Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby Darick » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:31 am

What do you think of using the iron on covering used in modeling? Comes in different colors, flexible, shrinks with heat..no wrinkles...I haven't tried it yet as I'm not to that stage.
Darick Gundy
Sonex #1646
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby Bryan Cotton » Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:34 pm

We stole Bob Meyer's idea for marking the trim line on the wing root fairings. Thx Bob!
Image

Adam riveting:
Image

With a polished airframe the gap appears twice as big:
Image

Goofing around with tape. I used to be good at it during my soaring days. This seems no worse than the 1-35.
Image
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby Darick » Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:48 am

Bryan, with the polished finish, I go cross eyed trying to figure out which reflection is the real one, especially when you write THX BOB! As a mirror image so it is readable on the REFLECTION side!
Clevvv-er! :lol:
Darick Gundy
Sonex #1646
N417DG
Taildragger, Aerovee, center stick, Prince P-Tip Prop
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby n982sx » Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:14 am

That encoding of the message, a la DaVinci, was terrific.

Wish I could take credit for the idea but I'm sure I stole it from someone else, I just don't remember who. It is a neat little trick made possible by the miracle of modern CNC machines.
Bob Meyers

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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby LarryEWaiex121 » Wed Aug 24, 2016 1:17 pm

Bryan,

On my Waiex, I ended up holding the wing to fuselage gap down to between 3/16" and 1/4" max. It made getting the seals started a VERY difficult task. I about threw in the towel a couple of times. I used every pick and tool I could dream up but they finally got situated.
My seals have been in place 5 yrs now and they are still holding up well. My only area that doesn't lay down perfectly well is over top of the main spar where it needs to be trimmed for clearance and you essentially "span" the spar with nothing to hold it down but each end. I notice mine climb up the side of the fuselage a tiny bit, bit no one has ever mentioned it. Its one of those things you notice as a builder.
As for how yours is laying down on the leading edge? I would push the seal forward so its not so tightly wrapped and it will stand a bit more proud. Push it forward both top and bottom.
Lastly, I think you would decide after glider taping the gap you had made a huge mistake in about a year. Hard to get off and screws up your polish.
I have my Idaho Registration sticker just under my left hockey stick on the stab and I tried and tried to get if off with only scratches to show for my effort. Now I put on another over the top and at years end, it will peel off the original, but the original is still in place. Darn!
At least this way it doesn't look ghetto. Best of luck no matter which way you go. Its hard work.

Larry
Waiex121YX, Camit 3300, Skyview, 485 hrs, 27 Camit hrs.
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby dbdevkc » Wed Sep 21, 2016 10:55 am

You can get tape like that in whatever color you need. I know tape is used on the fiberglass gliders before every flight with no issues. But I think the Sonex fleet is more like the Schweizer 1-26/1-34 in that they are metal fuse and wings. My 1-26 has a rubber seal in place. If tape is used, and the tape is ever peeled off it tends to take any loose paint off with it. And as the paint ages, that will happen. If your Sonex is polished tape should work good with no problems. If you have paint I would say the seal is a better long term solution, but tape sure is a cleaner look.
[color=#800000]Kevin Conklin
Building Waiex #169
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby jowens » Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:14 pm

Here is the information to find the wing root gap seal on Van's website:
http://vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/store.c ... oduct=misc

RUBBER CHANNEL X 12' WING ROOT SEAL $10.65 x 2
Jim Owens
Dynon HDX1100, dual controls, Viking 110, taildragger
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby avee8r » Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:05 am

I have a set of the Van's wing root gap seal that I bought for my Sonex that I won't be using.
I'm satisfied with the small gap I was able to get without it.
Make me an offer
Happy Landings
John
Sonex 373
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby jjbardell » Tue Dec 20, 2016 3:21 pm

I used a rubber channel from aircraft spruce and then secured it with a silicone adhesive. It has worked perfect and looks nice. They make various thicknesses and depths to fit your gaps.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... cfer=11992
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Re: Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

Postby kevinh » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:03 pm

Is the vans E shaped rubber working on the left wing for ya'll? On my left wing it looks like after trimming the inner rib will be almost adjacent to the seal, thus providing very little 'lip' for the seal to fit over...
Taildragger Waiex in progress, tail done, wings done, about to mate wings to fuse,
then cowl, canopy, paint (photos): flush rivets, turbo aerovee, acro ailerons
(I built my RV7A and happily flew it for about 500 hrs)
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