I am building a Carl Goldberg Eagle II. Wing is completed and now I am wondering if I should have added cap strips to the wing ribs. The plans dont call for them but would think that it would look better and have more surface for the covering to attach to than just the edge of the wing ribs. Now that the wing is completed I would have to cut each one down the thickness of the capstrips and install capstrips. My questions are is it worth it? Will the added weight effect the plane? What about leading edge sheeting too? This is my first kit and want it to look nice. Thanks!!

Michden:

It's finished. Fly it.

Cap strips are an easy way to mask an unevenly sanded rib, and sometimes they are used for appearance.

They do add lateral rigidity to the ribs, but since there are no lateral loads on most ribs they aren't needed for that either.

The added surface for covering adhesion is there, but again, usually not needed.

If you are building your own design, use them or not as you please, but otherwise just go with what the designer drew on the plan.

Cap strips look great,
. Otherwise, just more weight.

Bill.

if your wing is already built, just cover it and go fly.
It'll look worse now if you try to grind all 876 ribs down identically, because it won't happen and it'll look like a 50-year old picket fence.

The Eagle is a GREAT trainer just the way they tell you to build it . It's probably the last design still sold that was designed during Carl Goldberg's life.

One nice thing about the wing is that it is open construction and when you doink a landing, it can flex and spring back with minimal if any damage. If you hurt it, it's easy to fix. Capstrips will make it a lot more complicated to patch if you crush the leading edge.

If you want to strengthen something about the Iggle, glue a little strip of scrap liteply over the A-shaped part that anchors the landing gear torque rod. As designed, after a few dozen hard landings, the stock configuration loosens and the torque rod can pop out of the A-shaped piece, letting the landing gear collapse. If you fix it from time zero, it will last for the life of the plane.

When you cover an open structure wing, you generally don't adhere the heat shrink covering to each wing rib edge.

Just adhere around the edges (leading edge, trailing edge, wing tips), then shrink it over the open structure.

Good piece of advise !

it's fine the way it is - fly it and have fun

cap strips are an efficient way to react load, but you will be fine the way it is

Thanks for the info guys. I will just leave it alone like all have said. This is my first kit and am sure I will have more questions later in the building process. Thanks Jim C. for the advice on beefing up the landing gear, I will be sure to do just that. This forum is great, having a blast building and cant wait for spring to get involved with club and get some training. Already hooked!! Thanks again!!