I wanted to seal the gaps in my control surfaces of my trainer. So off to WallyWorld to find some packing tape. I was looking in the office supplies for the right stuff when I noticed a package labeled CLEAR DUCT TAPE. I made my purchase and hurried home to apply the miracle tape to my plane. I am still flying a 60 size trainer and did not think that sealing the gaps would affect this big plane that much. I used some denatured alchohol to clean all the surfaces. The duct tape fit perfectly, with plenty of slack in the seam to flex.
I took the plane out to the field, and right from the get go, I found out just how big a difference the tape makes. My take-off was almost vertical, I thought it would stall. I had to completely re-trim the plane. After a few tense minutes I had the plane flying "hands off". This modification makes this big old trainer a brand new responsive plane. I can now do barrel rolls instead of roller coaster sized rolls. It now takes alot more care to fly this plane because it is so responsive.
I think I may have to program in some expotential into the radio to smooth out the controls.
But anyway, my main point is that the clear duct tape appears to be great stuff. I only applied it to the bottom sides of the control surfaces (left side of the rudder), and unless you were looking for it, it will go unnoticed.

Mike Burgett
[link=http://users.adelphia.net/~mburgett/rcaces/index.htm]R/C Flying Aces[/link]

Clear Duct Tape? Neato.

I don't get it.

I have no clue why I would seal the gaps in the control surfaces (Hey, I'm a beginner too!)

Thanx

How much of a gap did you have? I dont see how a gap would affect the response, but it must have been a pretty big gap.
NMTR13

i never thought the day would come! praise the lord! i gotta get some

I would guess the gap to be about 3 mm. I did not think that it would affect much either. But I can guarantee that it made my plane 100% more responsive.



Mike Burgett
[link=http://users.adelphia.net/~mburgett/rcaces/index.htm]RC Flying Aces[/link]

Control surfaces modify the camber of the airfoil, increasing pressure on one side and decreasing pressure on the other. If the high pressure air on one side of the control surface leaks to the low pressure side, the control surface effectiveness is lessened.... Sealing the hinge line minimizes the leakage, improving control surface effectiveness....

HTH

Jim

OGRIV! Isn't it great when something so simple can produce such great results? [X(]I've never heard of such dramatic results, you must have had some pretty big gaps to begin with?

You cannot place ailerons close enough together to undo the need for Gap -- Seal. If you were a student of Don Lowe, in his RCM articles, he hits on this every so often. and it would NOT be news to you. (Don Lowe is probably one of the most experienced RC fliers in all the world, and he has the talent to go with it.)

Experienced aerobatic competition fliers would not think of NOT sealing the gaps. It is near impossible to have an aircraft react well without being assured that the controls return to same center after each displacement. Without gap seal, especially ailerons, even the best return cannot offset airflow to the low pressure side. The ailerons are always loaded except in some "ZERO -G" maneuvers, therefore the air will always be tending to leak.

Seal your gaps, especially ailerons, and find your servos just GOT FAST!!

Ditto on what Hoss said. I always seal gaps on all surfaces. Even small gaps can make planes hunt for trim and less responsive. I'd agree that aileron are the most important but while you got the tape out, you might as well seal the elevators and rudders. You can also use clear or colored iron on covering to seal the gaps. Only need to seal one side (I typically seal the bottom where it isn't seen as easily.) Just be sure the control surface can still move properly.

HOSSFLY! If you read OGRIVs' original claim carefully, he said that after sealing his aileron gaps his plane shot straight up vertical on the next takeoff. If you ask me, that's pretty amazing stuff. WHO'S DON LOWE?

Lots of full-scale high performance planes have the gaps sealed for the same reasons.

Jesse

Who's Don Lowe? I assume you are fairly new to the hobby. Don is a world class pilot and plane designer, former AMA pres, etc. Just seach on Don Lowe and RC aircraft in google and you'll pull up a lot of stuff.

Sounds logical to me,
How would one go about sealing the gaps
so as not to disturbed the looks of the plane?
I'm in the beginning of covering my plane,
and was wondering can U use like one piece of monokote
to cover the wing and aileron, or cover them seperatly as ususal
and then another piece of monokote to fill the gap?
or do you have to use different material for the gap.
"I already know about leaving room for aileron movment".

Thanks inadvanced guys,
Mark

Here is how I did it.

I removed the control wire from the control horn of the control surface. I cleaned the plane with denatured alcohol. I then moved the control surface to it's maximum deflection (for ailerons I wanted to tape the bottom so I moved them to there upmost position. I applied the tape to the wing edge first, then using my fingernail I pressed the tape into the hinge gap of the wing edge. Then with my fingernail I pressed the tape into the hinge gap of the aileron edge. I then pressed the tape down onto the aileron surface. I moved the aileron back and forth to identify any obstructions. The clear duct tape is very strong an the color of the plane comes right thru it.


Note: In regard to sealing the ailerons, I also sealed the rudder and the elevator. I think somebody mentioned that I said "after sealing the ailerons I got a "vertical" take off". I assure you, it was sealing the elevator that gave such drastic climb rates. The aileron sealing game me a dramatic improvement in roll rate. My trainer has a 74 inche wing span. It used to roll like a square wheel, but now it rolls like a polished ball bearing. Please take into consideration my experience of only 5 months, this is the only plane I have flown and I can not compare it to anything else.

My main point was that sealing the gaps greatly improved the capabilities of my trainer, and it appears that the new clear duct tape works great for sealing the gaps.

HI JOHN< I was just pulling HOSSFLYs' leg. Kind of like asking,"Who's BABE RUTH?". DON LOWE used to have a column called Flying Lowe and it was great reading.

Ogriv, if thats the trainer in the pic your talking about I have the exact one.
I got the TT60 and the TT40 awsome trainers.
although the 40 is kinda weak where the 60 has more performance.
I'm in the middle of recovering the 40 with my own scheme and saw this post on filling the gap,
but dont wanna use the clear tape, just wanna make an endless seem all the way to the back
of the wing.

Hey, if you want to have some fun, seal the gap on ONE aileron, and go fly your plane. Bet you'll notice the effect.

(I had the monokote I used to seal my hinge gap come off at the field once on one side, so I figured "what the heck" and flew anyway. It was a neat experience, flying that way.)

Knight1, Yes that picture is my TT60 trainer. When you take that plane out to to the field, be ready to retrim the whole plane. I was amazed at the trim changes I had to make after sealing the gaps. I used the duct tape because I don't have the tools or experience to use monocoat. I was also worried that monocoat might fail from flexing back and forth (I could be wrong).




Mike Burgett
[link=http://users.adelphia.net/~mburgett/rcaces/index.htm]RC FLYING ACES[/link]

Ogriv,
The Monokote method would be a great way of sealing the gaps. You can match the color of the surrounding surfaces and would be practically invisible. Even if the Monokote were to fail in flight, nothing bad would happen, since it's not holding anything together. Now lose some hinges in flight, and that's a whole different enchilada!
My only concern with using the clear duct tape is how fuel proof is the tape or the adhesive on the tape? Monokote would be totally fuel proof assuming you cleaned the surfaces very well with alcohol before applying it. Now would be a good time to get a good heat sealing iron to apply Monokote with. Sooner or later you'll have to make some repair to the covering, and maybe even build and cover a plane later. That trainer would be a good way of learning to fly and getting used to the covering process.

Jesse

I agree with you Whstlngdeath. I have already hinted to family members that the sealing iron would make "somebody" a nice Christmas Gift .

Montague, I bet it would be a different experiance, lol

i use the same stuff to cover the holes punctured in my covering. pretty soon my avistar will be a big wad of clear tape!

I will agree, sealing the gap does make for a smoother responding plane. I guess the turbulence at the joint destroys laminar flow of the air over the wing.

they sell a roll of tape made for this purpose it is called 100 mph tape and they should have it at youer local hobby shop. i bought a roll and it cost me about 4 dollars.