Topic: Aldij V tail

I got fed up with the tail coming lose on landings and how easy it was to move the incidence with a little knock
So as i always leave it on, I have epoxied the V tail solid

Good, bad, makes no difference?

which bit comes loose the incidence pegs or the surface come off the pegs?

Both or one or the other
just seemed like a good idea to just fix it all solid with some 30min epoxy
I'm sure i could free it again if for any reason i needed to

some times the ally sleeves in the fuse come lose some times the pins in the stabs come lose

Both or one or the other
just seemed like a good idea to just fix it all solid with some 30min epoxy
I'm sure i could free it again if for any reason i needed to

some times the ally sleeves in the fuse come lose some times the pins in the stabs come lose

you have to really 'key' the ally tubes. hack saw lines in them, sand, hack and generally rough up the bottom bit that gets glued. the same thing happened a couple of times on my Miraj.  As you've discovered epoxy doesn't grip the tubes very well without a good key. 

The tails themselves should be sellotaped on. I really hope your tubes never snap or bend, because if you've glued it sold you are snookered.

The tails themselves should be sellotaped on. I really hope your tubes never snap or bend, because if you've glued it sold you are snookered.

I have also glues the stabs to the fuse as well as the pins as i said, glued solid

also i think the stabs are so week they would break first anyway glued or not

Allen,

Not sure what the point is in asking after the event, if you want the advice.  As I said i've experienced the same thing.  A good key on the tubes does the job and sellotaping the stabs on is normal practice........

Tom

Allen,

Not sure what the point is in asking after the event, if you want the advice.  As I said i've experienced the same thing.  A good key on the tubes does the job and sellotaping the stabs on is normal practice........

Tom

well its more of a "have i made a big mistake" question than a "should i do it" kinda question  :laugh:

yes

yes

I have made a big mistake?

Well there's certainly scope for problems in the future........

Well the pegs are not glued in the fuse its only glued at the saddle, so i should be OK, as i can cut through that with a blade should i need to

The most important thing i did was to hollow enough foam from the stabs so the epoxy inside would touch the inside skin, as before the pegs were only glued to the foam and hence coming lose alot

you want to glue the pegs inside the fuse with epoxy/microballoons. obviously leaving enough space for the pushrods.  The tubes should go into the fuse enough to get a decent bond.

maybe you'd better take a picture........

The peg sleeves are glued in the fuse to the point where there is only enough room for the push rods
but the pegs them selves are still lose in the sleeves and the stabs are only glues to the fues at the saddle point

I bought a second hand MiraJ. The tail halves had a ball link balls soldered onto the incidence pin. This snap clicked tight when the balls were pushed into tight fit holes in the fuselage. Very neat and impressive.

I started to get some terrible glitches, this had me foolled for ages until one day it happened close up and in front of me and I saw daylight between fuselage and tailplane. One was coming loose in flight! Conveniently it snapped back into position on landing as the grass pushed the LE of the tailplane gently. You couldn't pull it out easily unless you pushed the LE of the surface back gently, which was happening in flight.

Re-engineered it with sticky tape! No problems since.