Repair question, please

[GaryMC1]

I guess it's pretty bad when you crash your airplane, it's got to be worse when someone you let fly your airplane crashes it, but the worst has to be what I just did. I broke it taking it out of the car into the house!!! I cracked the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer when the door closed faster than what I thought it would. I guess I was just being plain stupid.

So, here's the question. This is a Hobbico NexSTAR ARF. I knew I cracked the leading edge, because I could see the stabilizer flex, and the covering was wrinkled. I removed the covering over the crack area on both sides of the stabilizer, and I can see that the crack goes totally through the leading edge. Furthermore, the 'rib' that goes from the rear to the front is cracked.

Now, I know I can CA this back together, and it should be a very easy fix. You can't actually see the crack in the photos, so I used a blue marker to outline it. If I bend the stabilizer upwards, I can enlarge the crack just a little, but if I bend it down, the tightens the crack, but doesn't reveal anymore on the other side.

So, *how* do I go about this? Can I just wick the CA into the one side of the crack, and hope I get enough in to make it work, which honestly, I don't feel good about, or should I do something else? I was actually thinking about drilling very small holes along the length of the crack, and filling with thick CA and thin CA.

Because the rear of the stabilizer is intact, it appears to keep the rest of the stab in compression, and I don't want to weaken anything else by applying too much pressure to seperate the broken leading edge.

I would appreciate any information you can provide. Pics of the stab are below.

Gary

[Hogster]

A nice smothering of thin CA on both sides of the leading edge will be absolutely fine. By covering the area indicated in red on both sides with thin CA, it'll rapidly soak into the balsa, set, and form a strong plastic joint between the two broken sides. Just be careful with the fumes. In my experience, letting thin CA soak quickly into balsa will create a few whisps of smoke due to the heat produced by the chemical reaction of the glue setting ....

Sand the joint afterwards (being careful not to sand away the balsa - the CA is much MUCH harder!), then re-cover.

My only concern is the area circled in red - sure there's no damage in that area?

Hope this helps ;)

[GaryMC1]

Hogster,
No kidding! WOW! I certainly didn't expect that. First of all, that thin CA is THIN, isn't it! :D

I put a little on either side, and it just went in and the leading edge is fixed. I figured I was going to have to go out and do all sorts of weird stuff to get this fixed.

I even went so far as to buy a Dremel tool, and a couple of router bits, because I was going to cut a slot in the leading edge and put another piece of balsa in there like a spar to make sure it stood up. Didn't need it, may end up returning it for a refund! Thin CA!

As to the other area that you were concerned about, although I didn't cut the covering away, I looked at it, flexed it, felt it, tried to move stuff around it, but it didn't move. I don't think there's any damage there.

Thanks for all your help!

Gary

[Paranoia]

Yes, i do more damage to my planes transporting them then flying them :(

[GaryMC1]

Yes, i do more damage to my planes transporting them then flying them :(

Thank you! Now I don't feel like a compete jerk!

And, I knew I shouldn't have done it anyway, but I did!.

Gary

[Hogster]

Glad I could help! :) I love CA ... although CA loves my skin too .... a permanent bond shall we say ... :rolleyes:

Edit: Oh and to make you feel even LESS of a jerk, I managed to damage two other parts of my Tail Dancer WHILST REPAIRING THE MOTOR MOUNT! :eek: Dumb-nuts or what?! :o

[GaryMC1]

Glad I could help! :) I love CA ... although CA loves my skin too .... a permanent bond shall we say ... :rolleyes:

Edit: Oh and to make you feel even LESS of a jerk, I managed to damage two other parts of my Tail Dancer WHILST REPAIRING THE MOTOR MOUNT! :eek: Dumb-nuts or what?! :o

A real attachment to you by the CA, huh?

Ya know, I'm really getting a feeling that the Tail Dancer is one of those kids that used to sit on the bench at the high school dance. I mean, you'd ask, but they just didn't have the 'touch' as it were...always destined to be on the sidelines.

With that airplane, there is a definate 'diminishing returns' on it! :D

Gary

[Paranoia]

What i love about CA is when you hold one end of a balsa part and CA the other, and the CA goes through the balsa and sticks you. :P

[Hogster]

Love?! That's what irritates me most about CA!! The fibres in the balsa wood act like pipes/grooves, channelling the CA from the source of application, right to where you're holding the flippin' thing! What I hate even more, particularly about the thin Zap CA bottles, is that if some CA remains/get stuck in the spout when you put the lid on, the next time you pick up the bottle to remove the lid, the CA subtly dribbles out of the spout, and wicks itself all around your fingers! If you don't notice it quickly enough, by the time you've applied the CA where you want it, you won't be able to put the bottle down! :eek: :mad: :o

[GaryMC1]

Love?! What I hate even more, particularly about the thin Zap CA bottles, is that if some CA remains/get stuck in the spout when you put the lid on, the next time you pick up the bottle to remove the lid, the CA subtly dribbles out of the spout, and wicks itself all around your fingers! If you don't notice it quickly enough, by the time you've applied the CA where you want it, you won't be able to put the bottle down! :eek: :mad: :o

Hogster,
I don't use Zap products. I use my LHS house branded product, but try this. Go to the drug store and buy a bottle of acetone-based finger nail polish remover. Make sure it's acetone based! Then, when you're finished, and ready to put the top back on your CA, grab a paper towel, wet some of it with the fingernail polish remover, and clean the tip of the bottle. That way, you won't have issues getting the top off next time, and nothing should be there for your to get stuck to.

By the way, I flew the NexSTAR yesterday for the first time. My instructor pronounced the repair as 'OK', and we took off. Although it's a trainer, we were still doing loops, split S's, Immelmans, etc, and the stab seemed okay after we landed, so I guess it works.
Again, thank you for your help! I appreciate it.

Gary

[Roj]

Gary,
I know how you would have felt.
My two year old son stepped on a moulded wing of mine that had up till then survived well over 50-60 flights.

[GaryMC1]

Definately heartbreaking, Roj. However, thankfully it wasn't the other way around! Wing hitting your two year old son! :)

Besides, it gives you a chance to practice your molding skills some more!

Gary