Mount a Model Aircraft Wing to a Fuselage Part I

Mounting the wing is one of the most critical steps in building the model. Depending on the methods used, it can be tedious, but a methodical approach with an experienced helper will make it much easier. Failure to get this right will result in a model that will not fly straight or trim properly. Your goal is to mount the wing absolutely square to the fuselage centreline in all respects. Additionally, the incidence must be correct. The wing should be cantered (both tips equal distance from the fuselage) and perpendicular to the fuselage centreline. The tips should be equal height above the building board as well. Not counting incidence settings, any adjustment made affects the others. Therefore, squaring the wing is a matter of "dialling in" more than anything else. Obviously the fuselage must be constructed before the wing can be mounted to it, but if you can leave the forward area of the fuselage open as I have done here, this task is simplified and more accurate.

Before the wing can be mounted it must to be shaped as closely as possible to its finished shape. A razor plane is used to rough-in the leading edge. A long standing block finishes the job. Do not make the mistake of giving the leading edge any shape that pleases you. The leading edge shape should closely match the plan. In the worst case a poorly shaped leading edge can lead to devastating stall characteristics. It is best to cut out a cardstock template to place over the leading edge as you shape it.

This shape very closely matches that of the airfoil as designed. Notice that the sheeting and leading edge are still over-length. The excess must be trimmed and sanded off before proceeding.

Most plans indicate that the wing tips should be glued on prior to mounting the wing. In theory that is a good idea, but I like to mount the wing before the tips are in place. The shape of the tips is usually open to interpretation and one tip may or may not exactly match the other. If the rear, outboard corner of the tip is rounded then there is no set point to measure from. Therefore I measure to the last rib. Wing tips that vary slightly in shape will not affect flight or trim characteristics noticeably.

The fuselage must be set on a flat surface large enough so the wing does not over-hang any edge. Use weights or pin the fuselage to your building board. The important thing is to ensure that the fuselage cannot move.

Centre the wing on the fuselage. I usually measure each wing tip from the opposite fuselage side because it provides a convenient point to hold the tape measure. You should be able to get all matching distances within 1/16" without difficulty.

The measurement to the left wing tip.

The measurement to the right wing tip. Both tips are very slightly under 24-1/2" from the opposite fuselage side.

Next, measure from the center of the tail-post to each wing tip. If the distance is not the same to each wing tip, then you will have to adjust it and then go back and re-center the wing. To clarify any time you move the wing you must check all measurements again. It can get tedious, but if you built accurately in the first place then it shouldn't take more than two or three times to get the wing square.

The measurement to the right wing tip. The measurement to the left wing tip. Both measurements are 34-5/8".

Lock the wing in place on the fuselage when you are satisfied that the wing is square to it. You can use pins, weight, clamps or anything that will prevent it from moving. Use a soft pencil or fine-point marker to make alignment marks on the wing and fuselage. You should make a minimum of three marks. At this point you should check the wing incidence. If it is correct then you can move along to the next step. If not then make adjustments to the wing saddle until the incidence is correct. Do not continue until you have done this because it is easiest to adjust before the leading edge dowels are in place.

Check the height of each wing tip. Make adjustments to the wing saddle as necessary. Sand the high saddle or shim the low saddle depending on whether the wing needs to be raised or lowered. With each adjustment you should also check the incidence again. Because you have to remove the wing, you will need to go back to the beginning and re-measure everything. The alignment marks you made should position the wing very close when it is replaced, but check anyway. Do not drill for wing dowels or hold-down bolts until you are absolutely satisfied the wing is mounted as straight as it can be. If you do not take your time with this step your plane will never trim properly.

With the wing held firmly in place, use the holes in the former as a guide and hand turn the hole-cutter into the leading edge of the wing. Cut one hole and then put in the first dowel to ensure the wing stays in place while cutting the second hole. I have never trusted a dowel glued only into the balsa leading edge to be strong enough. That is why I used plywood shear webs in the centre section. The dowels go through the leading edge and into the shear webs.

Put the dowels in place to ensure the wing will remain in alignment while drilling for the nylon bolts at the trailing edge. Do not glue the dowels in place until the aircraft has been finished. It is much easier to sand, cover and paint the model without the dowels in place. A 1/16" plywood plate is used to spread the force of the tightened wing bolts and prevent the wing bolts from crushing the balsa wing. The holes are spaced so that they will go into the centre of the wing bolt blocks in the fuselage. You can either inset the plywood into the trailing edge as I will do here, or cover it separately and glue it on later. If you choose to go that route, then remove covering from the wing in the area where the plate will go. Cover the visible side of the plate and over-lap the covering to the bottom about 1/8" all the way around. Epoxy the plate in place.

Use the plate as a drill placement guide. The holes in this plate are 3/16". A #7 bit is actually the correct bit to use when tapping for 1/4" x 20 threads. I am not sure there is a difference in these bits, but 3/16" is close enough. The holes should be drilled so that the bolts are perpendicular to the outside of the wing. This allows the bolt heads to seat properly against the plywood plate. Drill through the wing and through the blocks in the fuselage.

The holes in the wing bolt blocks ready to be tapped. The holes are well centered due to care taken when drilling the plywood plate before gluing it to the wing. Careful alignment of the plate when gluing it to the wing ensures the bolt holes will end up in the right place.

I run the tap in and out of the holes several times to ensure the thread is cleanly cut. After I test-mount the wing I use liberal amounts of thin CA to harden and oil-proof the holes. Let the CA set up for a couple hours and then tap the holes again. I might repeat this step two or three times to get the threads really hard. When soaking wood with CA it does not always set up quickly. You do not want to get wood fibers glued in your taps, so it is best just to do something else while it sets up. Note that the wing bolt blocks will be flush with the bottom of the wing. This is important to prevent the bolts from flexing. It also allows the bolts to break cleanly in a crash. However, if this plane crashes, it will not matter if the bolts break or not there will be a lot of damage.

The holes in the wing still need to be enlarged. In this case the holes need to be 1/4". After drilling them to their finished size, harden the holes with thin CA. Again, allow the CA to cure for a couple of hours and then drill the holes a second time. Here the wing has been mounted in place using nylon bolts. You can see that the bolt heads are flush against the plywood plate.