Strengthening the Wing

[swimmer]

How do you "cover the surface of the wing" with packing tape for strength? Where do you start? How do you keep it from puckering around the radius of the wing tip? Does it add much weight?

Swimmer

[higbe33]

swimmer - run one piece of tape the full length on the leading edge of the wing. This helps dents and chunks of foam coming off when you bump into things. Check out this thread for reinforcing different parts of the SC.

www.ampaviators.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=28

He shows how to do the wing tips with epoxy and fiber glass cloth, but I didn't have much luck doing it. Think I'll try again and not use the cloth. I did have good luck using the cloth to reinforce the fuz where the wing comes in contact and that is a good one to do.

If you fly without struts, I would run two strips of the packing tape the full length of the underside of the wing. Gives it support for loops. It has worked fine for me, but I'm an easy type flyer. I plan to upgrade to Lipo and I'm sure that tape won't be enough support, but other mods using hard wood dowls or fiber rods look good.

Let us know if you find a easy way to reinforce the wing tips. They sure need it. :-)

Hig

[tuscany]

Wrap the wing front to back with clear packing tape with 1/8" overlap from one end to the other, starting in the middle. Then flip it over and do the under side.

I did my wing this way and have never broken a wing, in fact my buddies were amazed that I run my plane without wing struts (which are purely for scale appearance in my opinion) Wrapping your wing like this creates a monocoque film which distributes then impact forces over the whole wing, resulting in a almost indestructible wing.

[tuscany]

Wrap the wing front to back with clear packing tape with 1/8" overlap from one end to the other, starting in the middle. Then flip it over and do the under side.

I did my wing this way and have never broken a wing, in fact my buddies were amazed that I run my plane without wing struts (which are purely for scale appearance in my opinion) Wrapping your wing like this creates a monocoque film which distributes then impact forces over the whole wing, resulting in a almost indestructible wing.

[tuscany]

monocoque
One entry found.

monocoque



Main Entry: mono·coque
Pronunciation: \ˈmä-nə-ˌkôk, -ˌkäk\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from mon- + coque shell, probably from Latin coccum kermes — more at cocoon
Date: 1913
1 : a type of construction (as of a fuselage) in which the outer skin carries all or a major part of the stresses

[mararra]

I agree with Tuscany. If you want THE most durable wing encase it in packing tape. I did mine soon after purchase and its come thru all manner of abuse relatively unscathed; just a small dent here and there from running into lite poles and those dang trees that chase you all over the field! ;D
If you want to add a little color, lite weight tape in a rainbow of colors can be found here : www.mountainmodels.com/product_info.php?cPath=47_49&products_id=265
Check out their J-3 cub while your at it; a really sweet plane, and relatively easy to build.
M