[jcensner]

The fiberglass wing tips for my RV-8 acquired slight indentations along the rear bottom of each tip during shipment. Once mounted on the wing the indentations seem to fill out to a large extent, however they are still noticeable. I don't know if they will fill out due to their own weight over time' or I'll have to fill them out with something like styrofoam or whatever. Has anyone had this experience and if so what was the solution ? Thanks in advance.




Jack Censner
RV-8 90% finished (OK?)
Piper PA-11 for current excitement

 

[Lars]

The fiberglass wing tips for my RV-8 acquired slight indentations along the rear bottom of each tip during shipment. Once mounted on the wing the indentations seem to fill out to a large extent, however they are still noticeable. I don't know if they will fill out due to their own weight over time' or I'll have to fill them out with something like styrofoam or whatever. Has anyone had this experience and if so what was the solution ? Thanks in advance.




Jack Censner
RV-8 90% finished (OK?)
Piper PA-11 for current excitement

Mine looked horrible. Bad enough that if I knew then what I know now, I'd probably have sent them back and requested replacements. Too late now, as I'm almost done massaging them.

Whatever... I happened to have a big sheet of 4" thick blue styrofoam that's sold for insulation. I held it up to the end of the wing and traced around it, then cut the "rib" out of the foam, trying to make it a little undersized so it would fit inside the wingtip. With the foam rib in the wingtip forcing it into the correct shape, I set the thing on my bench, with the opening down. Next I used a heat gun on the dented areas. Most of them popped right out, and I couldn't see them anymore. A couple were more stubborn, and I still have some areas I'm not happy with, but with heat and pushing from the inside wearing gloves, I'm getting them pretty close. I've since split my foam "rib" lengthwise (2" thick). I'm planning to trim/cut/modify the ribs to fit deeper in the wingtips, then glass them into place as stiffeners.

Lots of other ways to do it, no doubt, but that's what worked for me.