Guys there was a guest at our club that has all of his hinge gaps sealed on all his airplanes. It looks really nice and he swears it changes the flight a lot for the better.

I was thinking about trying this but have no idea how to seal a gap without restricting movement of the aileron. It seems if you stuck mono or ultra over the gap and heated, it would shrink and tighten and limit movement. If you left it loose and sealed the edges would it not eventually make an ugly little wrinkle ?

I have only built one kit, I tried mono and it ultimately defeated me..........the second attempt (with ultra this time) went ok but had to many wrinkles to keep me happy, the third time was a charmer. I am really happy with the ultra on my Tiger II .40 ...errr now.
My GP Cherokee and Big Stik are mono arf, and the rest of my planes are all ultra .. Baa I am rambling, I do that more the older I get, anyway how do you seal hinge gaps properly ?

There is a tape available for that exact purpose. Do a google search...at the moment I cant remember which online shops had it.

You flex the control surface to full up deflection, you fold a piece of covering (or tape) in half (length wise) and iron it to the bottom of the hinge gap (don't iron tape). Depending on the size or the control surfaces the covering width will vary. On 30% planes I use about 3/8 inch wide strip, on 35% about 1/2 inch wide strips. You may also do about a 6 to 8 inch length then another 6 to 8 inch length, another, etc. until the entire gap is covered. It may be easier for you to work with a shorter strip of covering.

I use clear covering or blenderm tape. I now prefer the tape plus I can get it at any pharmacy.

I'm sure others will have a better description of the process.

Steve

http://www.modelaircraft.org/MAG/FTG...1/31main2.html found this on the subject

What StevL said. But you can also use Monokote (or whatever to match the existing covering on the model) cut into long, narrow strips and ironed over the deflected hinge gap. You only have to do the bottom for full benefit, but for cosmetics you can do top & bottom (or both sides of the rudder). Watch if using clear tape that you don't use too thick a tape (i.e. - hinge tape over existing CA hinges or hatch tape).

I have a roll of the base colors for all my planes, I didn't plan on having them, but It is windy in Oklahoma and you have to be REALLY CAREFUL with trike gear in wind on concrete LOL

Thanks for the tips I just didn't want to mess something up, after seeing things its pretty common sense type stuff. Thanks all





(that turn at the end of the runway to taxi back is a nasty one in 20mph wind, I just roll into the grass now on those days ..stupid trike gear )

Maybe this will help

It makes the controls more effective, especially if the gap isn't right to begin with, and it helps prevent control surface flutter. I use clear monokote or oracover

Nah!!! it don't help Have a good one my friend.

True

Not true

Yes, closing the gap will increase control effectiveness and will SOMETIMES help with flutter but not always. If it changes the stiffness of the surface or prevents airflow thru the slot that initiates flutter, it may help. Flutter always has to have a trigger to get it started so, preventing the start up impulse in any manner helps to eliminate flutter onset in some cases but not all.

By the same token, airflow through the slot can also stop the trigger. So, while in some cases sealing the gap can prevent flutter, in other cases, it can create it.

At a MUCH cheaper price too!

Yup as you and Rodney posted...

All too often the hinge gap width requirements are grossly overstated.

I've seen people here frantic about a 2-3mm gap on a medium-large plane.

If that's all you have, why worry?

In fact, a lot of IMAC and 3D fliers are now leaving fairly large gaps because they like the way it makes a whistling sound when they do snaps.

Scared the crap outta me the first time I heard it!