Warped wings, please help!
#1
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From: Dublin, OH
Hello everyone, well im kinda new or "renewed" to the rc airplane hobby. I use to fly a little bit as a kid and for some reason within the past year the i was bit by the bug. Anyway, i decided i wanted to build a kit this winter to keep me busy on my spare time. My girlfriend bought me a Senior Telemaster from Hobby Lobby. Everything as come together great but the trailing edge of my wings. I built the wings on a board and even noticed that both of my trailing edge pieces were warped downward at each end. I just pinned it down like usual thinking that the rest of the wing would straighten it out when all of the glue dried, well i was wrong. The wole wing is staight execpt for my trailing edges, and now that im at the point where i need to sand the wing to accomidate my ailerons and im finding that its not possible. Is there anyway to get rid of this warp? Should i cut the trailing edge off and try to reglue it? or can i fix it by covering the top of the wing first and pulling the warp out with the covering. Please Help! Thanks, Jared
#2
depends on how bad the warp is,i would cut it off and make a new piece that is straight and glue it on.if it is very slight you might cover the top and pull it back but it would most likely just come back
#3
Does the wing have shear webs between the top and bottom spars? If not, I have fixed this problem in the past by holding the wing and twisting it the warp out and then having a buddy super glue a shear web across the spars between several of the ribs and the twist will not/can not come back. This also makes the wing virtually twist proof from then on. The web is made from 1/16" balsa as wide as a bay and the grain running from spar to spar. Good luck.
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From: Warner Robins,
GA
Manion 30 speaks truth.
I too had severe warp but caused by the dope shrinking too much.
I removed the silk, soaked the panel with water, laid a heavy object on the
panel to flatten it, and let dry in the sun. If that doesn't do it, start over.
Kraus
I too had severe warp but caused by the dope shrinking too much.
I removed the silk, soaked the panel with water, laid a heavy object on the
panel to flatten it, and let dry in the sun. If that doesn't do it, start over.
Kraus
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From: Dublin, OH
It worked! Well after looking at the wings for literally and hour, i figured i could set it on a really stable flat surface (my kitchen floor) and put weight on it to straighten it out. The plans only called for sheer webs from ribs 1-8 and i noticed that most of the warp was from there on, so i simply bought some more 3/32 balsa sheet and added sheer webs the entire length of the wing. I also added balsa supports between the ribs on the trailing edge of the wing. I let the epoxy dry and presto, the wing was straight as and arrow and twice as strong, it worked! Thanks for all of the input guys, Jared





