Repairing a Composite Arf?
04-08-2005, 06:42 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Clifton Park,
NY
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Repairing a Composite Arf?
I have a small hole in the top of one of my wings from it falling into the corner of my bench. The hole is slightly smaller than a dime. Has anyone out there been sucessful at making repairs to these planes and if so could you please tell me how? Thank You.
04-08-2005, 09:51 AM
#2
RE: Repairing a Composite Arf?
I just recently repaired a massive hole in one of my sheeted foam wings. Here's what I did, you can make up your own mind how you want to proceed and I'll offer some options.
Obviously the simplest would be to put some clear tape over the hole and go fly. That's a pretty small hole and clear tape works good for that.
More complicated is maybe a dowel glued into place and sanded flush with a little two part putty? A hole that small you might be able to put a little ca on your finger, glue a small piece of fiberglass to your figer, stick the fiberglass in the hole, pull it back with your finger and put more ca to flue the fibgerglass to the inside of the wing? Then two part putty smooth?
On my wing, I had a big hole. an inch by a half inch. I put masking tape on top skin, put epoxy and fiberglass milled and let it pool against the masking tape from the inside. Then when cure I went to top skin, put a layer of 3/4 ounce fibgerlass all over the area and let it cure, sanded the area pretty good and used heavy primer.
Lots of ways to skin this cat. Best to keep it simple unless you want to paint and stuff
Obviously the simplest would be to put some clear tape over the hole and go fly. That's a pretty small hole and clear tape works good for that.
More complicated is maybe a dowel glued into place and sanded flush with a little two part putty? A hole that small you might be able to put a little ca on your finger, glue a small piece of fiberglass to your figer, stick the fiberglass in the hole, pull it back with your finger and put more ca to flue the fibgerglass to the inside of the wing? Then two part putty smooth?
On my wing, I had a big hole. an inch by a half inch. I put masking tape on top skin, put epoxy and fiberglass milled and let it pool against the masking tape from the inside. Then when cure I went to top skin, put a layer of 3/4 ounce fibgerlass all over the area and let it cure, sanded the area pretty good and used heavy primer.
Lots of ways to skin this cat. Best to keep it simple unless you want to paint and stuff
04-08-2005, 10:14 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Repairing a Composite Arf?
I typically repair small puncture wounds in hollow-molded wings as follows:
First, I use a straight pin or the tip of a #11 exacto blade to pull the broken skin materials back into position. If there is severe deformation (doesn't sound like it in this case), then careful heating with a heat gun can be used to soften the epoxy. Once the skin is back in place, tack it with thin CA and then drizzle some laminating epoxy into the area. If you don't have laminating epoxy, medium CA will work fine. Once the epoxy/CA has cured, carefully sand the area to remove high spots. Then add white spot putty (from the plastic model section of your local hobby shop) to the low spots. Sand flush when dry... then go fly. You can touch up the paint at this point, or just leave it.
Good luck,
-David
First, I use a straight pin or the tip of a #11 exacto blade to pull the broken skin materials back into position. If there is severe deformation (doesn't sound like it in this case), then careful heating with a heat gun can be used to soften the epoxy. Once the skin is back in place, tack it with thin CA and then drizzle some laminating epoxy into the area. If you don't have laminating epoxy, medium CA will work fine. Once the epoxy/CA has cured, carefully sand the area to remove high spots. Then add white spot putty (from the plastic model section of your local hobby shop) to the low spots. Sand flush when dry... then go fly. You can touch up the paint at this point, or just leave it.
Good luck,
-David
