Acro Wot Advice.

[Jim Hughes 2]

Afternoon All!

 

I’m currently building an Acro Wot, it’s not my first, I had one way back in about 1988 - I absolutely loved it!

 

It’s the proper kit, not ARTF.

 

Covering advice? The instructions mention that it maybe beneficial to cover the Fuselage prior to fitting the vertical stabiliser and horizontal.  Now, I remember on my original I didn’t do this, and it left the model difficult to cover with these in place.

 

Now, there is a new supplement in the instructions saying that the vertical and horizontal must be glued firmly in place?!

 

I’m thinking, as long as I leave covering material away from from the surfaces to be glued together, and to the fuselage - there shouldn’t be an issue?

 

Any advice would be welcome.

 

Thanks Jim.

[Don Fry]

Cover the fus, inc the fin slot. When done, carefully centre slit the slot film, along its length. Cover fin, but not the area that goes into fusalage slot. Hold fusalage slot film away from slot, ( masking tape), and glue fin in place, upright. Then you can heat seal the fin/fus joint. 

[Keith Berriman]

The better way is to cover the fin, elevator and rear of fuselage first

Dry Fit the fin and elevator and lightly pencil round the finish after the line up measurements checked 

Now with sharp scalpel cut out the film inside the pencil marks so when rr fitted and glued in place with wood to wood 

Whoops to late

[Ron Gray]

Instead of a knife (which could cut too deep into the balsa) try using a soldering iron to cut the film. This has the advantages of both not cutting the balsa and sealing the edge of the film. Obviously draw the soldering iron tip down the inside of your marked lines.

[Ace]

As above but I use chinagraph pencils which easily wipe off + a light touch doesn't mark the underlying balsa.

+1 for the soldering iron.

[Jim Hughes 2]

Many thanks for all advice, much appreciated.

 

I know what a knowledgeable bunch you are!

 

This is my second incarnation as an aero modeller, the last being in the late eighties / early nineties - no internet then! You were just on your own to figure stuff out.

 

I’m probably going to have some more questions to ask going forward, but for another day.

 

Have a great BH weekend!

[Robin Colbourne]

Jim, the supplement maybe due to a fatal accident which involved an AcroWot.  The tail surfaces came adrift and the model crashed killing a thirteen year old girl, Tara Lipscombe. 

The model was found to have had the failed tail surface joint onto film-covered components.  Although the model concerned was an AcroWot, the failure could just as easily have happened to any model in which the same error had been made.

AcroWot fatal accident - April 2003

Edited August 29, 2023 by Robin Colbourne

[Andy Stephenson]

As a result of this accident, the BMFA suggested that there should be a reporting system for unexpected airframe failures. I never heard any more about it though.

[GrumpyGnome]

It's covered by the current reporting requirements.....? E.g. "the tail fell off my plane and it landed on a car" should get reported; "the tail fell off my plane and it landed in a field hundreds of yards from anything and anyone" shouldn't.

 

No?

[Andy Stephenson]

The original proposal was purely about airframe failures and if there was any statistical significance to a particular model, which they could admonish the manufacturer about.