I have never found the need to use a thimble or eyelet and that would be for flying .25 on up size planes.

             From Phil:


Using a crimp tube on Spectra is a lot of un-necessary work.   Knots are much more reliable.  There is no need for an eyelet or thimble.  Spectra is about 5 times as abrasion resistant as stainless line.

Using the line sizes specified in the combat rules simply folding the line back on itself and tying a simple overhand know will get you 50% of the rated breaking strength everytime.  This matches the strength you get from similar sized stainless steel line. Making two wraps through the loop(surgeon's knot) gets the break up to 60%, significantly stronger than stainless.    Folding the line over and tying a figure eight knot or a modified surgeon's knot(make an overhand knot in the folded line and then bend the fold around and through the other side of the loop) gets the breaking strength up to 70-80% of the rated strength.  Make sure that both strands of the fold(the standing and the free end) are pulled up evenly to get a smooth knot with both strands laid evenly next to each other.  That makes the knot stronger.  But if it doesn't work that way for you, the worst that can happen is that the knot will break at 50% and still be as strong as steel.

If you use the knot shown in the AMA general rule(5 turn uni knot) be sure and tie a blocking knot in the free end.  Spectra can be very slippering, and there is nothing to prevent the line from simply sliding through the knot and coming apart.  After tying the knot for an overhand knot in the free end and work it up close to the main knot before pulling it tight.

John's idea of using a palomar knot right on the line clip works well too.  The palomar won't let the line slide through and untie the knot.

I managed to break a set of .018 stainless lines in flight the other day.  The plane was a 14 ounce F2D ship with a Magnum 15 flying about 70 mph.  The wind was gusty, the plane had a warp, and it did a snap, went across the  circle, hit the end of the lines and bounced back to the other side and popped both lines.  Nothing is failure proof.
Report to moderator   Logged
phil Cartier

Gil if we habe a club get together soon Ill bring some braided fishin line I use to bass fish with (Power Pro 30lb and 50lb) ans Ill show ya the knot I tie.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

             Tim, that would be the knot we use for flying combat. However, the gods of flight are seeking a new knot. We will see what this new knot will entail.