C/A hinges in Giant Scale Planes

[Bartman]

Hi folks,

It's been a while but I'm plotting my return to my shop and how I'm going to get my old/new Laser 200 into the air. It was built to the plans so there's very little throw in the ailerons and elevators. Rather than trying to remove the covering so the leading edges could be beveled more to increase the throw, I was thinking of using C/A hinges and just backing the surfaces out a bit to get more travel.

C/A hinges seemed to be the big thing for a while but now they're all but gone. Anyone have an opinion on this? The planes is a Lanier Laser 200, about a 96" wingspan, will be used to dominate the IMAC primary category at contests within about an hour of my house for years to come.

Thanks,
Bart

 

[49dimes]

CA hinges are still very popular in smaller size ARF's. Personally I would not trust them in a large plane for a prolonged period. They will eventually break in half.

 

[Daytonarc]

I would also reconsider opening up the hinge gap. Flutter is a bad thing. A plans built Lanier should be fine for Basic IMAC

 

[Xpress]

A 96" span airplane I would really push you towards just using pin hinges, not CA hinges. If you can't get the control throw for 3D then you really shut re-work the bevel. Do things right the first time and you won't have to re-do them down the line, or potentially face the consequences of a failed hinge

 

[Pistolera]

Bart, you really don't need a lot of throw for IMAC. You need enough elevator to keep the nose up for spin entries....and that's plenty for snaps and hammerheads (although in Basic you won't have to worry about snaps). Most any airplane has enough aileron to roll, and rolls don't need to be fast. Usually faster roll rates get pilots into trouble as they over or undershoot the stop.

If your current hinges are good and the covering is OK, then run with it! How much throw you now have on things?

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

I dont think I would do it. Now, if this was an airplane I didnt give 2 donkey nuts about, I would do it in a heartbeat, just for longevity testing. But, if you want to keep the airplane around, go with a DuBro flat piano hinge.

AeroBroach has a wicked nice tool for cutting hinge slots. A little harder, but less mess than the Hobbico hinge slotter. The AeroBroach is my choice for cutting in DuBro hinges.

 

[pawnshopmike]

I dont think I would do it. Now, if this was an airplane I didnt give 2 donkey nuts about, I would do it in a heartbeat, just for longevity testing. But, if you want to keep the airplane around, go with a DuBro flat piano hinge.

AeroBroach has a wicked nice tool for cutting hinge slots. A little harder, but less mess than the Hobbico hinge slotter. The AeroBroach is my choice for cutting in DuBro hinges.

+1 on the DuBro flat hinges. And pin them babies in place for good measure.

 

[acerc]

I had a 60 Nitro size with ca hinges that got flew once a week, it took less than a year for the hinges to fracture along the pivot. No way would I even think about using ca's on something large, flown often, or not considered a throw away airframe. DuBros are good but I have taken a liking to Kavan flat hinges of late.

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

+1 on the DuBro flat hinges. And pin them babies in place for good measure.

Scuff them, clean them with denatured alcohol, and use Gorilla Glue. Tape them in place and let it sit for 24 hrs.

 

[BalsaDust]

I had a 60 Nitro size with ca hinges that got flew once a week, it took less than a year for the hinges to fracture along the pivot. No way would I even think about using ca's on something large, flown often, or not considered a throw away airframe. DuBros are good but I have taken a liking to Kavan flat hinges of late.

Never heard of the Kavan hinges. Got a link?????