Elan construction

[Terry Terrenoire]

It is only critical that you do the stab first if you want to ensure that
the fin is also properly aligned with the other 2 flying surfaces.

ALWAYS mount the stab first by setting the fin up to perfect vertical. A
good way to do this is to tape the tail post in place. Now suspend a
weight from the top of the fin and adjust the fuze until the string runs
down the center line of the tail post. This will ensure that the fin is
straight. Now install the stab so that it is at right angles to the fin.
Be careful because you have 3 dimentions in which to screw this up. Both
tips should be equal distance from some center point at the nose of the
fuze, and there should be no "incidence" built in.

Once this is done, then you proceed to the wing and make sure it is
perfectly aligned with the stab, which will also put it in line with the
fin!!

If you would like to see this proceedure being done, order one of Bob
Noll's tapes. 
The first tape was on "perfect alignment". He takes you thru each step
and even shows you how to make a set of tools that will help with the
whole process. I have used the tools and sequence on my last dozen or so
planes.

Terry T.

On Wed, 8 Sep 2004 20:32:57 -0500 "Jerry Wilson"
<JWilsonJr at houston.rr.com> writes:
> 
> I'm about ready to fix the  wing and horizontal stabilizer to the 
> fuse.  The
> wing is one piece and so is the stabilizer.
> 
> Question is which is installed first?
> 
> Do I install stabilizer first and align to a point on the nose?  
> Then
> install the wing and align to the stabilizer
> Or install the wing and align with the fin.  Then install the hor. 
> stab and
> align with the wing?
> 
> Or does it matter?
> 
> TIA,
> Jerry
> 
> 
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