Question, Walt: Was it a line-break or was it the line getting stuck in the groove?

I have seen an aluminum wing tip guide develop a groove where the lines pass through and which caused the lines to stick in the guide. Result pretty much as you described.

I suspect the placement of the guide also has some effect: too far forward or too far back causes the lines to continuously contact the guide in one spot, exacerbating the wear. Setting the leadout(guide) position using one of the various line-rake programs makes this less of a concern. (Also makes the model faster!)

Of course, there is always the fact that in a racing environment, the lines (or leadouts as the case may be) take a lot of abuse at the wingtip, and breaks occur there commonly if lines are not changed regularly. Once again, setting the guide position as mentioned also diminishes the abuse at the wingtip.

Regards,

Bill

Internal lines/ leadouts or external? Either way, you could make leadouts with the lines permanently connected externally. Make the lines as usual, with small eyelets. Then put the leadout wire through the middle of the eyelets. Make the airplane end of the leadouts to fit over the buttons, and you will still be able to remove and roll up the lines/ leadouts. Or, use solid leadouts with the wingtip ends fashioned into connectors. Both of these methods eliminate the drag of normal line connectors at the wingtip. See the Feb. 2025 issue of Torque Roll at nclra.org.

I have had good luck using a slotted piece of scrap maple motor mount for a line guide with internal lines/leadouts.