Cozy

Chapter 11 - Elevator Construction



The Plan

In this chapter we will manufacture and mount the elevators on the canard. The elevators are the primary surfaces for climbing and diving or going up or down. To build the elevators , You hot wire foam cores, bond them to aluminum torque tubes, and glass over both surfaces. You will install hinge brackets, actuator arms and mass balance weights. We will also assemble the elevators onto the canard.

Would you believe I got so busy building I didn't take the first picture of this chapter build!? I will now go back and take some and up date this chapter later.

OK so now I've taken some pictures! And would you believe it is harder to tell you what I did now that it's done. But, in this shot you can see the composite structure of the elevator. The foam core was cut out, microed onto the torque tubes and fiberglassed. But you can't see all the work that went into the torque tubes. I purchased them already cut from Brocks. I inserted the NC-2s and riveted them in place. You are supposed to put some goop on the edges of the torque tube and NC-2 to prevent epoxy from leaking into the tube and hardening, preventing the pins from being installed. Guess how I know!!

After the elevators are made, you mount the offsets and center tube. It is very important, if you want to fly level, to make sure they are properly aligned.

Next we install the elevator with the hinges attached onto the canard. You carve out holes into the foam core and fill it with flox, then push the hinges down into the flox and let it cure. Alignment is again important.

Just because this is the elevator chapter doesn't mean we were done with the canard. Here we make and install the canard tips, I used a small curved bondo file to carve the foam, it worked great.

With the elevator hinge pins installed you micro in a tube through the canard tips.

Weights are put on the elevators to insure that they do not get flutter. Flutter during flight could ruin you day! There are also weights put on the offsets and the total should cause the elevators to be front heavy. Once the elevators are painted they should just about level out.

With the weights on the front of the elevators, you will need to make room for them in the canard. If you plan to get into icing conditions you also install a guard in front of the weights on the canard.

Next you rivet into place the NC-5a. This will allow the elevator trim or autopilot actuator to control the elevator.

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