J

jrdalton

Member
Just finishing off the emp kit on my - 10 (120 hours). The HS tips and VS/Rudder fairings look pretty good just riveted on - little or no gaps at all. On one HS fairing there is a slight (very slight) gap where the fairing does not lay flat on the flange, but it's only noticeable if you know it's there.

How many builders here took the time and energy to glass over the gaps? Any if you did, would you do it again? I just know that if I use west micro it will crack eventually without a strip of cloth. I hate glass work but I would do it if it really looks that good.
 
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I am in the same boat. While I was at LOE, I looked at just about every tail section out there. There was probably a hundred or so and I would say 50% of them did it. There were alot that did not use the cloth over the seam but there weren't any cracks in any of them. The ones that glassed over the seam looked great but the other ones didn''t look bad either. I was also told by someone that the judges take off for fiberglassed joints. I am at that point with my 10 and I still don't know what I am going to do.
 
I'm One....

I actually had intended to leave the seam visible when I built the Valkyrie, but when I had finished with pop riveting them on, I realized that wasn't going to be possible - maybe by my fifith or sixth one, I'll have it figured out! Anyway, I filled it all in using epxoy and flox, with some micro, and no cracks yet - one year and 300 hours (only about four months on the paint though).

I don't know about judges taking off for that....mine won an award at LOE, so it couldn't have been too much of a deduction!

Paul
 
Filled and molded mine up to the seam, then cut the seam in with a triangular needle file. I have yet seen one glassed over that doesnt have a crack somewhere. (cue all the post's from 20 people who dont have cracks, yet :) Dissimilar materials, different expansion rates, vibration, etc. My feeling is its going to crack sometime. I wanted a perfect seam, thats what I got by filling, sanding, than putting back in a perfect, even seam. When it does crack, it will be down in a 1/16" or so deep seem which won't be notacable. Sorta like an expansion joint in concrete. YMMV.
 
What a great idea!

Mike,

Great description. I had not thought of that.

Just to clarify, did you fill on the aluminum or the fiberglass tip?
 
I roughed up both aluminum and fiberglass tips and mixed epoxy and flox and applied and then flush pop riveted into place and then filled the gap. Still looks brand new.

-Jeff
 
jrdalton said:
Mike,

Great description. I had not thought of that.

Just to clarify, did you fill on the aluminum or the fiberglass tip?
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I filed the seam, and it takes more of the glass out (or filler, whatever you used) than the aluminum since its softer. But the edge of the aluminum did take a slight bevel.
 
G-force said:
Hey, I swear I saw a crack on the bottom side of one of your tips at Kernville a few weeks ago ;)
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You did. That's where I sanded through the fiberglass. It's been there since just about day one!

Point here...the glass does the job. No glass...you're takin' your chances!
 
Filling the seams

Would you guys who has filled the seams and painted mind posting a picture or two so we newbies can see what the finished product looks like?
 
<<I was also told by someone that the judges take off for fiberglassed joints.>>

I'm not aware of any specific justification for points deduction in the EAA judging standards. The point is to judge (1) airworthiness, and (2) quality of result, not method.

Judges do have some discretion. Given two joints of perfect quality (filled and unfilled), a judge might give a nod to the unfilled seam. It is lighter, a rational plus. Another judge might like the slick look. Doesn't really matter, as overall scores are an averaged result and that tends to smooth individual preference.

Given equal quality most judges wouldn't note the difference at all.
 
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