I have a question regarding the best way to mount the elevator to a round carbon Tailboom.

I recently built a HLG and the instructions just told me to remove the covering from the finished elevator, rough sand the boom in the area of contact, and use an epoxy to join the two surfaces. I was out flying this model for the first time today, and after 5 successful flights, I noticed that my tail feathers were loose after the last landing. I was flying on Astroturf to avoid any clumps of grass, and didn't notice catching the tail at all. Is there an attachment method that might be recommended?

From : Don Stackhouse

Sounds like your glue joint did not have enough contact area to get the job done. Try mixing up a mixture of slow epoxy, milled fibers and microballoons to about the consistency of peanut butter, then using that to make a smooth fillet between the boom and the stabilizer surface on both sides. For even more strength, apply a "strap" of fiberglass tape and epoxy over the top of the tailboom, down the sides of the fillets and out over the surface of the stabilizer for about 1/2" to each side of the tailboom. For an HLG, a tape cut from 1 oz. cloth should be adeqaute in most cases. To save weight, wet out the tape with epoxy on another surface, then transfer it to the model. This will cut down on the amount of epoxy required.

Don Stackhouse
DJ Aerotech