This is my second Escapade 40 I have purchased in the last two months. (The first met its untimely demise on its second flight due to a rare Rx failure and aircraft eating trees). The quality between the first one and the second one seem quite different (mostly in covering and small blemishes). One area of great concern is the area of the wing saddle. On my first one, the gap was minimal and the wing fit cleanly and tight. There was less than a 1/32 “ gap at any point. On this one, I have large gaps (see attachments). Some exceed 1/8” (the camera angle makes it look less). My concern is where the gaps are located. The gaps leave the wing no support either side of the front attachment. Which is just a plywood beam in the center of the wingI am concerned about the wing rocking causing eventual structural failure in flight. For now I filled the gaps with white silicon (silicon saran wrap method) but Should I be looking to defect this out ? (Not sure if it is the wing or fuselage that is not the correct shape)

Unless you are float flying it doesn't matter . . . provided you have solid attachment and the wing is square. 

Foam tape is a good solution.  Truck cap weatherstripping or window weatherstripping works great and is much cheaper than hobby shop offerings.  Your silicone caulk & wax paper/Saran Wrap solution is also fine (Iuse that myself for floatplanes).

Charlie is right on the money. The gap in the wing saddle isn't really enough to worry about, the plane will fly fine just like that. If you want to feel better about it put a strip of foam tape on the wing saddle of fuselage. This will close up the gap and make a tight fit. But like I said, it's not enough to worry about. Either way you will be fine.<div></div><div>Ken</div>

I just completed assembling my escapade and used wing saddle foam tape to seal the openings. They were pretty much like those you have in the pictures. I did not add the seal for flying capability though, just to keep the glow fuel from seeping in under the fuse side. Not a big deal, but cleaning my plane of glow goop is not one of my favorite tasks.

Hi!
I would fix it! It's soo easy! Just mix 24 hour epoxy and brown microballons and place it on the fuselage wing sadle.
On the wing you either put Saran wrap or painting tape (you have to wax the tape and put on some release agent) ,then bolt the wing down and after two or three days remove the wing. Now you have a perfect fit!

Ah, but that's work.  You have to (or should) remove the covering and get a good balsa to epoxy adhesion.  Then recover.

Great Plains agrees with you and replied most just add wing saddle foam tape (which they said they would send free of charge) and fly it. I filled it with white silicone. If it doesn't hold up its the microballoons route

Potting the wing saddles like that as if you were gonna be entering a Q500 race the next day is fine but pointless on that airplane. If it makes you feel better go ahead and use some foam tape or really you do not need anything at all.


John

I agree the gap is fine I however have a different fix for ya if you must seal the gap. Get aquarium sealer silicon run a bead on the fuselage. Put wax paper on the wing in the saddle area. Attach the wing tight like your going to fly. Let it set for 24 hours then remove the wing and carefully cut away the excess on the outside of the fuselage only. This lasts along time

Oddly enough, way before I got "educated" putting these things together, I used the silicone rubber method mainly because when I was a tech in the Coast Guard, everything that had an opportunity to leak water got sealed with silicon rubber. We used to keep cartons of this stuff around. It works on wing saddles, although, I must agree that it never made a difference with anything I flew, or to any degree that I was ever able to notice.

CGr.

Taxus812, I agree with the tape folks. A model with an air opening along the wing simply just looks bad. I don't need that bad because all my models LOOK BAD. Something has to be correct.

Now for all, at home-supply stores there is a really fine black rubber really sticky tape, in rolls with a white paper backing that separates from the tape sticky side. It is advertised for duct and pipe insulation
It can be stripped to whatever width (to 3") or length you want. I use if for wing saddles, wrapping items needed security, and a number of uses such as a filling spaces to keep internal items secure along with redoing my water pipes in the winter.

I don't know what Tower offers, but but if it is the gray foam stuff sold as rolls of weather stripping, it ain't worth a pile of dog poop. One flight and it's hanging off when you take the wing off. Good luck!

BTW CGRetired's method works very well also.