Volantex 2.0 meter Phoenix glider- plastic fuselage repair- 3 breaks

[Frank v B]

Some TEMAC instructor* took this plane up for a trim flight and couldn't quite pull it off. 
Lesson learned..when flying upside down, up elevator is down...the earth is down!

He who crashes it, re-builds it.

This plane has a plastic fuselage and did a powered face plant into the dirt.  The motor mount is crushed, the tail section broke off and there is a fold in the fuse ahead of the tail feathers.
Have figured out how to do it.  Now just have to pull it off.  Will post the repair.

Frank
* it was all me..un-assisted.  Paul has been a good sport about it but I am going to rely on the 50/50 rule and coat his glasses with grease when I present it to him.

[Frank v B]

Well that worked like a charm.  Something must be wrong.

As with the Beaver repair: I use two main steps in repairs 1) hold everything together in place and in alignment then 2) re-enforce everything so it is strong.
This is only step 1.  Tomorrow I will find out how strong this repair has become.  Will probably wrap fibreglass around the outside for strength.  Stay tuned.

step 1- cut away all the deformed plastic.  That left quite a gap.  Only the top was still in line and not crushed. Photos 36,37,38
step 2- take the servos out.  The wires got in the way.
step 3- cut a piece of 1/64 plywood wider than the circumference of the fuselage. Photo 39
step 4- apply 5 minute epoxy to one side of the plywood and the insides of the fuse. Photo 40
step 5- roll up the plywood (grain running fore and aft) with the 5 minute epoxy on the outside and insert into the main fuse part. Photo 41.
step 6- slip in the tail piece over back end of the rolled tube. It automatically adjusts for the taper in the fuse (skinnier the further aft it goes). Photo 42.
step 7- align the fuse both ways (up/down, sideways).  It was dry and set in about two minutes.

Note that using this rolled up plywood approach keeps the centre of the fuse hollow so I can fish the servo wires back through at the assembly stage.

Letting it cure overnight.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Finishing the break/fold ahead of the tail feathers.

Photo 50- filled in the missing plastic with fibreglass to build it up and strengthen it.
Photo 51- wrapped waxed paper around it so I could squeeze the epoxy through the glass cloth.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Fixing the broken stab seat.

- made a tongue out of balsa and jammed it into the fuse so it was trapped at the servo openings.  Photo 46
- added a 1/64" ply doubler to the balsa tongue for strength.  Note in the photo- always put at least two pins through the two layers of wood before the clamps are applied.  The epoxy on both sides
     of the wood make it behave like it is on ball bearings.  It will shift the two layers apart when applying the clamps.  The pins stop it from slipping sideways...the wrong way!  Photo 47.
- glued the tongue in place and let it dry.  Clamped in place.  Photo 49
- slipped the tail piece in place. Photo 53
- wrapped painters tape around it so the edges match. Photo 54

Two breaks fixed but not quite finished.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Nose Job!

The nose was pretty well crushed.  Took the motor and prop off until the firewall/motor mount was remaining.  It was attached by only about 30% of the circumference.

- cut out all the bent/crushed plastic
- attached the firewall with strips of heavier glass (3 oz?) around the perimeter.  Did it in about 3 stages.  Photo 95
- added one strip around to re-build the missing nose vent.
- sanded everything so there were no jagged edges and added a layer of 1/2 ounce glass to guarantee attachment around the perimeter. Photo 96
- the piece of paper is to make the air scoop while the epoxy cures. Photo 97

Letting it cure overnight then sanding and filling.


Frank


 

[Frank v B]

Painted the two breaks in the rear of the fuselage.
Had to do the spray painting outside because of the smell.

Before and after photos.

A slight bump is visible on one side.  Oh, well. 
We are going to invoke the 50:50* rule.

Frank

* if you can't see it at 50 feet and 50 km/hr don't waste your time on it.

[Frank v B]

Final detail

Fix the shattered battery tray.

Parts were missing so I used 1/8" balsa to fill in the gaps.  Had to make new rails out of plywood.  The rails hold the tray in place with screws.

Photo 03 is of the top of the tray.
Photo 04 is the bottom of the tray showing the balsa filler.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Finished!