Solved Coffee Stirrers & BBQ Skewers to the rescue

[checkerboardflyer]

My current project is a model called the Jupiter Duck, blown up 200% from the plans. After I glued the horizontal & vertical stabilizers together I realized that it was a flimsy arrangement. The vertical stab is nearly 12" tall with no other means of support other than the glue joint. I saw a few YouTube videos of other 200% Jupiter Ducks that had struts on both the tail surfaces and wing tips. So i came up with this way of adding struts to the tail. Used coffee stirrers and BBQ skewers. The large black triangles pictured hold the vertical stab at right angles to the horizontal stab while the glue dries. How did it work? Way better! See more tips for foam board R/C modelers HERE .

 

[Hai-Lee]

My current project is a model called the Jupiter Duck, blown up 200% from the plans. After I glued the horizontal & vertical stabilizers together I realized that it was a flimsy arrangement. The vertical stab is nearly 12" tall with no other means of support other than the glue joint. I saw a few YouTube videos of other 200% Jupiter Ducks that had struts on both the tail surfaces and wing tips. So i came up with this way of adding struts to the tail. Used coffee stirrers and BBQ skewers. The large black triangles pictured hold the vertical stab at right angles to the horizontal stab while the glue dries. How did it work? Way better! See more tips for foam board R/C modelers HERE .

Another method to consider that adds less weight and stops/reduces horizontal tail impacts from dislodging the vertical fin is the use of braided fishing line as bracing wires.
You just embed short lengths of BBQ skewers or even toothpicks in the Horizontal and vertical tail members and tie the fishing line between them. If extra strength is required the line can be made into a closed loop and tied back to the fuselage under the tail. In a closed loop the line can be made quite taut to add great rigidity.

In the open loop method if the H tail is bent upwards the line does not transfer the impact to the vertical fin.
The weight is much less than 2 full BBQ skewers and the drag is also less.

Works for me!

have fun!