username and
Password. I had trouble at this point and
had to ask for help.
The best AMA department to contact is
Information Systems. As of this writing (in
October 2009), some staff members will
soon be changing positions, so I’m unable
to give you a name at Headquarters to
contact.
If you have questions, the best thing to
do is click on the “Ask AMA” tab at the top
right corner of the homepage. Then click on
“staff directory.” Scroll down until you
reach the Information Systems department.
There will be names, telephone number
extensions, and e-mail addresses.
I found these people to be helpful, and
I was soon on the forums. There isn’t
much there at the moment, because
members are only now starting to join.
But they will grow with everyone’s help,
so please give them a try.
Q418 Follow-Up: I received feedback that
readers liked the scheme I showed in the
October 2009 column for separating those
stubborn Deans Ultra connectors. I used a
clothespin to easily force the connector
halves apart. This technique works well,
because you don’t have to get both of your
hands inside your aircraft’s RC
compartment.
But after reading this, a member wrote
in letting me know that there is a much
easier solution to this problem. He uses
common Vaseline petroleum jelly. He
wipes it on the connector blades and then
pulls the connector halves out and pushes
them in a few times. As the Vaseline
works in, the connector separation works
easier.
I tried this technique and it works. It
turns out that a noted modeler, Dick Allen,
originated the idea. He used this method for
many years while working as a qualitycontrol
engineer for IBM. The company
believed that Vaseline was one of the best
contact lubricants it could come up with.
Red Scholefield, MA’s battery
columnist, supplied me with that
background info. Red said he has used this
technique for years, applying a thin film to
the connector pins. MA
Sources:
Du-Bro
(800) 848-9411
www.dubro.com
Sig Manufacturing Co.
(641) 623-5154
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries Inc.
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
West Mountain Radio
(203) 853-8080
www.westmountainradio.com
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 90,91,92
PLEASE WRITE in with your questions;
that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
questions and answers that have been
published (for follow-ups), provide the
number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are placed in a group, separate from the text,
at the end of this column under “Sources.”
Q432: “I’ve noted quite often in your
various construction articles that you
recommend a hinge tape. This just doesn’t
seem practical for every model aircraft
application. What are the limits when it
comes to using a tape material as a hinge?”
A432: It’s true; I have used tape as a
control-surface hinge for a long time. There
are certain limitations, as you’ve pointed
out, and there are different types of tape for
different applications.
Very few tapes you select will be
fuelproof. So a limitation is that hinge tape
is restricted to nonfueled models, such as
those that use electric power and sailplanes.
Another limitation is the size and weight
February 2010 91
cement gets into the metal pins and binds the hinge, creating more
problems. You also have to consider whether or not, depending on the
control-surface spacing, air can pass through the slot that the two
surfaces create.
So what about the use of hinge tape? With this method, there is no
gap between the surfaces. The hinge material is applied as one piece
and covers the entire hinge surface.
I have found two types of hinge tape that work well, and one of
those is more for park flyer-size aircraft up to my 3-pound limit. It is
Gapless Hinge Tape, supplied by Larry Sribnick of SR Batteries Inc.
It is a 3M product and is a clear material that is reasonably soft and
flexible. That is important, because I have found some tapes that
looked similar but were more rigid and placed a much greater load on
the servo when moving the control surface. I generally use SR
Batteries’ product for models in the 8- to 48-ounce weight class.
For those that weigh less than 8 ounces, down to some of the
smallest micro/indoor aircraft, I’ve had good luck with another 3M
product that I believe is intended for the medical-supply industry as a
bandage/adhesive tape. It’s Blenderm, and it comes in rolls with a
width of 1 inch.
You can buy Blenderm at drugstores. I believe Du-Bro offers it as
catalog item 916: Electric Flyer Hinge Tape.
Blenderm is soft and flexible, so it imposes very little drag on
typical micro-size servos. It also has excellent adhesive qualities; those
hinges won’t work loose easily for sure.
Keep in mind that applying hinge tape is far easier than cutting slots
for individual hinges. Using tape works best on hinge areas prepared
with bevels that are appropriate for top hinging.
The last thing to be concerned with when using hinge tape is the
spacing between the control surface and the main aircraft surface. If
there is too little space, the control surface will bind, thus restricting the
amount of control throw. If there is too much space, the control surface
might flap or vibrate in flight.
Rather than guess at this spacing, I use scrap pieces of 1/16 balsa as
my spacers. I use painter’s blue masking tape to hold both surfaces on
my building board.
Once everything is locked in place, the balsa scraps are removed.
Then I apply the tape, pressing it down thoroughly. Doing it this
way provides an even spacing that is the proper distance running
along the entire control surface.
Q433: “I noted in several of your recent
answers that you encourage modelers to
regularly check their RC system batteries,
both for the transmitter as well as the
receiver (when a separate pack is needed). I
do use a voltmeter with a load at the flying
field.
“I also took your advice and bought a
new West Mountain Radio CBA-III Battery
Analyzer so that I might measure and record
the actual battery capacity on a regular
basis. The other day I noted a funny looking
‘wiggle’ on the graph that my CBA-III had
just plotted. I’m sending you a copy of the
graph. Do you have any idea what caused
this?”
A433: This reader scanned his graph and
included it in the email
to me. I had
seen something
similar to this
before, but it didn’t
bother me much.
To be sure, I sent
the scan of the graph
to Del Schier at
West Mountain
Radio. He knew
right away what the
problem was; the
“wiggle” can be
Right: After applying a small amount of Vaseline on the
two male pins, plug in the connectors and separate
them several times. The required force will diminish.
Above: An easy way to help separate Deans Ultra
connectors’ mating halves is to use Vaseline on the
contact pins.
The CBA III plotted this graph. The arrow denotes a “wiggle”
that occurred because a poor-fitting connector in the adapter
cable was bumped. Make sure you have good connections.
of the model. I generally use hinge tape on aircraft that weigh upward
of 3 pounds and have wing areas of approximately 400 square inches.
If an airplane exceeds that weight and size, I use more traditional
hinges, such as Du-Bro’s nylon variety with integral metal pins or
removable cotter pins, as the company has on its heavy-duty hinges.
There is also the sheet-plastic-type hinge, such as those that Sig
Manufacturing offers that are known as Easy Hinges or poly hinges.
Each of those requires you to cut slots in both surfaces, insert the
hinge, and then apply cement to hold it in place. Cutting those slots can
be tedious, since everything must be aligned properly. Sometimes the
02sig3_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 11:28 AM Page 91
caused by a loose connection between the
battery and the CBA III.
To attach my eight-cell RC transmitter
pack, I used two types of adapter cables.
One of the connectors was apparently not a
good fit. When I moved the cable, I got the
same “wiggle” in the graph that the reader
got.
I made a new adapter cable with a new
connector and ran the discharge test again.
It was perfectly smooth.
Q434: “I noted several months back in
Dave Mathewson’s column in Model
Aviation that a new AMA Forum was being
established. Can you tell me more about
this outreach to the membership?”
434: The new AMA forums are building
as I write this. There is a lot going on with
the AMA Web site. I recently asked why
there isn’t a reference to the forum on the
home page. The answer I received was
that there is, but it does help to know
where to look.
There are a couple of places where you
can enter the forums. At the top of the
AMA homepage, under “Bringing
Modelers Together,” are several tabs.
From the left is “Join/Renew,” “Member
Services,” then “Community.” Click on
Community, and one of the first items is
“AMA Forums.”
Then along the bottom of the homepage
is a series of letters and/or symbols that
ends on the right with “FORUMS.” When
you click on that, “Forum Navigation”
comes up. This is probably the better place
to start.
When you get there, you will be asked to
read a forum agreement statement; accept it
if you agree to the terms. At this point, you
will need to establish a Username and
Password. I had trouble at this point and
had to ask for help.
The best AMA department to contact is
Information Systems. As of this writing (in
October 2009), some staff members will
soon be changing positions, so I’m unable
to give you a name at Headquarters to
contact.
If you have questions, the best thing to
do is click on the “Ask AMA” tab at the top
right corner of the homepage. Then click on
“staff directory.” Scroll down until you
reach the Information Systems department.
There will be names, telephone number
extensions, and e-mail addresses.
I found these people to be helpful, and
I was soon on the forums. There isn’t
much there at the moment, because
members are only now starting to join.
But they will grow with everyone’s help,
so please give them a try.
Q418 Follow-Up: I received feedback that
readers liked the scheme I showed in the
October 2009 column for separating those
stubborn Deans Ultra connectors. I used a
clothespin to easily force the connector
halves apart. This technique works well,
because you don’t have to get both of your
hands inside your aircraft’s RC
compartment.
But after reading this, a member wrote
in letting me know that there is a much
easier solution to this problem. He uses
common Vaseline petroleum jelly. He
wipes it on the connector blades and then
pulls the connector halves out and pushes
them in a few times. As the Vaseline
works in, the connector separation works
easier.
I tried this technique and it works. It
turns out that a noted modeler, Dick Allen,
originated the idea. He used this method for
many years while working as a qualitycontrol
engineer for IBM. The company
believed that Vaseline was one of the best
contact lubricants it could come up with.
Red Scholefield, MA’s battery
columnist, supplied me with that
background info. Red said he has used this
technique for years, applying a thin film to
the connector pins. MA
Sources:
Du-Bro
(800) 848-9411
www.dubro.com
Sig Manufacturing Co.
(641) 623-5154
www.sigmfg.com
SR Batteries Inc.
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
West Mountain Radio
(203) 853-8080
www.westmountainradio.com
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
