Leading Edge Tape

Anyone installed leading edge tape? If so, what brand, and how do you like it?

My last planes leading edge really took a beating after a couple of years flying through the bugs of Florida. I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Thanks

Ken

Never let a bug spend the night on your airplane!

You won't need the tape if you paint with a good paint and clean the bugs off every day. I've been flying over 17 years, mostly out of grass strips and my leading edges look new.

I needed it and I installed it

My Catto 3-blade needed it because no matter how careful I am, even on well-paved strips, I pick up tiny dings from stones or whatever. I applied the tape that Spruce sells and Craig recommended. It's the certified stuff. It went on OK and if I lost any speed at all it was 1 Kt., no more than that. I had the same problem on my Prince prop. It's not the prop, but rather, the conditions. Maybe the conditions in FL are better as Mel suggests.

leading edge of...........

what. prop or wing?

I was thinking wing but I also have a sensenich wood prop so both... ah nice picture BTW

leading edge tape

I Installed 4 inch wide clear 3M LE tape on my RV9A. My thoughts were the same as yours, protecting the LE from bug spatter and erosion. Never again!!
It is harder to remove the bugs from the tape than it is from the urethane paint, and a fuel spill (inevitable) stains the stuff permanently blue. There is also a summertime airborne big fat bug of some kind around here that stains it bright yellowish orange. It is expensive to buy, a pain to install, and looks terrible on my wing. My 9 flies just great, but stalls 4 knots faster than published. Not a problem if you know the numbers and the plane. All of the folks I have talked to say the airfoil on the 9 is not sensitive to the tape line. As soon as I figure out how to get this big mistake off of my plane without damaging more paint, I will let you know if that is the cause.
My advice is, if you absolutely can't live without the tape, use the black stuff.
I HATE it!!!!

Regards,
Chris

Did you use a special solution when you installed the tape to make it easier?

I'd go with black anyway. Thanks for the info.

Ken

Note the Van's Build manual comments about no paint edges with 10" (?) of the LE? Guess that requires a 20"+ wide tape

As above, wash the bugs off regularly and will stay good as new

Andy & Ellie Hill
RV-8 G-HILZ

Use a blow dryer, Chris...

carguy614 said:

My advice is, if you absolutely can't live without the tape, use the black stuff.
I HATE it!!!!

Regards,
Chris

Click to expand...

I'd be concerned about using a heat gun, unless you carefully feel the temp of the skin. It'll really help loosen the adhesive. We did this on our flap tape...worked well,

Best,

LE tape

Yes Ken, I used a solution mix of water, a drop or 2 of liquid soap, and isopropol alcohol, as suggested by 3M. That works pretty good, and it is easy to work the bubbles out. The challenge is to keep the tape line straight down the long span of the wing. I used a pinstipe tape line as a guide. Harder than it looks, and the job took about 3 hours with the wings off the plane. I suggest a hard rubber squeegee, like the one auto painters use to apply scratch filler.
I stated that I used a 4 inch tape. I actually used a 6 inch tape on my wings.
Most likely will replace mine with the black stuff if I have paint damage after removal.
Thanks Pierre, I'll give the hair drier a try.

Regards,
Chris