Repairing a damaged wing
by Don Grissom
dongrissom@hilltopflyers.com
It is the midpoint of the year and a good time to check for damage to your airplanes. It is amazing how many wings get damaged and simply thrown away because so many people will just make a new one. I would love to do the same thing, but I generally repair damaged models and continue to fly them until I can’t anymore.
One of the most common damages on a wing is to the leading edge. During a contest, I normally tape over the area and continue to fly, but a good fix is to remove the entire section and replace it. It is a good idea to keep scrap wing cuts or blocks of foam for this.
The first thing you do is cut out the complete section as shown in the accompanying photo, making it square. At this point, people will often try to make a piece that has the correct profile before gluing it in. I always take the scrap piece and glue it on the wing before shaping it.
After adhering it to the wing, you will need to let the adhesive dry before continuing. I normally use polyurethane adhesive such as Gorilla Glue, which will expand into any holes and does not add much weight.
After the adhesive dries, I use an electric sander to sand away the foam to match the profile. I use fine-grit sandpaper since anything with much grit will simply shred the foam. I do this outside because it creates such a mess.
After it has been sanded smooth, I use naphtha to clean any fuel or residue from the surrounding tape. This will help the new tape attach to the old tape. It is a good idea to keep some naphtha in your flight box to make field repairs in a hurry. It is one of the best ways to clean fuel off of covering.
You will add a little weight with the glue, so you may need to adjust the balance and the airplane’s weight.
Air Combat America at Top Gun
Combat pilots have been communicating recently through Facebook. On Facebook, I noticed that a number of pilots in Florida are still putting on an RC Combat demonstration every year at Top Gun.
In 2005, Don Pruitt from my flying club and I went to the event
for the first RC Combat demonstration. We only had a few pilots, so we ended up getting some fliers from Hodges Hobbies in Georgia to help, as well as Chris Handegard.
It was such a great show that the next year, event director Frank Tiano created a team for the RC Combat demonstration. It was originally headed by Chris, and now is managed by Craig Buttery. Here is some information from Craig about the team, and what it has been up to.
“Air Combat America has been a crowd-favorite air show act at Top Gun for at least the last decade. The early stages of a show team that entertained and promoted RC Combat was the brainchild of Chris Handegard many years ago. In the beginning it consisted of a group of qualified pilots bringing one or two airplanes from their personal Combat arsenals.
“About 2006, Chris and Frank hammered out an idea to make the Combat pilots look like a show act. With eight matching B2 Avengers, matching T-shirts, and safety helmets, Air Combat America was born.
“Fast-forward to 2015. The team is on its third set of airplanes and currently flies Raptor airframes with Magnum .15 engines (Slow Survivable Combat configuration), Spektrum Dx61 radios, and Spektrum servos. The show simulates a round of Combat that starts with a launch period then a call to start Combat.
“The round is not timed, but generally lasts about 5 minutes. There is a general ‘nonaggression pact,’ but we keep the fur ball tight and swap colored streamers that are wider and longer than rule book streamers to keep the action going. Even with a nonaggression pact, the crowd is frequently entertained by an untimely midair collision.
“Although Top Gun is the one air show that the team counts on every year, and there is always a great crowd, we have performed at other RC air shows and even for our local airport’s open house.”
Thanks, Craig, for the report. I would love to come down and do it again one of these days. Your team puts on a good show.
SOURCES:
Raptor airframe kit
bigdogbuttery@gmail.com
Top Gun
www.franktiano.com
Radio Control Combat Association (RCCA)
www.rccombat.com
