I just built an OLY IIS which I electrified. It has a two panel wing that joins at the fuselage, and is held on by rubber bands. I had assumed that the rubber bands would provide enough friction to hold the wing together, but such is not the case- I got a little separation in my first flights yesterday.

This is my first wing that's big enough to be more than one panel, so I'm in the dark about taping wings. What's a good way to do it, the best tape to use, and how do you keep the tape from lifting the covering when you take the wing apart?

Are there other methods that can be built into the wing after the fact without too much trouble?

I know this is old hat to most of you guys, so thanks for putting up with dumb questions from a newb.

I use ordinary clear sticky tape to put a complete wrap around the root of each panel, slight overlap on the bottom, facing aft.
Then use short piece of electrical tape (in a suitable matching or contrasting colour) at leading edge and trailing edge when assembling the aircraft. The electrical tape will peel off the sticky tape without lifting your covering, and you can lay the pieces back on the panels for use several times if you like.
Cheers,
PeteM

hi there from Toledo

I mostly agree with Petem, however, I use 2" wide clear packing tape over the covering at the wing roots and enough electrical tape to totally seal the top gap from LE to TE. Just variations, I suppose.

ciao -rjf

Thanks Gents for the quick reply. Sounds like the way to go.

I use the same method as described by the other fellows here. To keep costs down, I use 'sock tape' from hockey supply stores. It's clear, pulls off relatively easily and it is cheap.

Tape will prevent the wings from separating a little bit during landings, which reduces the load on the wing rods/ribs.
Just criss-cross the rubber bands. That'll keep them together a bit better.

For an electric launched glider this electrical tape method might be adequate but I am going to suggest something a little more robust. If it was a hi-start or winched glider this would be more important. On an electric launched glider the electrical tape method my be adequate.


For a 2 piece wing, joined in the center and held by ruberbands I would want something stronger than electrical tape to join the wing. I use the electric tape method on my 3 piece wings where the center panel is taking most of the force and the joiners are carbon. but on a two piece wing with no bolts I would do it differently.

I have 2M Spirit that has a 2 piece wing. The instructions were to glue them together to make one solid piece. The joiner is there for the dihedral angle but not really all that strong.

I did the edge clear packing tape, as described by Petem. This spreads the load to the root rather than to just the monocote and it helps reduce any pulling away of the covering from the wood when you pull the tape off.

I then joined the two wing halves with the same 2" clear packing tape, top and bottom. This formed a bond so strong that wing behaved as if it was glued in the center. At the end of the day I would just cut the tape at the center and leave it on. Yes, I got a little build up of tape over time but I could pull it off any time I wanted to.

With a 2 piece wing, joined in the center and held on without bolts, I would use this stronger method. It even held up to crashes. I may have broken a wing tip but the tape never let go. And I used to launch it at 14 pounds pull on my hi-start, about 6X its weight. You could see the monocote wrinkle from wing flex as it would go up the hi-start.

I would emphasize this stronger method even more if you winch the glider.

Try it, you'll like it!

I'm confused...you're saying the center tape is structural for an Olympic II?
It only needs to keep the two panels from separating.
Criss-crossing rubber bands uses the rubber's friction to do that job.

You just built this, right? What do the plans/instructions suggest?

Structural? I don't know if I would call it structural, more like insurance. What would happen if the wings were to work themselves apart?

This is a poly wing ship. Tips high and fuse is low. You have forces pulling the wings up as you fly and gravity pulling down on the fuselage. Would this tend to press the wings together or to pull the wings apart?

If you do a loop, you have accelerations at various angles along the joiner. What would this tend to do, press the wings together or pull the wings apart?

Now you have rubber bands that are flexing and moving and .... they are not solid or fixed and rubber bands have been known to break. You have friction along the wing rod which helps hold things in place.

If the plans don't suggest gluing the two halves together, AND if you feel that the friction on the joiner and the rubber bands is enough, then don't worry about it. The electrical tape adds a little extra to hold the halves together. Using the clear tape adds a lot of extra to hold the halves together.

I have simply offered you a suggestion that provide a stronger way to join the wing halves on a temporary basis.

On my 3 piece wings I use the electrical tape method. For a two piece wing held on by rubber bands I would like something a bit stronger.

You choose the method that seems to work best for you.

Originally Posted by aeajr

I have 2M Spirit that has a 2 piece wing. The instructions were to glue them together to make one solid piece. The joiner is there for the dihedral angle but not really all that strong.
I then joined the two wing halves with the same 2" clear packing tape, top and bottom. This formed a bond so strong that wing behaved as if it was glued in the center. At the end of the day I would just cut the tape at the center and leave it on. Yes, I got a little build up of tape over time but I could pull it off any time I wanted to.

I would emphasize this stronger method even more if you winch the glider.

Sure sounded to me (at least) that you're saying center tape adds strength.

There are no forces during flight that will pull the wings sideways away from each other. Landngs...sure. But in flight?

Take a wing half with the rod in it. Put it over your knee as if you were breaking a stick (carefully of course) and have someone else pull the rod out. It'll be harder to pull out.

I've had an OlyII way back when, and currently fly a 2-piece Wanderer which is essentially identical for this purpose. Cris-crossing the rubber bands prevents the wings from separating. Tape is fine if you're paranoid, but not necessary.

One could also argue that rubber bands, in themselves, are a terribly weak and dodgy method of attaching a wing, that should be avoided because it isn't strong enough.
K.I.S.S.

Sorry for the multiple posts...hit submit too soon.

The plans as i recall say no glue, no tape, just a steel rod. An age old design shared by countless others.

The wings are bending, not being pulled. There's tension on the bottom and compression on the top, so they don't go anywhere as a result.

No argument from me. Just sharing my method for a two part wing held by rubber bands. Your smileage may vary.

Frankly I have wondered why they don't offer a BOT electric ARF. I think it would sell like hotcakes.

@aeajr-

I'm the OP in this case. The wing is joined by a stout steel rod, and the design is for rubber bands to hold the wing on. The plans don't mention using any method to hold the wing panels together, but, then again, the "plans" are notoriously sketchy.

I've flown this a couple of times, and the wing held together pretty well; there was just a little separation (maybe 1/16") and I figure something like tape might be good insurance, which is why I asked. I agree that your packing tape method would be bullet-proof and I'll give it a go if the electrical tape method doesn't do the job.

I won't be flying aerobatics with this plane (it's not what gliders are for in my opinion), and I won't be flying it around with the motor running like a power plane (not what gliders are for either). The motor will only be used to get to altitude and then it's off for the duration. Which is to say that I don't expect the wing to routinely see large forces of the type caused by un-gliderlike behavior.

a sixteenth inch wing root gap?!

Hold the plane, fully assembled and ready to fly. Envision a perfect landing approach, the belly 4 inches off the grass and you're enjoying every second of ground effect. You barely register an up elevator thumb to slow it to a near perfect landing. The wing only barely caught the grass at the very last moment...now push the wingtip of the plane you're holding into your super soft sofa to emulate that very slight force. Now look at the gap. Be realistic in the loads that would be applied for "softer vs kinda-soft landings" and report back the gap you get.

You won't get that force during flight- only landings- and you WANT it to move during landings, because that's how it's designed... to minimize damage.