Aileron / wing matching trick

["Andrew L. Judge" <AJudge1@compuserve.com>]

Someone worte "I am concerned that using the double straight edge method
will result in ailerons that might be higher/lower, longer, shorter than
the corresponding sections of the wing.  You use the foam method to make
sure the when you finally attach the hinges to the ailerons the ailerons
will be * exactly * where they should."

When you cut your ailerons from the wing or rudder and attach hinges, I
doubt that they will fit perfectly (mine didn't)  no matter how hard you
try because you are adding hinge anchors, glass, etc.  There is a trick to
this if you build your own wings, as I don't know how well Allen's match up
(his wings / ailreons might match perfectly.)  What I did was fair the wing
pretty well with one coat of primer for a guide coat, then I cut the
ailerons and rudders out.  I then attached the hinges and fit the ailerons
and rudders according to plans as best I could.  "Gapped" the edges evenly.
 I then covered the hinges with tape to protect from primer and sandpaper. 
I placed the ailreons and rudders back on the wing with clecos and made
sure they were flush with the pads.   I then tacked the suckers in with
microballon in just a few places (you could use bondo). Now, fair / fill
them to the wing.  I then sanded, primed, and filled for a long time (about
five or six coats of various primers were sanded away).  When I was ready
for my final coat of primer, I hack sawed out the controls and primed
everything.  Now they match perfectly.  I've even seen people cut the
ailerons first without any fairing and then fair them out (that was how I
learned this trick).  How well did that work?  The guy who showed me won a
Wright Brothers award.

Good luck,
Andy Judge
N55AJ  FGE  DMO 413
Shooting for Oshkosh '98