So what happens to your plane if you fly in a little rain?

[Paul Taylor]

We had a very lite rain at our weekend contest. Zuriel said something about rain running down the lines and getting into the wing.

So should we look for water damage? 

[Martin Quartim]

the one thing I have learned about flying in rain is that the plane gets heavier and you have to anticipate comand input and round a bit more on the corners. I almost crashed right on the reverse wingover pull out, man did I came close to the ground that rainy day

Martin

[Howard Rush]

Rain degrades the lift capability of the airplane.  You can mistake this for sticky lines.  If you jerk on the controls to overcome the possibly imaginary sticky-line friction, it can stall the airplane.  Fly smooth.  I received this advice at a rainy Nats.  My score went up when I finally heeded the advice. 

[Jim Thomerson]

Allen Brickhaus should chime in here.  At a contest in Indiana we left airplanes sitting out in the rain.  They were all greasy and should be no problem, right?  I may not have the numbers exactly right.  I think Allen found his airplane had picked up 8 oz, and that it took maybe a month for it to completely dry out.

I have flown in the rain, both stunt and racing, with little problem. 

[M Spencer]

It chasses you all around the field, all day. As the lines get caught in the long bits of grass.
Particularly if its a float plane & they havnt mowed the grass for weeks cause its all boggy .

[Joe Gilbert]

I always felt like the airplanes got tail heavy when flying in rain. We Alwyes put rain guard or rain-x on lines to fight the sticky feeling they will get.

[RandySmith]

You can ruin any airplane by flying in the rain, the lines collect water as you fly, centrifugal force slides the water down the lines and into the leadout guide, it is now in the wing, and migrates from the tip all the way across to the outer wingtip.
We had to fly in water during a NATs and TTs a few years ago, Bill Rich had taken out tip weight and when he removed the box cover a lot of water ran out of that part of the wing.  Most everyplane was dropping the outboard tip from all the water inside. The planes can and do pickup over 5 to 10 ounces from inside water.
This is not even to mention the water sticking on the outside and the water that creeps into the hinges and horn areas. All in all  try to stay away from flying in rain if possible. I have also seen bad warps starting on older stable planes after rain flying

Randy

[don Burke]

Solid lines tend to stick together when wet, braided no problem. 

[Randy Powell]

Well, since we fly in the rain a lot up here, I can tell you the worst offender is swelling control surfaces. You know that nice, tight fit you have between your flap root and a fairing. Not so good if you're flying in the rain. I had the controls on a classic plane I built virtually lock up from rubbing on the fairing due to flying in the rain. Not so bad during the contest, but after it dried out, the swelling stayed. A lot of sanding between the fairings and control surfaces to free them back up. It's probably why the big boys up here don't tend to use fairings.

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Paul,

You mentioned lite rain...I was soaked when I was finished with my last flight.  I knew I had  problem when I pulled out of the outside square and could see the outboard tip and was about two feet off the ground.  

I had another plane a couple of years ago the I flew in the rain in a Dallas contest.  I swore I would never do that again.  I did not expect the rain I got on my final flight in Memphis or I would have passed.  The entire flight was all different due to the change in weight and most notably the increase in tip weight.  Monokote does at least make for a good water bag

[Jim Thomerson]

 For wings which do not have the controls inside, I make a small hole in the lower rear covering near the inside wingtip.  Idea is to keep the wing from blowing up in the heat and popping the tissue. Maybe one should make a similar hole in the outside wing tip, plugged with a water soluble substance, to let the rain run out.

[RandySmith]

Well, since we fly in the rain a lot up here, I can tell you the worst offender is swelling control surfaces. You know that nice, tight fit you have between your flap root and a fairing. Not so good if you're flying in the rain. I had the controls on a classic plane I built virtually lock up from rubbing on the fairing due to flying in the rain. Not so bad during the contest, but after it dried out, the swelling stayed. A lot of sanding between the fairings and control surfaces to free them back up. It's probably why the big boys up here don't tend to use fairings.

I have also had people tell me  that a lot of moisture and heat , affects  their  ball links, they get stiff and don't work right, some after a couple of weeks in the A\C at home  get loose again?
I wonder how plastic is effected this way?

Randy

[Matt Colan]

I've flown in a drizzle, so I haven't noticed much in the difference in trim the plane has had.  I will not fly if it is a steady rain, a drizzle is ok.

[Frank Sheridan]

Fly in the rain? With my luck? Instant lightning rod!

[billbyles]

I have also had people tell me  that a lot of moisture and heat , affects  their  ball links, they get stiff and don't work right, some after a couple of weeks in the A\C at home  get loose again?
I wonder how plastic is effected this way?

Randy

Hi Randy,
If the ball links are made from Nylon they will absorb quite a bit of water causing them to swell; if made from Delrin they don't absorb so much water.  I don't know what they are made from, however.

[John Cralley]

Here is what happens when you fly in the rain:

[RandySmith]

I've flown in a drizzle, so I haven't noticed much in the difference in trim the plane has had.  I will not fly if it is a steady rain, a drizzle is ok.

uh.....NO...  a drizzle  is  not  OK, you will be amazed at how much water you can collect with your lines ,and shoot into the wingtip in a  drizzle!
   

Randy