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Fighting Flutter — Proper Hinging Can Save Your Plane!

GSNadmin

Staff member
We’ve all seen and heard it, the sound of control surface flutter. Flutter can be very destructive , and this problem all boils down to using suitable building techniques. It is absolutely mandatory that the hinges on an aircraft be installed properly. If hinges are not installed correctly, they can bind with one another, making it difficult for the servo to move the control surface. In turn, the servo may not be able to center the control surface consistently in flight. The pilot will feel like the airplane isn’t locked in and requires constant trim changes. If hinges are installed with a fairly large gap between the surfaces, flutter can develop, which can quickly damage the airframe.

Correct Hinges

While a few different types of hinges are available for different size airplanes, the most common hinges used on giant-scale planes are either Robart Hinge Points or Du-Bro hinges. Both are proven and well engineered. Robart has a 3/16-inch Super Hinge Point hinge, which is perfect for giant-scale wings and tail sections featuring an airfoil. Hinge Points have round shaft components with molded barbs joined at the center with a metal pin. Once inserted and glued into the surfaces, Hinge Points are very secure and difficult to remove. For giant-scale planes, Robart Hinge Points are the easiest to install, especially with control surfaces that have beveled leading edges. Using a Robart drill jig, it is painless to drill the hinge installation holes.



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