Estes Tazz #7282 Build, Part 5, Fill & Hinges

The launch lug was glued on and fillets applied.
The body tube and glued in nose cone were shot with filler/primer and sanded to surface.

This is a BT-50 sized tube, I didn't have any D engine casings to fit on a painting wand dowel. I taped some cardboard around the 18mm engine casing already on the dowel wand.







This is the main wing after a spray of filler/primer.
On the right is after sanding. This kit had some good balsa, there was very little grain left to fill.

The spin tab flaps (part N) are held on with clear hinges.
I had already filled all the balsa so the hinges will stick better than if it were rough wood.

I didn't see a reason for hinges on both sides. A double hinge is similar to the way you attach flaps to RC plane wings.
I decided to use just the single L hinges on one side of each wing.
With the thickness of doubled tape hinges you wouldn't be able to butt the edges together.

Check the picture above, right. I drew a faint pencil line down the center of the L hinge. The line allows me to see the center fold as it is placed on the butt joint of the two wing pieces.

The wing pieces were taped down so I could concentrate on the hinge placement.
Again, lift and position the hinge with a blade to keep the (down) sticky side clean.
Set the center pencil line over the joint.
Note the hinge doesn't go all the way out to the sides, but a little short of the outside edges.

If you were to apply the hinges to bare unsealed balsa, you probably should use two hinges or one on each side. I filled and primered the fin and flaps so the sticky hinges will have a stronger hold.