sb5walker

Hi folks, I'm newbie who just received a Kyosho Spree Sports kit which will be my second plane. I'm hoping for some advice on joining the wings.

The directions say the two wing halves - which have flat, flush balsa wing roots - should simply be glued with epoxy and then taped around the joint, which seems to me not very strong. I did some searching, and found a report of the wings folding in flight, adding fuel to my concern.

Having almost no experience, I thought I would ask if my concerns are justified, and if so, how I might increase the strength of the joint. I notice the first 1 3/4" of the wings is balsa-sheeted, so I could probably cut back the polyester sheeting and epoxy some fiberglass on there, or perhaps use some kind of CF rod or fashion a wing joiner of some kind. I'm not sure what would be best.

I plan on upgrading to a brushless outrunner. My current idea is to use a Hacker A20-22L or A20-20L with an APC 10x4.7SF or 9x6SF. I'm very open to suggestions on that, too.

Here are the specs on the plane:
Wingspan: 39.2
Chord: 6.8
Wing Area: 255 sq in
Length: 26.5
Weight: 23.5 oz (stock)
Wing Loading approx. 13 oz/square foot

Thanks very much for any help you can offer.

Einar

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

I believe 2" wide fiberglass tape wrapped around the center joint and secured with thin CA (have GOOD ventilation!) or thinned 30-minute epoxy would be more than adequate to secure the wing. Just remember to remove the covering first, use sharp blades, and be careful not to nick the sheeting.

sb5walker

Thanks, that sounds good to me. In fact today I ordered some .8 oz aramid fabric from CST and plan on trying to use my 30 minute epoxy. In your post - please excuse my ignorance - the covering refers to the plastic and the sheeting refers to the balsa?

Thank you again for your help.