Leading Edge Armor

Here you'll find helpful hints on making your planes stronger.

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Which_way_is_up
Posts: 1637
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 8:54 am
Location: Dallas, Texas

Post by Which_way_is_up »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dawg</i>
<br />Roy, what do you use to get tape to stick to the EPP LE? Jim Grizzle was building some Smack II wings w/EPP LE and said he could not get BI DI nor packing tape to stick.

David McGinnis
SSC McGrizzBat Flyer
http://www.hilltopflyers.com
AMA 767999 RCCA 698
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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

You need to prep the foam, both the blue and the EPP, with an even coat of 3M77 that is allowed to dry for 15 or 20 minutes before applying the tape. Use two overlapping layers of bidi to protect the EPP foam from tearing when hit hard.

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"Tail end Charlie"
Matthew 7:6
<b>Cobra and Smack II Kits at</b> http://www.texascombat.com
Ben Morrow
Posts: 1396
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2001 6:34 pm

Post by Ben Morrow »

Hi Bert,

Cool picture on the new web site cover!! On those 1/4" poly rods, I still have maybe 75 or more not really sure. $1.00 each for the 60" long and shippings not bad at all, as I roll them up and they fit in a much smaller box. They spring back in place real easy. Makes shipping lots cheaper! YES, I've paid that high dollar shipping to.[xx(]

Ben Morrow AKA "Hillbilly"
www.downhomerc.com

"Furballs" are for me!
Bert Dodson
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:09 am
Location: USA

Post by Bert Dodson »

Hey Ben....I will take 20 of the 60" rods. Send me the costwith postage and I will put the check in the mail. That is a cool shot Mark took at the Dixie Nats last year, he also took one of my SSC bats that had a leaking fuel tank and was pouring it out the tail on launch. Got em both on the wall in my shop. Does that make me the RCCA Poster Boy? HA My mail is agentorange1501@cs.com. Thanks

Bert Dodson
Ben Morrow
Posts: 1396
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2001 6:34 pm

Post by Ben Morrow »

Bert,

You've got mail. Gota shut the computer down due to some bad weather coming in. YES, I think you make a fine "Poster Boy" !! [:D] COOL Picture! That's 50 rods gone tonight, get'um while the get'in's good.

Thanks a ton!
Ben

Ben Morrow AKA "Hillbilly"
www.downhomerc.com

"Furballs" are for me!
slam
Posts: 834
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2001 8:14 pm
Location: USA

Post by slam »

i've done 3 events now with the soft leading edge.

my impressions are that they do more good for ssc than open b. i think that the kind of midair matters more than armor.

i have recently changed to solid spars and i like them. they seem to be nominally stronger. the real advantage is in repair. they are super easy to splice back and fly again.
Image

this is a picture of my wings with the water noodle leading edge

slam
dareman
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:51 pm
Location: USA

Post by dareman »

You might want to rethink the leading edge armor.
I was the king of midairs at Palomar (Pearl Harbor Classic) this week-end.

I had 4 in SSC and 2 in Open B.

In the Open B case I had one hard midair with another Go Devil.
I flew out of it....Gary Oherle was not so lucky.

His Go Devil wing was broken pretty good.
He had no armor justa poly leading edge and Zaggi tape.

My Go Devil wing was not even scratched.
I have 2 overlapping layers of Bi-Di Tape over a poly rod on the leading edge with a "third" layer across the the length of the LE that acts as a cap strip.

It is covered with one layer of Icarex which was Ironed on over 3M 77

Tough wings

My SSC Go Devil wings were undamaged as well.
One 1 midair in SSC with NAES (AKA Sean Gault) I destroyed his plane.
Mine came out with no damage other than a broken prop.

Al Tomlinson
RCCA #707
AMA #434350
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