I was just reading in the crash forums about 2 crashes most likely caused by flutter, and that it sealing hinge gaps helps prevent it. So how do you seal the gaps?

With some trim tape or strip of iron on film. Just have the surface at full deflection when sealing.

Cheers.

Hi,

You only need to seal one side. Just use a strip of the covering film you used to cover the wing and aileron/rudder/elevator, or Dubro hinge tape, or clear strips cut from a laminating pouch. There are heaps of methods, (type into the search facility). Some don't use seperate hinges at all and use the covering as the hinge, (two birds one throw).

I would suggest you work on the underside and flex the control surface fully up and then attach you stirip to seal the gap. Check you still have free movement when you finish. Which way is up on the rudder???


Cheers,

Colin

du-bro makes hinge tape comes in a 5 yd roll

this is what i used on my twist

you can also use monokote

just lay it out evenly between the two surfaces

seal both sides as well ,work the hinge in by hand

to make sure there is minimal resistance

reinstal the linkage set the throws & fly the crap out of it

try not to think about flutter when you make a high-speed pass

to an up line 45

I used covering but it fell off two days later!

I dont plan on making any high speed passes with my UCD .46 (it has an OS .61 FX in it) because I dont think it will take it.

Whoa! Calling the Myth Busters!!

Non-sealed gaps are NOT the cause of flutter. Flutter is caused by aerodynamic forces surrounding the surface.

Sealing a gap can CHANGE these forces, BUT if you do not presently experience flutter, sealing the gap may make conditions right for you to START experiencing it.

Once I learned about gap sealing, I used to do it all the time. I no longer do.

Now, I seal a gap if - A) I think the plane needs more control and B) I think the gap is large enough that sealing it will increase control.

IF I were to experience flutter, I would definitely seal them, but I wouldn't think for a minute that that would completely eliminate the problem. More likely, the surface would just flutter at a different speed.

But to give you an idea of how uncommon it actually is, I have never (in over 40 years of flying) experienced flutter. I have, in fact seen (or rather "heard" ) it on several occaisions, but I could probably count them on one hand.

Now I will admit that newer planes with extremely large control surfaces are more suseptable to flutter, but good slop-free linkages and strong servos will do much more to avoid it than sealing the gap.

Strong (4-40 rods) and short push rods along with quality servos will help a lot. Quality clevis's and other termination techniques should also be used. I've had a rudder flutter once (transport damage undetected) and that was the only time. Heard it and landed quickly, all fixed after minor structure repair. 2-56 rods OK but keep short also.