It's true that many ASW20A's were/are sealed with cloth tape on the
underside of the flaps and sometimes the ailerons. It is needed for
the flaps because of the 55 degree (jesus)down flap setting for short
field landings. Mylar would just peel off when trying this flap
psoition during your control checks.

Mine is sealed with cloth tape and I intend to leave it on the
underside of the flaps. I have looked at how it is installed. It would
appear it was put on with full negative flap applied and even then a
small amount of "slack" has been left and pushed up into the gap by a
small amount. No matter what flap setting I use this "slack" always
stays up in the gap.

I would think it unlikely that cloth tape contributed to spinning
accidents. More likely poor energy management and/or the use of
landing flap before speed has been set and final turn complete.

Always complete your final turn, check your speed, make sure you are
going to make the field, check your speed, then select whichever
landing flap position you want, check your speed and use further
airbrake if required, continue checking you speed. Sorry if this seems
like teaching Granny to suck eggs.

Andy Henderson
ASW20FP


(Chip Bearden) wrote in message . com...
There was some discussion about ten years ago that a contributing
factor in the early '20 accidents might have been the type of sealing
tape used on the flaps and ailerons. Specifically, before the
wholesale adoption of Mylar seals, many of the older ships had white
cloth tape on the lower surface that could bulge out at the hinge line
under certain airflow conditions, presumably triggering some sort of
undesirable behavior.

Anyone recall this or know if it was true?

Chip Bearden