RC Powers T-50 V5 Build log - part 4

Hi Everyone -

In among all the holiday cheer, I managed to putter away a bit on my T-50 V5, mostly getting things ready before mating the fuselage to the wing plate.  One thing I like to do is mark where my elevon control horns will go.  Knowing that where I will be connecting the pushrod to the servo is approx 3/4" out from where the servo will be mounted in the side of the "nacelles", I use the slot that marks where the nacelle will fit into the wing plate as shown in the second picture.

Then using one straight edge as guide, I make a mark on the elevon on both sides so that I remember where the control horn will be mounted.  I rarely use the control horn marks that are indicated on the plans as they rarely line up with where I want to put my control horns.

I used 150 grit sandpaper to taper the trailing edge of the wing, the leading and trailing edge of the prop slot, the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer and all around the outside edge of the elevons to help keep things sleek.  I like to do all this sanding before mounting the control horns, but I forgot to take a picture of that😏  While I can lay the wing plate flat is also when I sand the hinge tape on the ailerons and elevons so that it is no longer shiny and paint will adhere to it much more easily.

I also tapered the outside edge of the vertical stabilizers and added some bamboo skewers for extra reinforcement.

Before being able to join the fuselage to the wing plate, I needed to glue the front part of the wing plate on.  You may remember that this part was cut out separately so that I could get the wing on a 20x30" sheet of Dollar Tree foam (DTF).

I start by taping the two pieces together as shown below.

I then hinge these two pieces open, exposing the edges of the foam as shown in this picture.

Then using 5 minute epoxy, I spread a fine layer on each side of the foam, then lay it flat with the tape down (I always put wax paper under it so that I don't have any ooze out and glue my wing plate to my work table).  If any excess epoxy oozes out on the top as shown here, I take some scrap foam and spread it smooth ensuring any gaps between the two pieces of foam are filled.

Then another piece of wax paper goes on top of that seam and I weight it down with something so that the joint dries nice and flat.

In the next picture below the video, you can see that I have put the "insurance" tape on the bottom of the elevon hinge as I describe in this video at about the 7:50 mark.

Control horns mounted using epoxy.  

So lots of "fussy" work done now, it is just a matter of mating the larger parts of the plane together, finish constructing the fuselage, attach the "nacelles" and "under rudders".  

Still coming together, slow but sure😊

Happy New year for 2018 everyone🎉🎆

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott