A softer approach to armor

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

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NAES
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A softer approach to armor

Post by NAES »

Well, after this last event using my most heavily armored, 3 1/2 pound tank, I realized that maybe bashing the crap out of your opponents in midairs may not be the most amicable of options. So heres the next idea to try. I'm going to use EPP or BoogieBoard foam on the 1st 25% or so of the LE up to my spar (which has proven to be plenty strong enough so far). No Poly Rods or anything, just some BIDI tape. I'm hoping that it may lessen the devestating effects that the wing to wing midair oftentimes has.
Anyone else tried this method before with results? I suppose I'm borrowing this idea from slope combat which doesn't allow a hard LE for like 2" or so back.

Prototypes will be up and flying soon.

NAES

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Wingman
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Post by Wingman »

The designs by Lee Liddle for the Falcon, SMACK and now the Cobra all have what I would consider "soft" leading edges. These are designs that do not have spars, but use multiple layers of bi-di tape covering teh leading edge.

The modfied Cobra kit being offered by Roy Appleton offers an EPP leading edge that is proving to be very sucessful in the SSC combat matches held in Texas. I am sure both of these guys could offer lots of excellent advice on this setup.

Eric
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Post by thojo »

the JKAEROTECH guys have preached the bend don't break deal for years. Many of their wings only use bi-di without spars and are pretty tough. I just didn't think you could build a 64" span wing without spars though, only relying on tape.

For SSC, I'd like to see a rule stating no hard leading edges to keep wing to wing midairs more survivable...

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smelyal8r
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Post by smelyal8r »

Actually the Smack II kit from Lee Liddle and Roy Appleton that I have utilize an epp foam leading edge glued to a plywood spar. The rear 2/3 of the wing is blue foam. I had a wing to wing midair with a fiberglass rod reinforced coro wing, and the epp foam was strong enough to keep the spar in tact, yet it gave enough to save the wing. With a little glue and bidi tape, the wing was ready to go in a matter of minutes.

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Which_way_is_up
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Post by Which_way_is_up »

I've just started making available Smack II and Cobra kits this year with 1.3lb EPP LE and so far they have been working out very well. The EPP is so soft and giving that you have to make sure and put a couple of layers of 3M BiDi tape on to protect the EPP from ripping or tearing on a really hard LE impact but we were doing that with the blue foam LE anyway. Otherwise the EPP is an excelent solution to a blue foam LE or the extra weight of a rod in the LE. In fact the EPP foam is just about an oz lighter then the blue foam. So you get a little weight savings also.

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THend
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Post by THend »

My now Open B P40 has no spar at all. LE is boogie board foam, and so far has survived several taps, and one huge head on with Sean.

Softer approach!

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Post by BigCountry »

Jimbo has been keying an EPP leading edge into his Raptors for about a year now and had excellent results with it.

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Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Roy
Try cutting a 1/4" slot straight across the front of the LE and ProBond a piece of 1/4" kevlar cord in it. You'll never have a LE failure again. Also try a top and bottom spar instead of a flat one piece spar and that wing will be lighter and more durable.

S?C
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Post by montague »

I've been running "soft" LE's in all my wings for over a year now, longer in A class. I've never used anything other than tape over foam in SSC.

I'm not even useing EPP, just 25psi pink/blue foam with a layer of tape over it.

It's not bullet proof, not by a long shot. But I do fairly well, I get a lot of LE dents, but they are rarely fatal to the wing (and at home, they are REALLY easy to fix, just cut out chunks of foam and glue in new segments, sand and tape). EPP would be better. But even this stuff isn't that bad, and holds together through most mid-airs.



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Lee Liddle
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Post by Lee Liddle »

All good advice. I agree that so far, the EEP seems to be the best. Only negetives are availability and the fumes. For Smack/Cobra pilots, Roy has taken care of those problems for you. I`m also using the same core (with trimming) for my Skyraiders, Me410 and the 2548 Me109.

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NAES
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Post by NAES »

Well the first prototype is glued up and covered and awaiting radio gear. Whenever I get off my lazy butt and remember to renew my RCCA membership I'll post some pics. Looking promising right now though.

NAES

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Post by THend »

[:0]Any decent combat pilot wouldn't let his membership slide[:0]

Especially an AREA 52 type![:p]

Sean, email me the pics so I can see!

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NAES
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Post by NAES »

Terry, YGM

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NAES
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Post by NAES »

Update, this just in!
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This is a pic before the maiden flght. I added a larger tail, a LOT on nose weight and had it pointed out to me that I had built the darn thing upside down. I still flew it and it did OK but the outside loops were AWESOME! I've since flipped the motor, tank and throttle servo to the other side along with an OSFX and longer motor mount to offset the weight issue.

The prototype weighs in around 3.6 and I can get a bunch out of it.

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I ended up using boogie board foam for the first 2" and on the next ones extend that to the spar.

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NAES
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Post by NAES »

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Not trying to be a post whore, just seeing if I can get the image larger.[:)]

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