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Wingtip hinge - where to cut

TASEsq

Well Known Member
Patron
A question please for those who have used the hinge method to install the wingtips.

Once the wingtip hinges are drilled to the wing, it’s time to cut the flange off the tips to use as a spacer under the hinge.

I was thinking of making the cut like the top drawing below - I.e. so there is a little bit of fibreglass (maybe 1/8) which would poke under the skin between the skin and the larger p4 hinge riveted to the wing. This would mean the tip would slot into the small gap and let me use some micro in the small gap left to get a nice edge against the skin. Hopefully after riveting the hinge/spacer on, it doesn’t compress the fibreglass too much so the wingtip didn’t slot in anymore (although I would probably sand a small chamfer on it to allow it to slide in).

The alternate way is the bottom picture - just cut it parallel with the skin. This would leave a deeper gap and I wouldn’t be able to use any micro. It might not look that good either once finished (the gap would be the depth of the fibreglass).

Look forward to seeing how others have done it.
 
Forgot the picture!

Forgot the picture!
 

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Hi Trent,
I did mine the second way. I will send you some pics tomorrow when down the hangar. I have a gap, but did that to allow adequate room for paint. I will measure the gap I have left after paint as a comparison. I think I started with a 1/16” gap before paint.
 
Wingtip hinge

Hi Trent,
I did mine the second way. I will send you some pics tomorrow when down the hangar. I have a gap, but did that to allow adequate room for paint. I will measure the gap I have left after paint as a comparison. I think I started with a 1/16” gap before paint.

I also used the bottom method. No gap for paint. Fits tight.
I used P4 on both sides.
 
Before you close up the wingtip consider a couple nut plates on the rib flange to accept a camera mount. With a hinge you probably don’t have screws for a mount .
 
Stiffeners

Before you close up the wingtip consider a couple nut plates on the rib flange to accept a camera mount. With a hinge you probably don’t have screws for a mount .

Also, consider adding stiffeners inside the tip top and bottom. I used 1/4" dowels sealed with epoxy. Attached with flox then covered with a layer of glass. Lots of other ways to do it. Really helps stiffen the open area.
 
The second way. I think you want as much meat as possible between the skin and the hinge. The first way will just chip paint etc and be fiddly if at all possible to reinstall the tips.
Don’t sweat the edge. A nice long sanding board will get you a dead straight edge. You probably want a 1/16 gap for paint anyway. My tips were painted off the plane. I don’t think the actual gap matters as long as it’s even and not too big. You won’t see it once it’s painted.
 
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