avistar fuselage reinf. at tail?
06-04-2003, 10:20 PM
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avistar fuselage reinf. at tail?
I have read about the weak fuselage just in front of the tail area. The plane is ready to fly but I would like suggestions on how to reinforce that area. The tail is assembled with epozy.
06-05-2003, 03:31 AM
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Haven't had a problem
I've had two Avistars, haven't had that problem with either of them. I flew both with an OS 46 FX and worked them pretty good. The only damage I've had came from pilot error. The first one was crashed a number of times, never had to touch the tail area, it held up great! I would think that if you have glued it well you can fly the heck out of it. I did use wing tape and watched it and replace it as needed. I also used 3 inch wheels to help landing on grass. Other than that I just fly them hard and enjoy.
Good Luck
Good Luck
06-05-2003, 04:25 AM
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avistar fuselage reinf. at tail?
I have 2 Avistars as well. Neither of them have ever had a problem with the tail area, (of course I am not including the time I stuck the vertical stab into a ceiling fan by mistake). They have held up very well through much abuse. There is, however, an issue with the firewall. The first one had the firewall come undone on a relatively hard landing one day but it was easily repaired. I reinforced the second one before it flew and I have had no trouble what so ever. Both of them are running with a Thunder Tiger pro .46 but the extra weight and power have not given me a problem.
06-06-2003, 12:50 AM
#4
avistar fuselage reinf. at tail?
Once while taxiing for takeoff, a guy was landing deadstick and I didn't move my avistar away fast enough. He hit the left corner of my horiz stab and there was a fine crack just ahead of the tail group. You're right that there is some weakness there but it doesn't fail in normal circumstances. The covering was split along the crack so that I can see the wood underneath a little. It was a butt joint and that explains the weakness. Repair took me couple of hours. Compressed the crack, and applied thin ca along the crack line . Then I cut three 1-inch strips of carbon strips, remove some covering on the left, right, and bottom sides of the fuse across the butt joint, used thick ca and glued the strips down. Looks "pro" and no problems since.
