Wing Installation and Wing Root Gap Seal Questions

[Darick]

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.

[Bryan Cotton]

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


Adam riveting:


With a polished airframe the gap appears twice as big:


Goofing around with tape. I used to be good at it during my soaring days. This seems no worse than the 1-35.

[Darick]

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:

[n982sx]

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.

[LarryEWaiex121]

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.

[dbdevkc]

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.

[jowens]

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

[avee8r]

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

[jjbardell]

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

[kevinh]

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...