[n38139]

I have the old style wingtips that are de-laminating. I purchased some new tips from Vans and see that they have the wingtip lights built in to them. Do all of the new style tips have this configuration?

thanks

 

[D-Dubya]

I think...

I think all the newer wingtips come with a recess for lighting. If memory serves me correctly, Van's used to have "plain" wingtips, but they may have done away with them due to poor demand. Most people put some kind of light in that recess: nav lights, strobes, landing lights, or all of the above. But the new tips allow for builders to customize these however they want.

 

[Bob Axsom]

Here's an idea

Make your own.

I have made several sets for our RV-6A trying to get more speed. The best ones are 3" span each. All you need to do is cut an airfoil base for each wing tip and glue 2"x4"s cut to the plan view (I used the lower surface of the airfoil shape for mine) shape of the wingtip standing on edge to the bases and to the adjacent 2"x4"s. Then plane and sand the 2"x4"s to the final shape paint, sand, paint, light sand, mold release wax, lay up the fiberglass using 24 hour cure epoxy resin, trim the overhanging skirt when partly cured, pop it off the mold when cured, rewax the mold, replace it fiberglass tip on the mold, lay up the second ply, trim the trim the skirt, pop it off the mold, rewax mold, lay up final ply, pop it off, sand off gross imperfections (like peaks of epoxy or glass - probably very few), mix epoxy and microballoon and slather it over the part of the tip that will be exposed, sand it to a smooth surface, mix epoxy resin and thin it by 50% with acetone and paint the surface to seal it, install them on you wings and locate the mounting holes in the new tips with a #30 drill, clecoe the platenuts at the holes and locate the #40 mounting holes for the platenuts (assuming you are using #8 screws), countersink them, mount the plate nuts and all that is left is to paint them. I use E-Z Poxy from Aircraft Spruce.

Bob Axsom