When I was a teenager flying control line- Bronze wires, other metals had not been discovered yet, control line because radio had not been discovered yet- silkspan or (preferably cotton) cloth strips from an old shirt were the hinges of choice for the elevator. Nothing else on those planes moved of course, except maybe the monkey turning the propellor crank. ASPCA had not been invented yet either, so it was OK to use a monkey. The bits of an old shirt were regarded as better than the hinges from the hobby shop because the cloth was cheaper, held up better, and eliminated air through the hinge line that was known to cause many problems.
- posted
18 years ago