Filling the Trailing edge joggles ...
Are there any opinions (particularly in light of the recent debate on weight
build -up) what the lightest way of filling the trailing edge joggles is.
I filled my tailplane and rudder ones with a dryish flox mix (cling film
squeegeed down) but I am wondering if Q-cel or micro is lighter before I fill
the flap and aileron joggles - which are actually quite deep by comparison.
Comments please ...
Struggling with bid ...
I read that someone was struggling with bid during a layup recently. Fun isn't
it!!
The solution I found is to mark up the size of bid (or uni-) using 1/2 inch wide
masking tape stuck to the cloth. Cut down the centerline of the tape and it will
a lot easier to handle as it gives the cloth a hem which hold the fibres
together. This is particularly useful for things like aileron L.E close-outs.
Cut the cloth down to within 1 cm of the edge as normal.
Keeping that uni- straight ...
On large area layups like tailplane skins, my inspector (when I was in the U.K)
always liked to see not only the uni- heading off in the right direction (ie.30
deg to trailing edge - say) but also no waviness in the fibres. This is easily
achieved by not only using the masking tape 'hem' as above but then by rolling
it up onto a 1 inch dia. piece of tubing or downpipe. Not only does it store
your pre-cut pieces easily but you can do your layups single handed if need be
-
just roll the cloth off onto your micro-slurried/pre-epoxied surface.
Thickness of trailing edges ...
Lastly, are there any comments - particularly in the light of the 'flutter'
debate - which I might add I have failed to see on the video no matter how hard
I look (were you talking about the slow motion side-shot while the aircraft was
spinning right at the end and the tail was getting a bit of buffeting - not
surprisingly?) - on how thick the trailing edges should be. I seem to recall
G-ELSA at the 1994 PFA rally having razor sharp edges. Fine aesthetically they
may be but a blunt T.E is less prone to flutter. How blunt is blunt?
Comments please ...
Regards
Martin Tuck
Builder #152
Wichita, Kansas
USA.
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