Reinforcing the tray's mounting takes only a few minutes and some 1/2 balsa triangle stock. Using thick cyanoacrylate, glue two pieces of triangle stock to the two formers that will hold the tray. The tops of the balsa stock should be even with the former's tray slots. Glue in the tray using epoxy. After it cures, double-secure the tray to the fuselage with two more triangle stock pieces and thick cyanoacrylate.

After the servo tray has been installed, cut two pieces of maple block roughly 1.5 inches long. Use 12-minute epoxy to glue the two blocks in position just under the top of the wing saddle and against the rear former.

Cut a piece of maple block the width of the fuselage. To find its proper position, clamp it in place at the front of the fuselage. Position the wing and carefully put a pencil down the front mounting slot. Reposition the block until the pencil marks are near the block's front. Mark the block's position on the fuselage walls, and then glue it in place with 12-minute epoxy. Reinforce all the blocks with spruce triangle stock, including the undersides.

Slide the wing dowels in place, but do not glue them, and position the wing on the fuselage using a few rubber bands. Mark the wing areas that would be over the center of each rear block.

Remove the wing and drill two 5/16-inch holes at the marks. Put two short pieces of arrow shaft in the holes and glue them with thin and then thick cyanoacrylate. Cut the shafts even with the wing surface. Install the front arrow shaft.

Mark the center of the fuselage at the front and back of the wing saddle (the part the wing rests on) with a pin each. The wing already has its center marked; it is the joining line. Put a pin in the center of the rear fuselage.

Mount the wing with at least 12 rubber bands, and align it with the two forward-fuselage pins. Using a metal tape measure (the 1-inch-thick types work best), determine how far it is from the rear pin to each wingtip just in front of the aileron. If the measurements do not match—they should but often do not—reposition the front of the wing, keeping the rear centered, until the distances are identical. For trainers, the difference should not exceed 1/16 inch.

Once the wing is positioned, drill through the center of the two rear arrow shafts using a 3/16-inch-diameter drill bit—not the 13/64-inch bit used when tapping metal. Holes in wood tend to expand during the drilling process more than holes in metal do. The smaller drill bit ensures a good fit.

Remove the wing and tap the holes for 1/4-20 bolts. Replace the wing, mount it with the two bolts and more rubber bands, and then recheck the measurements. Once you are satisfied, drill the front block and tap it. Replace the wing using all three bolts and remeasure. It should be in alignment and will stay that way for a long time.

Remove the wood dowels and rubber bands. Throw out the rubber bands; they are no longer needed. Cover the fuselage holes with small pieces of matching covering. The result is a cleaner-looking aircraft that stays in trim.

There isn't enough room here to start fuselage construction, so that will have to wait until next month. For now, you might be interested to see what effect those flaperons had on the aircraft's flight performance. An extensive flight review is posted on MA's Sport Aviator (www.masportaviator.com) in the "Test Pilot Reports" section.

The 35° flaperons lowered the Hobbistar 60's approach speeds by roughly 4 mph. But the airplane's touchdown speed was lowered by 9 mph because the flaperons seemed to gain effectiveness when the airplane came close to the ground, causing it to "float."

I would have thought that the increased drag would have quickly slowed the aircraft, resulting in a quick touchdown, even when flying in such ground effect, but that did not happen. The airplane floated in ground effect much farther than it did without the flaperons.

The flaperons helped steady the airplane in slow flight and reduced the wings-level stall speed by 4 mph. With 18% (which are Futaba numbers; other brands may differ) differential, the last traces of adverse yaw disappeared and the ailerons remained fully effective throughout the stall and in all slow-flight regimes. The "stunt flaps" made for 20-foot-diameter Loops and improved the Inverted Snap Rolls.

Next month we will finish the Hobbistar 60 and do some flying. MA