This may sound a little off but I have found the best way to cover canopy scratches is to spray em with clear. Works like a charm every time and only take a few minutes.

The above drawing does not need any explanation I think. The Futaba and JR servos are interchangeble, and so are most others like Hobbico, HiTec, etc. All it needs is the connector modified a bit and the wires matched on the correct connector pin (e.i. signal/positive/negative) to fit the jack on the receiver. 

To increase control Throw:

    Move the linkage closer to the controlled suface   or  Move the linkage further out on the servo horn.

To Decrease control Throw:

   Move the linkage away from the controlled suface  or  Move the linkage further in on the servo horn.

Washout, the downward twist in wingtips that improves low-speed flight, is sometimes used in airplanes with flat-bottom wings. A good way to make sure each wingtip has the same amount of washout (or any at all) is to get two straight wood dowels or carbon rods. Tape each to the bottom of the wing near the tips. Set the wing on something so you can see both rods, and sight down the wing so you can see see each rod in relation to the other. The rods magnify any angle that might be present in the wing. Correct the wing twist until you have the angle you want. This doesn't work too well with wings that are rounded on the bottom, but is an excellent way of making sure flat-bottom wings are true. 

1. Wax Paper: Take a sheet of wax paper, and mix your epoxy on half of the sheet. Then when done, fold the wax paper in half, trapping the epoxy residue inside. This way you can fold in up with no mess and throw it away, and it won't stick to the inside of the trash can.

2. Foam: When epoxying to styrofoam, such as attaching leading or trailing edges to a foam-core wing, once the parts are coated well with epoxy and put together, wiggle them around some to work the epoxy into the pores of the foam. Then let it dry normally. This results in a stronger bond.

3. Bed-Buddy: Ever been caught with cold epoxy? It's much more workable and mixes better when its just above room temperature (about 80-85 F). I use a "Bed-Buddy" to warm it and keep it warm. A Bed-Buddy is like a long sock with some kind of granular chemical in it that stays warm for hours after you microwave it for two minutes. They're designed to keep your feet warm at night, and you can wrap it around your epoxy bottles too between each use. You can also put the epoxy bottles directly in the microwave oven for a short time, but be careful doing it.

4. Inverter: When your epoxy bottles start getting low, it can take a while to get it out, especially when cold. Build a simple wooden "inverter" to hold both bottles upside down, and keep them in it between each use. This way your epoxy will always be ready for use. 

Get a small block of styrofoam and stick your hobby knife in it. This way the blade won't be exposed, and you won't cut your hand if you reach into a drawer or box for it. Always keep new blades in their original container, and throw away used blades into a closed can with a slot cut in the top, don't just throw them into the trash can by themselves. 

Most propellers have very sharp edges when new, especially at the trailing edge, which can cut your fingers. Always sand the edges smooth with fine sandpaper as soon as you buy them. Be extra careful when turning over someone else's motors by hand, because they might not have sanded the edges of their props. 

If you need an extra-long screw or bolt for something, such as a wing tank or mid-mounted wing, make one by cutting the correct size threaded rod you need, then solder a wheel collar on one end. Next, using a cut-off wheel, cut a slot in the wheel collar for a screwdriver. 

Ever have wheel collars not hold on axles? Or maybe that nosegear keeps twisting because the steering arm won't tighten? Try grinding or filing a flat spot on the wire where the setscrew will go. This provides a better surface for the screw to tighten against. Better yet, grind a flat spot with a small diameter (worn out) cut-off wheel. The small diameter causes the flat spot to actually be concave, which helps the setscrew grip even more. 

Something to pay attention to when learning to fly is control reversal. Control reversal is when the inputs on the transmitter sticks must be reversed when your plane is flying toward you, rather than away from you.

When flying away from you, there is no problem, just move the stick in the direction you want to turn.

Many new pilots become disoriented when their plane is approaching them. To help with this, move the stick in towards the low wingtip. This will level the wing when your plane is coming toward you, avoiding a sharp bank, and possibly a crash.

Example: Say your plane is coming toward you, and the right wingtip is low, as if banked to the right. Move the stick to your left, toward the low wingtip. This will bring the plane's right wingtip up, and level the wing.

Knowing the density or weight of balsa pieces can be important. It's especially useful when making ailerons or wingtips, because you want the pieces to be "matched", which will result in a better balanced and better flying airplane. To do this, choose balsa that is similar in weight by weighing them on a gram scale. If you don't have a gram scale, use the deflection method: Take the balsa pieces, and using heavy weights or sandbags, hold down a few inches of one end of each balsa piece onto the edge of a table. Make sure that equal amounts of each piece of balsa overhang the edge. Place a smaller weight onto the other end of each piece, and measure how far each one bends from the floor. The one that bends the most generally is the lighter piece. Using this method, you can choose balsa that is similar in density. Keep in mind that if you build from kits, you don't have to use the supplied wood if you don't like it! 

After using a bottle of CA adhesive for a plane or two, the tip usually gets cured glue all over it. Remove the tip from the bottle and soak it in a closed jar of acetone. Nail polish remover also works, as long as it's the kind that contains acetone. After about an hour, the cured CA will gel, and is easily peeled off the tip. 

If you use a neck strap on your transmitter, beware of getting it caught in a rotating propeller! Some people leave the strap around their neck and detach the transmitter while starting engines. This is a perfect way for it to get caught in the prop, especially if you start your planes on the ground rather than a stand or table. Also, having the transmitter nearby while starting an engine is potentially a hazard. When you pick up the transmitter make sure the strap doesn't swing into the prop. 

3-blade propellers are useful when you have a scale plane that's modeled after a plane that uses them. However, since the engine has more mass to turn, the maximum RPM is lower. The general rule is to use a 3-bladed prop one inch smaller in diameter than the 2-blade you would normally use. This will allow close to the same maximum RPM as you would have with a 2-bladed prop. You may also increase the pitch by one inch, but experiment and see what works best with your engine and plane. 

Goldberg Ultracote film covering has a paper backing that you can print on. Cut a 8.5 X 11 inch sheet, put it in an inkjet printer, and print your design on the paper backing (don't use a laser printer or anything that uses heat - it'll destroy your covering). This works well for large lettering. Make sure your image is reversed, so that when it's printed on the backing you can cut it out and it'll be correct when ironed on your plane. If you want to use a piece of covering that's smaller, print the design onto paper first. Then carefully tape the Ultracote to the paper over the design. Then run the whole thing through your printer, and the design should print in the same place. 

After sweeping up broken glass off your shop floor, it's difficult to pick up tiny fragments. Try making a loop of duct tape, adhesive side out. Place the loop over your hand, and pat the fragments carefully so they stick to the tape. Then just throw the tape loop in the trash. 

Here's a way to attach a receiver antenna to the back of your plane after it exits the fuselage. Take a short length of fuel tubing and make two cuts into it, dividing it into thirds, but make the cuts go through the tubing only halfway. Then pin the tubing to the top of the plane's fin. Thread the antenna through the tubing, lacing it through the cuts. This will keep the antenna somewhat taught and out of the way of control surfaces.

Sometimes there's a need to convert cubic inches to cubic centimeters (cc) or vice-versa where engine displacement is concerned. One cubic inch is equivelent to 16.39 cubic centimeters. So to convert from in3 to cc's, just multiply the in3 by 16.39 to get cc's. To convert cc's to in3, divide the cc's by 16.39 to get in3. And remember, a 7.5cc engine is the same as a .46 (pretty close).

Have you ever had a dent in a balsa leading edge? Try fixing it with water! Get a small diabetic syringe and put water in it. Inject a little water into the balsa into and around the dent in the leading edge. Heat the area with your covering iron. When the water starts boiling, it will build pressure and push the balsa out to its original shape. (Courtesy Victor A.)

Have you ever wanted to add more film covering (Monokote, Ultracote)to a plane you've already flown? It's difficult to get all the oil exhaust off the plane so the film will stick. Try using Cyanoacrylate (CA or superglue) kicker (catalyst). Just spray it on and wipe it off. I've been told it's a very good degreaser. (Courtesy Vince R.)

Sometimes firewalls and engine areas of older planes get soaked with oil from the fuel. This weakens glue joints to the point where a plane could fall apart in midair. Try using Cyanoacrylate (CA or superglue) kicker (catalyst). Just spray it on and wipe it off. I've been told it pulls the oil right out of the wood. Several treatments may be necessary. This also works if a fuel tank develops a leak and the fuselage gets soaked with fuel. (Courtesy Jevan F.)

Here's a good way to balance airplanes. While building your plane, insert a half-inch square piece of plywood where the balance point should be. For a low wing, this should be on the bottom of the wing, and for a high wing this would be on top of the wing (Note: sometimes something will be in the way, like a canopy, and you can't use this technique). When the plane is finished, put a small hook into the plywood and suspend the plane with wire or string. This way you can check the fore-aft balance AND the lateral balance at the same time (Note: a low wing will be suspended inverted).

If you use nylon wing bolts on your plane that take a slot screwdriver, and you forget your screwdriver, try using a quarter. A quarter is actually easier to use than a screwdriver, since it won't slip off the bolt and damage your wing. What if you forget your quarter too? Usually you can get a quarter from loose change in your pocket, or your car.

OK so you tried a patch with rounded corners ( see above ), but for some reason the covering will not go on just right. It doesn't seem to want to stick, and you scrubbed it way to many time with acetone, now what? Go to your bottle of trim solvent, and "clean" the area of Monocote that will be ironed to with the solvent. Leave it a little wet. Now put on your patch, and hit it with an iron set on low. Then go over the seams with the old trusty trim iron. I have had limited success with this stuff for trim that had sharp edges ( i.e. stars, sunbursts & stuff ), as it started to peel after a while even when applied to virgin Monocote.

Glue a small block of Styrofoam on your shelf or wall and stick a few of your new knife blades in it. It keeps them handy and makes them easier to pick up and put in your handle. Of course you still have to pick them up to put them in the Styrofoam.. . a small magnet works nicely for this and can also be used to pick up pins and small screws …

Quick! What size in mAh is the receiver battery in that plane you built 2 years ago? How old is it? How many cells? Don't know???? What I do is type out this information like this….

I reduce it on a copier or print it out real small. Then I cut this information out and glue it inside the airplane where I can see it with the wing off. Don't forget to make one for your transmitters too. The battery pack number is used in a log I keep to track information from the battery analyzer. By tracking analyzer information you can spot a battery going bad.

Ever been at the field and had a less then perfect landing in the high weeds that puts a small hole in your covering? Me either, but in case it ever happens, you might have to patch it. Usually this is done in the field with a piece of adhesive trim strip, unfortunately this stuff is very hard to remove at home when you try to fix the hole more permanently. Buy a roll of clear contact paper, cut it into small squares and use this to do your patching. It matches any color you put it on, holds well (if you get all the oil off first) and comes off easy when you want it to. Note: when you cut any kind of covering to use as a patch always cut so it has rounded corners or is a circle you will be amazed at how much better it stays on. 

Clear contact paper is great to protect AMA required address labels, membership cards etc. too. It also has many non-airplane uses. It is the only thing I have ever found that will cover labels and stick to vinyl loose leaf note books in a hot car without turning to goo.

If you can find a kitchen spice rack at the flea market get one to put your CA & epoxy glue bottles on. The kind made for small bottles works very well. The empty bottles can be used to keep small hardware items in also.

Get a candle for your work bench. Not much good for light, but if you rub screws on it before you screw them in they will go in much easier. Works well on plastic wing bolts and threaded rod that has to be screwed into the ends of Sullivan gold-N-rods. Soap works well also.

Next time you empty a CA glue bottle don't throw it away. Refill it with carpenter's glue, you may have to cutoff the nozzle more to make a bigger hole for the thicker glue. In any case keep the top in case you ruin the top of your next bottle. Take used CA bottles and tops and put them in a old Jam jar filled with acetone in a few days it removes all the old glue and makes them like new again.

If you use extension nozzles on your glue bottles put a small pin in the end when you are done using it to keep it from clogging up. Use a push pin the kind that are used on bulletin boards. They have a large plastic end that make them easy to remove from the bottle, they also work on bottles with out extension tips.

Finding your hobby knife on a cluttered workbench can be a frustrating and possibly painful experience. So give your knife a good home, get a cardboard tube from a roll of covering and cut it (if you can find your knife) about one inch shorter then the length of your knife make an end for the tube out of lite ply or other wood and seal up one end with it or fold over the end of the tube and staple. Now CA the tube to a convenient place like the end of your work bench or under a shelf . You will wonder how you got along without it providing you remember to put the knife back where it belongs.

Use a discarded 35mm film case (the plastic can the film comes packed in) to hold you glow plug igniter on your field box. Drill two small holes through the walls of the container about an inch apart then use two small screws with washers to mount the container open side up on the side of you flight box. If you have a very long tip on your starter you may have to cut a hole in the bottom of the container to allow it to stick through.

{works great tried it myself . One tip I can offer is to make sure it is not on the side you carry the box on or you will hit it with your leg.}

Automobile windshield washer antifreeze cleaner works very well as a spray on cleaner for taking oil off airplanes.

{I use this myself it's cheep at 99 cents a gallon and if you put a small drop of dish soap in the spray bottle it will work even better.}

Flight boxes can be customized in lots of different ways. If you drill small holes around the fuel bottle hold down bracket you can store long screwdrivers and hex wrenches. Two eye bolts can be used to hold your 4 way wrench. Velcro can be used to hold any number of things to and in the box 

{If you use a piece of Velcro on the back of the drawer and on the back wall of the hole the drawer fits into it will keep your drawer from sliding out. A bolt and wing nut can hold spare props on the side of your box. If your box keeps getting heavier and heavier, try to find a smaller fuel bottle. It is unlikely that you will ever use a gallon of fuel on one trip to the field, a quart is plenty. Fuel is light and air sensitive also so the less you carry around with you the better.}

Cleaning fuel soaked balsa. K-2R will remove fuel from balsa wood very nicely . Just spray the K-2R directly onto area that you want to clean and the power will extract any fuel and oil from the wood. The power is then easily cleaned up with a damp rag. The K-2R will however leave the wood with a white finish. - Jim Dooley

{I think K-2R is used to take stains out of clothing and should be available where ever laundry cleaning supplies are sold. Have not tried this one, but will have to keep it in mind.}

Tired of CA tips always plugging up? Just pick up a few extra extension tips and when they get plugged up, just drop them in a jar with some acetone. Pull another one out of the acetone and keep working. Tips will last forever this way and you never have to mess with a plugged tip again.

{This is a great idea, acetone can be some nasty stuff however, read the directions on the can it comes in and keep it away from fire and painted surfaces. Acetone can also be used to removed CA from Monokote with out damaging the Monokote .}

If you saw one of your fellow flyers dumping a half gallon of fuel on the ground in the pits you might think it was environmentally unsound and just plain stupid with the cost of fuel nowadays. The truth is you have probably done this yourself over the last year. Every time you fuel your plane you loose about 1/2 ounce of fuel on the ground, maybe more if you are slow at the pump switch.

One half ounce does not seem like very much, but if you fly 3 times a week for six months you could easily dump over a half gallon on the ground. This could cost you up to six dollars and that is just you. With twenty members doing the same thing that's comes to 10 gallons. That is a lot of fuel, no wonder the grass in the pits is dead. 

There is an easy way to save yourself some money and maybe help keep the pollution down a little. Best of all it will only cost about a dollar or maybe nothing at all.

All you need is an empty 10oz plastic bottle that is clear and a pressure fitting from a muffler. 

Simply drill a hole for the fitting near one edge of the cap and another 1/16 inch hole on the other side of the cap for a vent. 

Screw the fitting into the cap and use a small nut to hold it on. Clean the bottle well and make sure none of the plastic shavings from the drill is in the bottle.

To use the bottle remove the pressure hose from your muffler as usual. Then attach it to the fitting on the bottle. Fill you tank until you see fuel entering the bottle. Stop the pump and replace the hose on your muffler.

The bottle will hold more then enough to last all day without out emptying. When you are done flying remove the fuel from your plane as usual and then simply attach the pump hose to the bottle, tip the top of the bottle down with the vent hole up and pump the recovered fuel back into your fuel bottle as if you were draining the fuel tank in your plane.

Most any clear fuel proof plastic or glass bottle with a tight cap will work fine, however a plastic one will not break and is light enough that if it falls over during fueling it will not pull the hose off.

If your pressure hose to the muffler is too short to reach the bottle you can use a short piece of hose and a length of brass tubing left over from the last fuel tank you put together to make an extension.

The only down side is that it is one more thing to drag to the field, but the bottle weighs next to nothing so it is not a big problem. You might want to attach a clip or loop of string to the bottle so it can hang off your flight box.

For safety mark the bottle with a poison and flammable label. A child might mistake it for a soft drink so keep it out of a child's reach. 

I use plastic bolts to hold my landing gear on. Although extremely unlikely, if I should land a little hard, the bolts will break off and keep the gear from ripping the bottom out of the airplane. The hard part comes when you try to take the broken off bolts out the airplane. What I do is take a Xacto knife and cut a slit across the end of the bolt then I take a very small flat screwdriver no wider then the bolt and remove the screw. If the bolt is too tight you may only be able to remove the bolt a short way before your slot strips out. You can then try to cut another slot or try to remove it with a pair of needle nose plies. If you rub a little wax or soap on the new screws they will be a lot easier to remove should this unlikely event ever happen again. 

Another method I have tried with little success, but might work in some cases is to heat an old screw driver and then stick it into the plastic screw end until it melts into the screw. Let it cool until the plastic hardens then remove the screw. Sounds good, but most of the time it will not work right.

To keep the screws from breaking on marginal landings try putting a thin (1/16") piece of rubber between the gear and the airplane. This will take up some of the shock and if the bolts break they tend to stick out a little from the hole. 

You can make an excellent transmitter stand to hold your transmitter in an upright position when it is on the ground.The stand will work like a tripod. All you need is some 5/8"OD plastic water pipe, a 5/8" pipe cap and a few tools. A ten foot piece of pipe should be enough to make stands for everyone you know. The stands work very well on my Vanguard and a friends Quasar Airtronics transmitters and should work with any transmitter providing that the handle is round and sticks out from the back of the transmitter case. If the handle is even with the back of the case the stand will not fold up flush with the back .

Measure from the transmitter handle to the bottom of the transmitter then cut a length of pipe one half inch longer then this measurement. Cut one end of the pipe square and the other end at a 45 degree angle to make a point that will keep the transmitter from slipping on smooth surfaces.

Measure the diameter of the metal handle that is attached to the top of the transmitter. Find a drill that is only a little smaller then the diameter of the handle. One half inch from the square cut end of the pipe drill a hole through the center of the pipe. Looking through the hole the point at the bottom of the pipe should be to the right or left of the hole. Now take a small toothed saw and making two cuts, cut a slot from the end of the pipe to the hole. This slot should be a little wider then the hole at the top and a little smaller then the hole at the bottom (hole end). When done it should look like a key hole. 

Holding the pipe with the point side of the pipe next to the transmitter snap it onto the handle. It should fit tight enough so it will not turn by itself on the handle. It will still work if loose, but is annoying when holding the transmitter.

To finish the job buy a plastic pipe cap and slip it over the handle end of the pipe. It should fit tight enough that there should be no need to use glue. If you did not leave enough room between the end of the pipe and the handle you might need to file small rounded cuts in the end of the cap so it fits down all the way.The cap will also tighten the fit of the stand.

Take the discarded paper roll from a roll of plastic covering cut it into different lengths and then tape them together with duct tape including the bottoms. Now tape the assembly to the side of your parts cabinet or wall. Use this to store all the push rods metal tubing and other short lengths of metal rods. They can also be used to store tools.

If your epoxy gets thick and you are unable to get it out of the plastic bottle try heating it in a microwave for a few seconds. This will not harm the epoxy BUT the epoxy is too old to use for critical uses like hinges. Out of a magazine.

My hobby store gives me long plastic bags when I buy plastic covering or balsa strips. I find they are great for storing building plans, leftover rolled plastic covering and extra wood strips. 
 

Next time you are using brightly colored self adhesive trim strips put a band around the handle of your hobby knife. It will make it easier to find and you are more likely to pickup the dull end. If you put a small piece of wood about the size of a tooth pick under the trim strip, it will keep the knife from rolling off the table and stabbing you in the foot.