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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Rich Perry on November 05, 2016, 03:58:19 PM
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What are the preferred materials used to seal/ tape off the hinge lines on your stunt ships? I have a Twister with a few flights that I would like to seal up. Problem is I cannot get the tape to stick. After getting some fuel on it, I guess I will have to really clean it. Alcohol was not enough.
Thanks in advance for the ideas.
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Most hardware stores have a display of 3M plastic tape in lots of colors including clear. The clear comes in 3/4" and 1/2" wide rolls. I use the 1/2". Clean the surfaces really well with GooGone, lacquer thinner, lighter fluid, or whatever ittakes to get it clean, then finish off with mild soap and water or window cleaner. Put the tape on the bottom if the surface. Cut the tape in the lengths you need. Deflect the flap or elevator away from you, center the tape over the gap, and work it into the gap and work the edges down. Get it all flat and work it down. Takes a little practice but worth the offort.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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and don't forget to round off those little 90 degrees points at teh tapes ends.
keeps the tape from lifting up in the long run.
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Here I helped you out, I did a quick search on here and the first three results,, LOTS written here about taping hingelines, the hows, the whys and more
http://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/taping-hing-lines/
http://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/taping-hingelines/
http://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/taping-hinge-lines/
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Get some 3M Blenderm tape. It's a medical tape but the electric foamy guys use it for hinges so you can find it at hobby shops. It is very flexible and sticks better than about any tape I have found. It comes in 1/2" and 1" wide rolls, I usually use the 1/2" for hinge line sealing. PM me if you want to try it but can't find any. George
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Yes to the Blenderm tape. It is available in the hobby store re-packaged and sold as "Electric Plane Hinge Tape". But I get it at the local pharmacy for much less.
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Cool! Thanks guys. I will give it a try.
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Would Walgreens or CVS carry this product. What is it's medical use? Wound taping?
Thanks,
Rich
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I have a Sig Banshee that has a good 3/16" flap gap (forgot the notch for the hinges lol). It flew bad so I taped the hinge line but it flew just the same, no difference. So I took all the tape off and converted it from electric to glow and reduced the flap ratio slightly. Now it flys great, go figure.
Now I just go for about a 5/64" gap with Dubro hinges and no tape, no worries.
MM
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For a guy like me when I used the pin hinges, I would get the gap as close as I could. I doubt taping would have helped me much. Just ask the guys that have seen me fly. LL~ LL~ LL~
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Rich
I bought my last Blenderm through Amazon, I have never bought locally but I have never looked. Box says it is Surgical Tape, not sure what that means but it sticks well even on planes that have many flights prior to applying.
George
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I'll have to find some Blenderm and try it, but the neat thing about the 3M tape is that it does stick well, and practically disappears when you lay it down, as long as your fingers are clean. I work in industrial maintenance and hate wearing gloves so my hands get good and greasy. It takes a couple days and several washings for my finger tips to get really clean where they won't leave a finger print on the tape!
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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For a guy like me when I used the pin hinges, I would get the gap as close as I could. I doubt taping would have helped me much. Just ask the guys that have seen me fly. LL~ LL~ LL~
No matter how tight you make it, it's bigger than an air molecule. Moreover, the tighter you make the gap, the more critical it is to get it exactly right and exactly even throughout the travel.
Sealing the hinge lines is *absolutely critical*. There, now someone can try to start a "proof by authority" pissing contest about THAT, too.
Brett
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When I first started flying, Brett, Ted and David took me under their wings and became my mentors.
Every time I showed up with a new plane, they would look it over and make suggestions.
The VERY first thing out of their mouths was "Tape the hinge lines". Like most, my thoughts were, My god, the flap gaps are so small, what difference would it make?
When three of the best flyers in in the country give me advice or suggestions, I don't ask questions. I just do what they say.
If it were not for them I would never had made the expert ranks where I can now get my butt kicked at every contest.
And if I haven't said it before I'll say it now, Thank you Brett, Ted and Dave.
Along with my father, you guys have made this hobby so much fun for me.
Larry, Buttafucco Stunt Team
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I have a Sig Banshee that has a good 3/16" flap gap (forgot the notch for the hinges lol). It flew bad so I taped the hinge line but it flew just the same, no difference. So I took all the tape off and converted it from electric to glow and reduced the flap ratio slightly. Now it flys great, go figure.
Now I just go for about a 5/64" gap with Dubro hinges and no tape, no worries.
MM
So you made two other major changes in the airplane, and then declare the tape useless? If you would have made one change at a time, like it is recommended, and reduced the flap travel first you would have seen a difference. A gap of 1/16" is enough to have an effect.
One reason I tape my hinge lines as part of the trim process is full size aerobatic airplanes have their hinge lines sealed. I have also experienced and seen taping improve more models than I can count over 35 years of doing this. It's one of those things that I just do. A small thing by itself sometimes but small things add up.
How do you "forget" to notch the control surface leading edges for the hinges?
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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Several types/brands of tape have been suggested here and in previous threads. Apparently, these work for those who have written about them.
Some of the Golden Arms who started using taped hinge lines recommended Moores Crystal Clear. (Also recommended in previous threads including one of the three above.) It is/was available at art supply stores. I still have a supply that will last me for a while, so have not checked on availability. It is thin, more flexible as any other tape I have tried, is absolutely clear, and has a fairly low adhesive so that it does not pull finish/covering off when replacing it.
Keith
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Several types/brands of tape have been suggested here and in previous threads. Apparently, these work for those who have written about them.
Some of the Golden Arms who started using taped hinge lines recommended Moores Crystal Clear. (Also recommended in previous threads including one of the three above.) It is/was available at art supply stores. I still have a supply that will last me for a while, so have not checked on availability. It is thin, more flexible as any other tape I have tried, is absolutely clear, and has a fairly low adhesive so that it does not pull finish/covering off when replacing it.
Keith
It is still available:
http://www.misterart.com/adhesives/tape/transparent-tape/moore-crystal-clear-tape.html
This is the kind Ted got originally. I have used that, but you can get this at any drugstore, and it's very similar:
https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-MultiTask-Tape-650-Inches/dp/B00004Z481/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1478480896&sr=1-1&keywords=scotch+multi-task+tape
In both cases, the key feature is that it is slightly stretchy and very tough, and when you go to remove it, the adhesive comes off with the tape. Fascal, Trim Monokote, etc, will work OK, but it will leave a God-awful mess of adhesive when you pull it off. Both are very thin compared to the Blenderm tape and offer very little additional control drag when applied properly. Scotch or other "Magic Transparent Tape" will crack in a few cycles, if you can even manage to get it on.
Brett
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For a guy like me when I used the pin hinges, I would get the gap as close as I could. I doubt taping would have helped me much. Just ask the guys that have seen me fly. LL~ LL~ LL~
When I flew RC, taping the aileron gaps increased roll rate considerably. It just makes sense to do the same on these planes. Less control input/control surface deflection equates to a smoother flying airplane.
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When I flew RC, taping the aileron gaps increased roll rate considerably. It just makes sense to do the same on these planes. Less control input/control surface deflection equates to a smoother flying airplane.
Bill,
I flew R/C and never taped anything, except when I painted. #^ LL~
Sure, I knew some guys that taped their ailerons, good for them. Fast roll rates can be adjusted by horn length, but fast roll rates may not be important depending on how any given pilot sets his model up. There's no roll rate in CL. ;D
Robert/Sparky, once said he taped his gaps. He also said he didn't like the way the model flew and would never tape gaps again.
I'm lucky, The niche I'm in requires no thought about taping gaps. LL~ LL~
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every airplane in my hanger control line or RC has all the control surfaces taped,
benefits, consistant control response versus input
less control deflection = less drag ( pylon racing and pattern)
drawbacks,,
takes a little bit of time
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I flew R/C and needed ore glue than tape! LL~
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Rich
I bought my last Blenderm through Amazon, I have never bought locally but I have never looked. Box says it is Surgical Tape, not sure what that means but it sticks well even on planes that have many flights prior to applying.
George
I bought BlenDerm here for $0.71/roll, 30 yards each. Less then $10 for 5 rolls shipped:
https://www.medicalmega.com/medical/3m-healthcare/15250.html?gclid=CPblman_oNACFYRKXgodZCUFbA