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LEAD KEEPERS
While finishing a new cabin airplane and while putting in the aileron and flap Y-harness leads, I stumbled onto an idea that works pretty well. When the leads are disconnected from the wings, I use the little plastic tabs that keep plastic bread bags closed and clip them over the end of the servo leads to prevent them from falling back into the fuselage. Everyone has at least a couple of these things lying around, so you might as well put them to good use.
PORTABLE WINDSOCK
Flying small lightweight airplanes means that you have to know what the wind is like at the flying field. To make a portable windsock, I use a dowel rod and drill a hole in one end so that I can epoxy a nail in the bottom end. I then install a grommet in the end of a length of ribbon and use a wood screw to secure the ribbon to the top. It works like a charm!
EASY HARD PADS
For attachment screws on my molded foam fliers, I use old servo wheels as protective hard pads so that the screws do not compress the foam. The plastic wheels also help prevent damage should your screwdriver slip while tightening the screws. It works great on wing bolts and on top of T-tail glider stabilizers.
MAGNETIC ATTACHMENTS
There are lots of great little scale details that can be added to a scale model, but they can often get snagged on something when you move the model or when it’s in flight. I have found that the small magnets available from the hobby shop and home-improvement stores make great “attachers” for things like antennae, pitot tubes, and machine-gun barrels that stick out of the wing’s leading edge. I install a brass tube where I want the antenna or gun with the magnet glued inside. I then glue the matching magnet in the base of the detail and slide it in place, where it stays put. When you are ready to fly, simply remove the fragile part.
SEND IN YOUR IDEAS!
We want your ideas for Tips & Tricks to MAN@airage.com or Model Airplane News, c/o Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA.
Model Airplane News - The #1 resource for RC plane and helicopter enthusiasts featuring news, videos, product releases and tech tips.
Continue reading...
While finishing a new cabin airplane and while putting in the aileron and flap Y-harness leads, I stumbled onto an idea that works pretty well. When the leads are disconnected from the wings, I use the little plastic tabs that keep plastic bread bags closed and clip them over the end of the servo leads to prevent them from falling back into the fuselage. Everyone has at least a couple of these things lying around, so you might as well put them to good use.
PORTABLE WINDSOCK
Flying small lightweight airplanes means that you have to know what the wind is like at the flying field. To make a portable windsock, I use a dowel rod and drill a hole in one end so that I can epoxy a nail in the bottom end. I then install a grommet in the end of a length of ribbon and use a wood screw to secure the ribbon to the top. It works like a charm!
EASY HARD PADS
For attachment screws on my molded foam fliers, I use old servo wheels as protective hard pads so that the screws do not compress the foam. The plastic wheels also help prevent damage should your screwdriver slip while tightening the screws. It works great on wing bolts and on top of T-tail glider stabilizers.
MAGNETIC ATTACHMENTS
There are lots of great little scale details that can be added to a scale model, but they can often get snagged on something when you move the model or when it’s in flight. I have found that the small magnets available from the hobby shop and home-improvement stores make great “attachers” for things like antennae, pitot tubes, and machine-gun barrels that stick out of the wing’s leading edge. I install a brass tube where I want the antenna or gun with the magnet glued inside. I then glue the matching magnet in the base of the detail and slide it in place, where it stays put. When you are ready to fly, simply remove the fragile part.
SEND IN YOUR IDEAS!
We want your ideas for Tips & Tricks to MAN@airage.com or Model Airplane News, c/o Air Age Media, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA.
Model Airplane News - The #1 resource for RC plane and helicopter enthusiasts featuring news, videos, product releases and tech tips.
Continue reading...