GSJames

I am having a really hard time making nice smooth 424 / Q-25 wings when I cover them with .75 oz cloth. They are SO FRAGILE and prone to dents, that it seems that no matter how much care I take, I still get "dings" and hangar rash on them before I even get them on the airplane.

I am giving some thought to building one with 2 oz cloth instead just to have a little "ding resistance". I know that it will add weight. Has anyone used heavier cloth? How much extra weight did it add?

If I have done my math right, assuming a 40/60 cloth/resin ratio the difference in weight should be about 1.5-1.6 oz over the .75 oz cloth. I'm willing to pay that much for ding resistance.

Anyone else with experience in this area?

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

James, I have been using the same finishing method on my scale warbird racers and don't have the ding issue you are having. Maybe your selection of wood is on the soft side. Usually when I am sheeting my wings I use at least 6 lb stock. Even when using the heavier wood I still have issues making minimum weight and end up packing in a 2000 MAH RX battery LOL.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I just think I need a padded hangar..

My wife would probably agree, only she'd opt for a smaller room for me..

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Lol on the padded hangar

GSJames

sahartman21

I just apply water to the dent and it swells back to normal.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Man, I am glad you didn't say rub it a little too.[X(]

GSJames

This is an "after primer/paint" problem, not a pre-glassing problem. I always raise the dents with a steam iron prior to final sanding before glassing the wing. Does the steam iron technique still work after glassing? I suspect not.

lfinney

My Feedback: (44)

if your talking about primer denting easily, its part of the primers properties..high talc filler, it makes it soft or weak..two part primers are much tougher

djlyon

A first flight without accidental dings is bad luck and a hazard. They will never fly right without dings. Murphy's law. Denting of course is a different problem. After glassing with .5 to .75 cloth I never have a problem unless I work on the wing on a poor surface.

Denis

luv to race

My Feedback: (1)

Just crash more... that way you always have new stuff. ...

I use towels like a mad man. Wrap the wing in a towel.. Hard mounted racks in cars are brutal on hangar rash.. I'd rather lay the planes in the car lose wrapped in towels than on a rack.. Works well for me. I have foam padded fixtures at home for storage, they work great.

RB

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I'm with RB - I usually don't have to worry much about rash, hitting things like other planes, pylons, or the ground (usually you hit the ground in all three scenarios...) tend to make wings look a LOT worse than a few dents...

diggs_74

Gary, just think of the dents as vortex inducers.. You know, like the dimples on a golf ball

BarryReade

My Feedback: (1)

I am new to the 424 scene this year. I went to Mulberry back in March from the Metro Atlanta area. Yes, I got some minor hangar rash on my two racers but man, did I learn a lot during my three days there. I had John McDermont and Robert Vess on one side and Dennis O'Brien and Dub Jett on the other side of my pit. Plus all the other helpful folks that were there. I noticed that Robert Vess has some real neat padding sleeves that he put on his 422 wing when it was stored. I thought they were neat and mentioned it to my wife Brenda. She said she could make me something if I wanted. Wow, what a great deal. She made me two so far and I will talk more about them in my next post.

BarryReade

My Feedback: (1)

We used two diffent fabric patterns and she installed a leather patch so the aileron linkage wouldn't rub through the fabric.

Brenda said it took 1.5 yds of double sided padded quilted fabric. She bought the fabric a Joanns using a 40% or 50% off coupon. even at that price the materials were about $20 per wing.

We are working on a fuselage cover that is simple yet exffective in providing padding to prevent dings and scrapes.

I do like Randy's idea of crashing more and not worring about the dings because you always have a new racer.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

Barry - looking good! I have one wing bag that I got from a friend that quit racing - it's only open on the end, though, and you have to slide the wing into it from the end. Works ok to protect things, but the aileron linkage does cause issues trying to get a wing in and out of the bag, though.

Plus, it's about 2" short for a 52" Q500 wing, so the velcro at the end won't hold it together.

My sister sews and quilts a lot, my wife doesn't. I might have to talk to my sister about doing something like the ones you show.

GSJames

That's my technique anyway. Either that or lose 'em in the lake like I did after the final race last month. [:@]

BarryReade

My Feedback: (1)

Losing in the Lake has to be the worst as nothing is there to be able to salvage. I had a friend lose a GS that he had $7500 invested in a river. Total loss!! Say Ouch!!

Pylonracr

On my planes that I care about I make my own wing bags. I usually buy cheap sleeping bags on sale, or the same material at the fabric store. Mine are not show pieces, but the sleeping bag material is very padded, so the planes are protected.

Anything is better than nothing, especially for long trips.