RC Building Info and Ideas

Specific Ideas

Use an F2D-style bend for the pushrods so that they can be bent at both ends then fitted (by twisting and pushing through) - called an L-bend elsewhere - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=992072
simple termination of carbon pushrod with wire (with 90deg bend) so that it is automatically retained by pushrod itself - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=992072 (video further through thread)
Typical airframe weight (not including motor, ESC, battery, RX and servos) seems to generally be 2/3 of AUW
folding depron wings
- tape on outside of bend or covering film applied before bending (will depron tolerate solarfilm ironing?)
- multiple creases in inside of bend (e.g. 3 creases with 3mm gap between each), creases created by rolling a CD along crease-line
- heat on inside may allow smooth curves without creases
- need a spar glued in
  - 3mm CF tube (may be sufficient, but perhaps not thick enough, for e.g. Clark-Y, and could cause a "kinked" airfoil shape)
  - 3mm CF tube or strip with depron in front and behind the CF to prevent "kinks" (still not thick enough)
  - use a spar and depron ribs (a lot of effort!)
  - use a vertical depron spacer (with I-beam caps? tapered?) spar with a CF tube/strip at top or bottom

Special technique using ink-jet printable transfer paper for custom stickers that have the film on the outside - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582939
Hinges for light foam planes - strips of overhead slide film CAed into wing slots
Silicon rubber hinges for all planes - tape top of hinge with very slight gap, flip control surface over top of wing and smear thin layer of silicon rubber onto wing and control surface edges (apparently used in high-speed gliders)
Depron building tips - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=913539, http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324506
General electric foamy site (including calculator) - http://www.foamflyer.info
Electric flight info site - http://2bfly.com/
Electric foamies info site - http://www.parkjets.com/

Lots of very good info, formulae and rules for aircraft design - http://adamone.rchomepage.com/design.htm
Very comprehensive design theory and instructions - http://www.airfieldmodels.com/information_source/math_and_science_of_model_aircraft/rc_aircraft_design/step_by_step_model_aircraft_design.htm
Clark-Y airfoil has:
- max thickness of 11.71% at 28% of chord
- max camber of 3.43% at 42% of chord
- Clmax=1.5 at Re=1e6, Clmax=1.0 at Re=3e4 (indoor speeds)
- ref: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3519177
NACA 4412 Clmax=0.6 at Re=3e4 - http://adamone.rchomepage.com/design.htm