Wing crease on PZ UM T-28D

[NJSwede]

As I told you in another thread, trying to maiden the PZ UM T-28D in 11mph winds (gusting up to 20mph according to wunderground.gom) probably wasn't such a hot idea. The plane survived the inevitable cartwheel surprisingly well!

Only damage is a visible crease on one of the wings. Doesn't seem to affect the strength much, though. MAYBE that wing flexes a little easier, but it's barely noticeable. So the question is, what should I do?

1) Gladly ignore it.
2) Get the thinnest carbon fiber rod I can find and tape it to the wing to add rigidity (and probably do the same on the other wing for balance)
3) Toss the wing and get a new one
4) Something else?

[MaxAdventure]

I find cello tape, applied sparingly - works great on these super thin foam wings. You can give it a go, and peel it off again if you don't like it. My 1st gen Sukhoi is sporting a fair number of these repairs.

[NJSwede]

Thanks, MaxAdventure! I was thinking of that, but does that really give you any better rigidity against bends? (Then again, if it worked for you, it might work for me...)

[MaxAdventure]

Originally Posted by NJSwede

Thanks, MaxAdventure! I was thinking of that, but does that really give you any better rigidity against bends? (Then again, if it worked for you, it might work for me...)

I use it as a repair, not a prevention. The tape seems to keep the flight surfaces plenty stiff for use. I do like how inexpensive replacement parts for the Horizon UM planes are too. It might take a little testing to get what you want out of it. Maybe fold the very end of the tape over to make a grab handle, apply to the affected area. See how stiff it is, if it holds up. Peel it off if it doesn't work well for you. These planes are so tiny weight adds up fast, I wouldn't want to glue or add any significant structure if I could help it.

[NJSwede]

I tried it and it did indeed make the area around the crease more rigid. Thanks for the tip.

While I did that, I found another problem: The elevator sometimes got stuck in its extreme positions! I think the was because the pushrod was rubbing against the glue on a decal. It doesn't seem to get stuck anymore now, but I'll do some serious pre-flight next time... So it might have been more than the wind and the inexperienced pilot that got me today...

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, it's the glue on the decal. They guy I bought my plane from carefully slit the decal and peeled it back. That let him apply petroleum jelly or some kind of grease to the adhesive in the open area and then restore the decal. Seems to work well so far.