Edge 540T engine mount
03-18-2004, 11:22 AM
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Edge 540T engine mount
Hello All:
It has come to our attention that there have been a few failures of the glue joint between the motor mount firewall and the motor box sides.
These failures have mostly been in crashes but there have been two cases that I know of where the glue joint failed without any crash damage.
Apparently there are some planes which did not get enough glue applied during manufacturing, While not widespread we have no way of knowing exactly which planes were affected. Using a heavier-than-recommended engine can exacerbate the problem.
I advise people to inspect their airplane's firewall area, particularly in the rear where there is no gusseting. Look for any sign of gaps or seperation or any visible looseness. If you do not find a problem it's still a good idea to check after each flight for a while by looking for unusual engine movement. Check the front gusseted area also.
If it appears that it was not properly glued it can be reinforced by pouring some epoxy into that area. You may want to set the fuselage on its side to allow the epoxy to soak in. and don't use anything faster than 30 minute epoxy, preferably 1-2 hour so it will have time to penetrate the joint. Also you can put a piece of triangle stock in the back (hardwood is preferred) as reinforcement. Remember that the angle between the firewall and motor box is not perfectly square due to engine right thrust offset.
I apologize for any difficulty. I feel an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Tom Fawcett
Wild Hare R/C
It has come to our attention that there have been a few failures of the glue joint between the motor mount firewall and the motor box sides.
These failures have mostly been in crashes but there have been two cases that I know of where the glue joint failed without any crash damage.
Apparently there are some planes which did not get enough glue applied during manufacturing, While not widespread we have no way of knowing exactly which planes were affected. Using a heavier-than-recommended engine can exacerbate the problem.
I advise people to inspect their airplane's firewall area, particularly in the rear where there is no gusseting. Look for any sign of gaps or seperation or any visible looseness. If you do not find a problem it's still a good idea to check after each flight for a while by looking for unusual engine movement. Check the front gusseted area also.
If it appears that it was not properly glued it can be reinforced by pouring some epoxy into that area. You may want to set the fuselage on its side to allow the epoxy to soak in. and don't use anything faster than 30 minute epoxy, preferably 1-2 hour so it will have time to penetrate the joint. Also you can put a piece of triangle stock in the back (hardwood is preferred) as reinforcement. Remember that the angle between the firewall and motor box is not perfectly square due to engine right thrust offset.
I apologize for any difficulty. I feel an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Tom Fawcett
Wild Hare R/C
