Question: I have noticed that the aileron torque rods to which the control horns are attached protrude from the left and right wings at different angles when the ailerons are neutral. Is this a problem? If so, how do I fix it?

Answer: Ideally the aileron torque rods should be in-sync angle wise when the ailerons are at a neutral position. In practise they may be at slightly different angles and in all but the most exacting requirements (FAI pattern flying for example), a slight variation in angle will not have any noticeable effect.

If however, the angle of the aileron torque rod does not allow for full deflection of the aileron both up and down as per the maximum allowable deflection stated in the operations manual for your model then this should be fixed before flying.

How does this happen? The aileron torque rods are bent and installed at the factory and they have the same angle at that point. The most common cause is compression and bending during shipping. The aileron torque rods are shipped with covers holding the ailerons and aileron torque rods in place but if a large heavy object is placed on the box so that it compresses the wing, the aileron torque rod maybend with no other damage to the wing or the rod will not bend but will compress the wood surrounding the rod in the aileron resulting in a sloppy and off-angle fit. The rods are also subject to bending or otherwise acquiring unequal angles when in a crash or if they are impacted or snagged during transport of the wing.

How do I fix it? There are a number of ways to resolve this... none of them are difficult... if you don't feel comfortable on your own, talk to an experienced modeler and ask them to give you a hand. An experienced modeler will be able to resolve this in minutes. Here are two recommended approaches.

Do either a) or b) and then c) or do a) and b) and then c). In all cases do a) and c). In extreme cases do b).

a) Bend the aileron torque rod without removing the aileron: This should be tried first and will work most of the time. Take two wooden rulers or paint stir sticks and clamp the aileron in its neutral position. Place one ruler on each side of the aileron (above and below) with about three inches (75mm) overlapping the center section of the wing in the wing saddle area. Clamp these retainers in place with a couple of C clamps or other suitable clamping device. Apply one C clamp directly over the location where the torque rod enters the aileron. The main thing is that the aileron be at it's neutral position. Now bend the aileron torque rod that protrudes from the wing so that the angle of the aileron torque rod is similar to the aileron torque rod in the other wing presuming that the other wing is a good reference. If both wings require work, then bend the aileron torque rods in both wings until they are approximately perpendicular (90 degrees) with respect to their respective wing surface. Don't sweat it if the angle is not 90 degrees...  focus on getting the angles similar for both wings and ensuring that the ailerons can be moved fully to their maximum recommended deflection. 

OR

b) Bend the aileron torque rod after removing the aileron. Removing an aileron is not a big deal but why bother if you can fix the problem using method a) outlined above. However, assuming that you have tried method a) and it did not work for you, then here is the ultimate solution. Use a sharp #11 blade and cut the hinges holding the aileron in place. Cut the hinges... do not remove them! Now wiggle the aileron up and down at the wing tip end while gently pulling it back and away from the wing trailing edge. When the aileron has been removed you will have both ends of the aileron torque rod exposed. Bend the rod to align properly with the other wing or so that the aileron will at neutral when the other end of the rod is approximatley perpendicular (90 degrees) with respect to the wing surface. Use the #11 blade to trim the old hinge stubs down flush. Do NOT pull the old hinges out. Re-hinge the aileron by placing new hinges beside the old hinges and re-install the aileron.

AND THEN

c) Toughen up the wood in the aileron around the aileron torque rod and fill in any voids. Now that the aileron torque rod(s) has been bent to the correct angle and the ailerons can be moved to their maximum recommended deflection, it is time to wick some thin CA such as ZAP/CA and then some medium CA+ such as ZAP-A-GAP down into the hole in the aileron that surrounds the aileron torque rod. Hold the aileron so that the hinge line is above the aileron. Deflect the wing about 20-30 degrees so that the aileron remains upright with the hinge line up and you can see the aileron torque rod entering the aileron. Wick thin CA into the hole in the aileron that surrounds the aileron torque rod. Do this several times. The thin CA will wick into the soft wood around the rod and make the wood much harder and durable. After the thin CA has cured, apply medium CA+ into the hole in the aileron. Whereas the thin CA was intended to toughen up the surrounding wood, the medium CA+ is intended to fill any voids left over in the hole between the aileron torque rod and the aileron itself. Let the CA+ cure or accelerate with ZIP KICKER. When dry, try flexing the aileron via the control rod. There should be no slop in the movement.

That's it! A bit difficult to describe but easy to do!