>Hints and Tips
>
>Some more hints that I have found very useful ...
>
>Those fiddly closeouts:
>
>I found firstly with the tailplane tab close-outs and subsequently the aileron
>closeouts (which are even more difficult than the tab ones because they are
>deeper) that it was difficult to get a knife in to remove the foam in order to
>expose the skin prior to the close-out layups.
>
>A very useful tool which you can easily make up is to stick onto the end of a
>3/8 in. dowel a scalpel blade (a No.26 is the largest straight one I could
>find)
>obtained from a hobby shop or chemists in the U.K or a veterinarian in the U.S,
>(Note: In the latter case you will need proof of identity, a letter stating
>what
>you are going to use it for, and a third party witness!). Use 5 min. epoxy with
>a bit of flox added. Once set sand down the flox until you are almost though to
>the blade. The result is the ability to run a blade flush with the remaining
>closeout and hence minimum mess and hassle. The strip of foam will just come
>away once the more traditional utility knife has loosened up the peel ply/skin
>side.
>
>Tailplane Pip-pin Holes:
>
>This first appeared in The Europa Flyer magazine and might be now included in
>the basic instructions but it is worth repeating here in case it hasn't.
>
>Rather than having ugly exposed holes in the tailplanes into which the pip-pins
>are housed (together with any water that might ingress there) a 1 in. diameter
>hole should be cut in the tailplane skin centred where the pin-pins will go.
>Form a tapered hole right down to TP6 using a hot wire. Ensure the hole is wide
>enough to accommodate not only the pip-pin but also the 2 plies of bid which
>should be used to line the hole as per the manual.
>
>Cut a 20 mm long piece of 22 mm diameter plastic pipe (from the local D.I.Y
>store in the plumming section) and also a piece about 1-2 mm long. Cut a small
>section from the circumference of the small piece so that it fits inside the 20
>mm piece. Bond this in place flush with one end using 'solvent weld' to form a
>flange.
>Sand the flange end until a 3/4 inch blind rubber grommet (available from an
>electrical component shop or car/motorbike spares shop) will fit neatly in the
>flange.
>
>Remove the grommet and bond the assembly into the lined hole using flox so that
>the flanged end is flush with the top skin.
>
>The grommet will fit perfectly and after final painting of the tailplanes (not
>before) a smear of silicone grease will give a watertight seal. If you have
>large fingers a simple hooked tool can be used for removing the pip-pin.
>
>A really 'neat' idea!
>
>Any more hints and tips out there which could be shared on the Europa forum?
>
>Regards
>
>Martin J K Tuck
>Builder #152
>Wichita, Kansas
>U.S.A
>
Thanks Martin...the only thing that I have done so far is to check the bits
of the tailplane kit out of the box...so there's a while to go yet. Before
I read your posting I was thinking along similar lines, and being lazy
thought that I'd pose the following question to all the builders on the
list...
"Could you think of a 5 point list (more if you like) under the title of
Things I wish I'd known/done before before starting my Europa"
To be honest I'm trying to avoid any common mistakes, but it may also be
used as research material for a future FLYER (Not Europa Flyer) article.
Happy wetting out there
Ian
Ian Seager FLYER Magazine, The Little Theatre St Michaels Place, Bath BA1 1SF
Tel: 01225 481440 Fax: 01225 481262
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