Estes Space Shuttle Columbia Build #1385, Part 8, Cutting & Setting The Flap

The instructions have you glue the wing onto the tube before cutting the wing flap. I thought it would be easier to make this cut with the wing not glued on yet.

I would assume the single flap on the right side of the wing makes a slow stabilizing spin during boost. It reminds me of the spin tabs on the old Astron Space Plane.

You use a template to trace and cut the elevon flap.

The vertical cut was cut all the way through the balsa. 

I tried to make the horizontal cut not quite through the wood hoping to make a "hinge". When I tried to bend the half cut - the elevon flap broke through! No big deal. I'll just glue it as it was intended.

I used very little glue on this joint.

A little glue allows for repositioning. You can always add more glue after you get the right angle.

Check the angle with the supplied guide. 

After the angle was right - 

Small bits of glue were added to the bottom open joint and the angle checked again.

More glue was added to fill the gap.