TIPS & TRICKS

Model Airplane News, Nov 2004 by Nunno, Carmelo, Kazakavage, Joe, Iversen, E W, Nance, Harold

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floppy reinforcement

A lot of planes still use rubber bands to hold the wing in place. To make sure that the wing stays put, the rubber bands must be tight, but this can crush the wing's trailing edge. Before you throw away old 3 �-inch floppy discs, remove the plastic or thin-metal slide. It makes an excellent trailing-edge protector and weighs almost nothing. Use it as is, or trim it to suit your needs.

Carmelo Nunno, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

make mine a double

Modelers really take to heart the phrase, "Necessity is the mother of invention," and they are always on the lookout for unusual objects that can serve as tools. For example, at one time or another, we've all needed something round of a specific diameter to wrap sandpaper around to help us shape that perfectly round hole. Have you ever noticed that a shot glass is tapered and perfectly round? Wrap a length of sandpaper around it, and you'll have a tool that can smooth the edges of holes of various sizes. It works great on small cowls (like those found on park-flyer-type models). Use a larger, tapered glass for the bigger holes.

Joe Kazakavage, Sebastian, FL

simple third hand

Sometimes it can be difficult to install the radio's on/off switch in the confines of a fuselage that has too little space. To hold the switch in place while you work on it, here's a simple and effective "third hand." After you've used the switchplate to drill the mounting holes and slide-switch opening, place the switch in the fuselage and insert a round toothpick through the plate and into the switch. The toothpick will hold the switch in place so you can thread and tighten the other screw.

EW. Iversen, Bowling Green, KY

no sparks here

Before each flying session, it's important to check your receiver and transmitters to see whether they're up to par. Many modelers use an expanded-scale voltmeter to check them, but if you allow the leads to accidentally touch each other, you could short out the batteries. To prevent this, shorten one of the meter's leads; this will make it very difficult (if not impossible) for the leads to touch each other.

Harold Nance, Lesage, WV