Van's Air Force
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Flap Leading Edge Tape
- Thread starter StuBob
- Start date
I think I have gotten it from McMaster….
I first had stainless on my flaps.... What a P.I.T.A.. it was to remove...
The clear is way easier to use.
Why would you ever remove the stainless? Curious….
I replaced the clear a couple of times, and that took hours - went stainless on all three RV’s, and it never wears out.
HFS
Well Known Member
Protection for Flap Leading Edges -
Why not take the easier route, and put a narrow strip (1/2 - 3/4") of UHMW tape, with adhesive backing, on the underside of the trailing edge of the wing, where it makes contact with the face of the flap as it is deployed/retracted?
I did - and 21+ years & 1400 hours later, the flap leading edges look just the same as when they were installed.
If you are concerned about "contaminates" getting between the mating surfaces and scratching the flap leading edge, just take a butter knife with a thin piece of t-shirt (or similar) cloth wrapped around the blade and slide it between them once in a while. I do at CI.
YMMV - but this works and doesn't "wear out".
HFS
HR2 S/N 002
Why not take the easier route, and put a narrow strip (1/2 - 3/4") of UHMW tape, with adhesive backing, on the underside of the trailing edge of the wing, where it makes contact with the face of the flap as it is deployed/retracted?
I did - and 21+ years & 1400 hours later, the flap leading edges look just the same as when they were installed.
If you are concerned about "contaminates" getting between the mating surfaces and scratching the flap leading edge, just take a butter knife with a thin piece of t-shirt (or similar) cloth wrapped around the blade and slide it between them once in a while. I do at CI.
YMMV - but this works and doesn't "wear out".
HFS
HR2 S/N 002
Richard Connell
Well Known Member
Thanks for the feedback.
While we’re on the subject, any suggestions on how to get the old stuff off? I assume it’s the UHMW that Van’s sells. I was planning to unhook the flaps from the pushrods, blow a heat gun on them, scrape with a plastic scraper, and - maybe mineral spirits? - to rub off the remaining goo.
I also need to re-contour the left leading edge a little, as the top skin of the flap gets jammed under the top skin of the wing under the right (wrong) conditions. It may be that the best thing to do is shorten the rod by a couple of threads.
While we’re on the subject, any suggestions on how to get the old stuff off? I assume it’s the UHMW that Van’s sells. I was planning to unhook the flaps from the pushrods, blow a heat gun on them, scrape with a plastic scraper, and - maybe mineral spirits? - to rub off the remaining goo.
I also need to re-contour the left leading edge a little, as the top skin of the flap gets jammed under the top skin of the wing under the right (wrong) conditions. It may be that the best thing to do is shorten the rod by a couple of threads.
[email protected]
Well Known Member
I did the SS tape from McMaster and the Velcro fuzzy on the underside. Works great.
On the How do you remove the other ^%^@^..... Hard work finger nails. heat gun, lacquer thinner, you name it use it.
Fixit
On the How do you remove the other ^%^@^..... Hard work finger nails. heat gun, lacquer thinner, you name it use it.
Fixit
Roadjunkie1
Well Known Member
Flap leading edge tape
1+ for stainless. Wears like....well....steel! 1200+ hours and has never been replaced. Looks like it did the day I put it on with a little use staining. Shows no signs of coming off. And the rear wing skin sits flush onto the flap. No gap. Got mine years ago from JC Whitney.
Remember those catalogs? Used to be THE place to get auto parts!
1+ for stainless. Wears like....well....steel! 1200+ hours and has never been replaced. Looks like it did the day I put it on with a little use staining. Shows no signs of coming off. And the rear wing skin sits flush onto the flap. No gap. Got mine years ago from JC Whitney.
Remember those catalogs? Used to be THE place to get auto parts!
vfrazier
Well Known Member
The paint protection film that www.flyboyaccessories.com sells also works very well, won't yellow, and is removable many, many years later if needed for whatever reason. You can use it on a ton of other places around the airframe. Good stuff.
(I wouldn't put it on the prop though. It's good stuff, but it's not intended for that.)
(I wouldn't put it on the prop though. It's good stuff, but it's not intended for that.)
This is perfect timing.. my buddies and I are doing 3+ RVs right now and are getting pretty good at this.. we bought the 18 yard roll of three inch wide SS tape, we remove the flaps in about 4 minutes, we have been using hotel key cards and a combination of goo gone, alcohol, acetone, and one of those rubber decal removal wheels on a drill to scrub the tape off. First dig the hotel key card under the tape to lift and peel it off.. then rubber decal wheel, rags, solvent, repeat… about one hour later, the flap is reinstalled with the stainless tape.
To lay out the tape, we actually put the bare flap back on the plane, retract the flaps, lay 2 inch painters tape on the flap where we want the SS to end, then pull the flap back off. We cut a SS length and lay it into position butting up to the painters tape, then we peel an edge of the backing, and slowly work it down while keeping tension on it.
Alright. After much frustration, swearing, etc., I have the flaps hanging by the hinges.
Now, any suggestions about how best to get the old leading edge stuff off? It’s yellow and brittle. I’m meeting a little success with gentle heat and picking, and no result with mineral spirits.
ISTM that chemistry is the answer. At least I hope so.
Any ideas?
Now, any suggestions about how best to get the old leading edge stuff off? It’s yellow and brittle. I’m meeting a little success with gentle heat and picking, and no result with mineral spirits.
ISTM that chemistry is the answer. At least I hope so.
Any ideas?
It’s been many years since i struggled with the stuff, but I think the best solvent I found (commercially available…) was GooGone, or Goof-Off. It’s still a LOT of work….
pazmanyflyer
Well Known Member
Get a rubber decal removing wheel like this example.
https://www.google.com/search?channel=fen&client=firefox-b-1-d&q=decal+remover+wheel#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:e1b4664f,vid:6sigoYzG2k8,st:0
Go ahead and remove the hinge pins.. much easier on your back then to lean over installed flaps.. work on a bench!! Then use a combination of plastic hotel key cards, alcohol, acetone, googone, and the rubber decal wheel to remove the adhesive.
Then reinstall the flaps on the plane, fully retract Then and use painters tape to mark the edge where you want the stainless tape to end. I prefer it to not show when retracted, but some like a 1/4 inch exposed. Now remove the flaps again, go back to the bench and lay on the tape! There’s a trick to have one guy hold the tape so it just butts against the previously laid down painters tape. Then only remove a little backing and stick it down, holding straight (trying to curve the stainless tape WILL wrinkle it) and only peel a little bit of the backing at a time to expose the adhesive.
The builder did a few things that didn’t help me out maintenance-wise. One of them is I can’t remove the flap without removing the aileron. Another is that I can’t get at the top of the flap actuator rod without removing upholstery that’s glued in. I got around that little issue by cutting an access panel!
What an educational experience!
What an educational experience!
