Gelcoat and laminair wings.
After 25 years and 2500 hours my motorglider Pik 20E has still his first
coating and though it may have an ivory gloss, it flies like a laminair
sailplane without crackings. I will be there to see all the Europa's after
25 years and inspect them on there first coatings.
Now do you know why the sailplanes had gelcoat? Not only for ease in
production but for grinding afterwards in order to obtain a laminair wing.
Laminair airflow means that the molecules of air near the wingsurface don't
move for 2/1000th of a milimeter let's say 2. Most acryl- or urethane
paints
don't allow that kind of finishing because the final layer is too thin.
Workshop conditions and experience are the best parameters for good results
any what materials you use.
For me the quetion is not only to have a good looking plane on the apron. It
has to go as fast as possible with a laminair wing.
Karel Vranken, Belgium
# 447 mono XS finishing and grinding since 6 months on gelcoat.
>From: <beecho@beecho.org>
>Reply-To: europa-list@matronics.com
>To: <europa-list@matronics.com>
>Subject: RE: Europa-List: gel coat
>Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 14:14:54 -0800
>
>
>John, I think it is epoxy gelcoat!
>Sorry about not getting the Jab photos out. I'll get to it.
>Tom
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
>[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of
>TELEDYNMCS@aol.com
>To: europa-list@matronics.com
>Subject: Re: Europa-List: gel coat
>
>
>Hi Neville,
>
>The "University of Neville" leads us through the fog once again!
>
>So, the white stuff on the Europa fuselage and wings is Expancel and not
>gel
>coat? I recall when I asked about it before I bought my kit I was told
>specifically it was gel coat, but only enough was applied to fill the
>weave of the
>cloth to alleviate cracking and peeling problems and to ease the filling
>and
>sanding process for finish.
>
>If anybody wants to see what gel coat looks like after about 10 years,
>contact me off list. I've got lots of pictures.
>
>Regards,
>
>John Lawton
>Dunlap, TN
>A-245
>
>
>==
>==
>==
>==
>
>
Hotmail: je gratis e-mail ! http://www.msn.be/hotmail
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