Hinging for your RC Airplane — Pro Tips for doing it Right

Hinging for your RC Airplane — Pro Tips for doing it Right

Hinges are a very important part of any RC model. Without them, control surfaces can’t move and we would have no control over our model. In a nutshell, hinges connect the movable control surfaces to their matching fixed aircraft surfaces. They connect the ailerons and flaps to the wing panels, connect the rudder to the vertical stabilizer (fin), and connect the elevators to the horizontal stabilizers. Many of today’s ready-to-fly models come with the hinges already installed, but for most almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) models and all kit-build airplanes, you have to do this critical task yourself. Once you know the basics, installing hinges isn’t any more difficult than any other modeling task.

HINGE TYPES

h2Aside from the molded-in type used with most foamies, there are three basic hinge types: flat pinned hinges, round Robart Hinge Points, and CA-type cloth hinges. Regardless of the type, the most important part of their installation is keeping the hinges all properly aligned and centered on the edges of the control surfaces. Let’s take a look at what’s required for any of these hinge installations.

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