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Jack Hyde
8 Posts |
 Posted - 12/04/2003 : 8:09:01 PM
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I recently decided to try increasing the bend angle of the joiner rods to get more dihedral. The objective was to decrease the tendency of my plane (Aegea 130"/Luckenbach fuse/Phil's Drela foil tail)to roll into a turn. So I ordered some 0.5" dia 6061 Al tubing, made a fixture, cut 2 pieces and bent them to 10 deg. Then I remembered that the ID of the tube in the wing is slightly less than 0.500". I spent a couple of hours filing and sanding one of the new rods and it is about 90% done. I still have one to go. It is painfully tedious.
Does anyone have a good way to take .001-.002" off a bent tube? |
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Phil Barnes
100 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2003 : 10:29:45 PM
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The joiners that I supply with the Mantis/Aegea wings are 2024 aluminum, .500" dia and .065" wall thickness from Aircraft Spruce and specialty. They do indeed need some "work" to fit the carbon tubes. I have not actually done this myself yet but would try the following: Hold one end of the joiner in a vice. Use a strip of wet or dry paper or emory cloth about 3" wide and 11" long. Draw the strip of paper over the joiner and wet sand the joiner, Change the position of the joiner in the vice now and then to get it from different sides.
I would expect the above to work. I would welcome input from those of you who have done the job already.
Part of the reason that the joiners don't fit without sanding is that the carbon tubes are not exactly constant .500" inside diameter but have a slight taper. This is done so that they can be released from the mandrels that they are laid up on.
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flyeslhost
158 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2003 : 1:37:43 PM
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Fritz developed a nice little method for sanding the joiner. If you have a drill press insert the wing joiner in it, as drill bit. Use part of a belt sander to reduce the side, by cutting a strip, hold with both hands and strap around joiner. Start press drill at a low speed and make sure you maintain a uniform pressure and slide the sand belt vertically to cover the area that will be inserted into the carbon tube. There will be vibration since the joiner is bent, but you get use to it.
Make sure you always remove and check for correct fitting, and do it in small step.
Jose
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Anker
83 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2003 : 4:09:09 PM
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I have found that it is just as easy to put the rod in a vice with plywood between the rod and the vice, and then use a strip of sandpaper as wide as half of the rod and then sand back and forth by moving the ends of the strip. Turn the rod 1/4 of a turn avery few moments and don't do it too long before you test the fit. It takes about 15 minutes to fit a wing rod this way.
Anker |
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jon stone
12 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2003 : 7:28:52 PM
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In case you get really tired of sanding...
I once had some spar rods with .500" ID carbon tubes. I special ordered a joiner rod from Don Richmond at www.hilaunch.com.
Don told me that the OD of the rod needed to be .497" It was a perfect fit. |
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fitting wing rods
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