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Tiny Hole in wing

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Old 10-25-2007 | 09:33 PM
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From: South Hamilton, MA
Default Tiny Hole in wing

I have a tiny hole in the wing, it is about 2mm long. basically like a small rip in the shape of a U. This wouldn't cause anything bad to happen during flight would it? Should I repair it right away with something. It's on the monokote. What would the easiest way to repair it be. It is on the bottom of a low wing plane.
Old 10-25-2007 | 10:00 PM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

Use a patch of Monokote. Low heat on iron.
Old 10-25-2007 | 10:02 PM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

Lots of guys take tape with them to the field to temporarily patch things like that. Some actually do permanently repair them later.
Old 10-25-2007 | 10:33 PM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

Another handy one is stickers, the sort you get with just about every major product, and even off the shelf sticker sets, the range is endless.
I guess it depends on whether you are after an invisible repair or it doesn't matter.
Old 10-25-2007 | 10:50 PM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

It's important to fix the hole using any of the methods mentioned. A small hole could lead to a larger tear in flight. I've had most of the monokote on top of one wing ripped off in flight. I did land the plane safely but it was pretty hairy.

Dave
Old 10-26-2007 | 10:41 AM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

A small hole is not a problem. A small hole that tears (or suddenly goes "BANG!" and opens into a split the size of the panel) is a bad thing.

Clear packing tape is better than nothing if you don't have a color-match bit of Monokote or trim. I keep a small roll of "hatch tape" in my flight box for emergency field repairs.

Good place for a decal, too. Club emblem, Stars and Bars, etc.
Old 10-26-2007 | 01:33 PM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

My airfield closes after the first of October, so I go to a local park to fly during the off season.
It was a cold day, and I removed my Ultra Stick .40 from the back of my car and went to place it on the hood.

<BANG> I popped a hole in the botttom of the wing covering with my car's antenna. [:@]
Being cold and brittle, the hole ended up being about 3 inches by 4 inches.

I used packing tape that I just happened to have in the trunk to cover the hole so I could fly that morning.
It stayed on there for 2 seasons until I experienced Dumb Thumbs coming in for a landing on the first flight of the season.
I ended up fertalizing the corn field with balsa, but it was no fault of the tape. [:-]

Bob
Old 10-27-2007 | 09:01 AM
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Default RE: Tiny Hole in wing

Since you asked about the aerodynamic consequences of the hole.......................

There should be none. But if it enlarges, there is a possibility that there could be. And the AERODYNAMICS of losing the covering on one side of a wing can be huge.

A number of aircraft in WWI experienced real problems when their aerodynamics changed as a result of the wing covering blowing off.

Aerodynamics is sometimes a funny subject, sometimes not.

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