alternative to tank sealant

What is an alternative to the tank sealant to use on the foam ribs in the 14 elevator trim tab? The instructions call for tank sealant. Mine is old and I would rather use another adhesive that will hold the foam ribs in place.

There is none (that has been tested and approved by Van's anyway).

But this is experimental aviation after all, so you may be able to find something that will work just as well (by that I mean tank sealant is not necessarily the only thing that will work, but 16 years of service data has proven it to be a good choice).

Just some of the things that need to be considered (after all, this is a structural part of the elevators and trim tab...)

- The adhesive has to have good shear and peal strength
- It maintains that strength through a wide temp range.
- It remains somewhat flexible to allow for different rates of expansion/contraction between the foam and the alum. skin.
- It doesn't chemically effect the foam material
- ??????

I used structural sikaflex. Make sure you wear gloves. It wears off won't scrub off your hands.

3m 5200

3m 5200 quick cure. Home Depot carries it. It works well!