As a contribution to answering Tony Renshaw's questions.
I, too am a first time builder, but do not remember too much trouble with the
quick connect bolts. I've just looked at mine and the port bolt in indeed a bit
more recessed than the starboard, but by not very much - 3-5mm.
With regard to the amount of drilling/recessing required for the bolt heads,
when I did mine I took comfort from the fact that the recessing is only 13mm
away from the 'neutral axis' of the beam (read 'spar') and so should not make
much difference to the strength.
With regard to the rudder fit, it was I who adjusted the bottom of the fuselage
and I still think that it makes little difference whether the rudder is
lengthened or the fuselage altered.
Although.......by the time I had spotted that the rudder didn't fit very nicely
I had already built in the hinge reinforcing plies and had a number of holes
drilled to temporarily fix the rudder to the fuselage.
Also, something I had forgotted at the time of my previous reply to the query
about rudder lengths. I was also experiencing a tapering gap between the port
side of the fuselage and the rudder, at worst being 10mm wide towards the bottom
which I was also looking to erase somehow.
So, all in all, adjusting the fuselage seemed the easier option, especially as
I
was going to have to cut at least one slot in the bottom to draw in the port
side to close up the gap.
One word of caution to anyone with a similar problem - side gap, that is. Before
deciding on the course of action you must decide whether it is the port or
starboard side that is in error. To ensure that you end up with a vertical
rudder when the 'plane is level you don't want to just cut a slot in the bottom
of the fuselage and pull the two bits together.
First determine which way the rudder wants to go to achieve/maintain the
vertical and use the radius of the fuselage bottom to assist in achieving this
('cos it's very stiff). Also, of course, a straight line down the starboard side
for the hinges is required too.
Once you start on this sort of thing you find it's a veritable minefield!
Happy days,
Peter.
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