ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

Has anyone done this before on an Ultra Stick 60? Good thing I decided to quit for the day and found this! It was not a crash, but I was pulling some g's I guess. Any suggestions for a robust repair?

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

I think part of the problem is what looks like the lack of glue on those rods. I like to use lots of 30 or 45 minute epoxy here, slop it in there, get it really wet and then cleanup with Iso alcohol.

You could go with the next larger size dowel rod for more strength.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Easy repair.

mikekosatka

My Feedback: (7)

I've replaced numerous dowell rod with carbon fiber or aluminum rod. An arrow shaft will last almost forever and are readily availabe at sporting good stores and are the right size for most planes that use that type of wing mount. Prepare as the above posts have suggested and use these lighter, stronger rods.
Good flying!
Mike

ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks! Should I just soak the damaged balsa with thin CA, then do it? I was thinking of adding a layer of carbon/epoxy too.

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

My Ultra Stick did the same thing after flying with an SK .91 and lately with an Evo 1.00. I noticed it was flying funny and landed and discovered the dowels loose.

I epoxied them back in, then installed a grooved piece of 1/4 aircraft ply on the bottom with 30-minute in place of the balsa. On my first US 60, I covered the dowels with brass tubing after I burned the dowels about 1/4 way through. The wing really "works" around when you pull a lot of g's, especially in rolling maneuvers.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Soaking the balsa in CA would be fine. The CF/Epoxy probably wouldn't HURT anything, but is in my opinion, overkill.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Ditto on the aluminum rods. Use JB Weld to attach. They will never fail.

mikekosatka

My Feedback: (7)

Overkill is almost a mantra for me. Overkill can have 2 meanings. Excess that hurts likelike using huge , heavy parts to increase strength, or like I do it, where anything that gets replaced is lighter, stronger, or more durable ( not necessarily cheaper). I just finshed rebuilding a european version of the Playboy high wing on a pylon oldtimer. I used a brushless outrunner and 2200 mAh 3s Lipos which ended up offering a performance upgrade in the neighborhood of 4-5 times the duration and more power that the suggested speed 400 with 4.1 to 1 gear box and 500 mAh 8 cell nicads and still saved a couple grams. You can get 10 -15 sets of replacement dowells out of one $8-$10 arrow and you have it for the next project...BUT no need for that strength there . It does have a coolness factor ther.
I wish they made carbonfiber "rubber bands" to hold my Old Timers wings on for the same reason!!
Good Luck and Good Flying!
Mike

ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

Well, overkill might apply here. I have a RCGF 20cc gasser on this plane and I do like to pull it around hard. It weighs 8.1 pounds will a full tank of Mobil 93 octane and has 10.5 pounds of thrust. I appreciate the methods of making it bulletproof, thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL69g0ShzQg

ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

OK, I think this part of the plane is bulletproof. A friend of mine that owns a composite shop (http://www.truedyn.com ) made some .375 inch thick wall, foam core tubes. We cut them to 2.25 inch long and drilled out the wing (and fuse) to accept them and epoxy'ed them in. I flew it Sunday, 5x, and there was no issue.

TimBle

club mate had the wing separate from the fuse about 10 seconds after take off on Sunday. We have not found the fuse with motor receiver and servo's yet.

close inspection indicates the rear wing mountin block in the fuse failed along with the dowels. Not sure which came first. Dowels failing and the wing ripping the mounting blocking out is most likely causal.

The Lanyu arf's use 4 steel bolts to retain the wing. maybe a better idea...

victorzamora

We had this happen in El Salvador once.  Dowels failed and the wind got under the front of it and tore the back of it off.  Fairly impressive, really.

TimBle

to answer te original question; strip the covering in the centre of the wing about an inch out board of either dowel. Replace the dowels. Then apply a light glass fibre cloth to the entire centre wing section including the dowels in the glassing process. Do this top and bottom so the stress is distributed over a wider area. It's over kill but after this you need lots of peace of mind to fly it like you did previously.

I wish someone would design an ARF properly. Theres way too much tradition in the way things are done.

ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

I was going to use some graphite cloth and epoxy there but these long (55mm) graphite/epoxy dowels seem to be holding up, as well as the fuse area that they plug into. Maybe I fly this too aggressively, but it is a alot of fun! With the 20cc gasser, it is the easiest practice plane I have to take out. No glow fuel, no glow igniter, no starter, no batteries to charge overnight, just put gas in it, turn it on, and fly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL69g0ShzQg