Jason,

To insulate from noise here are some thoughts.

1) I use 3M 35 electrical tape that you can get in home depot. It comes in all different colors and I found it lasts a long time, UV resistant and the adhesive isn't hard on the paint when you have to take it off.

2) Seal in the canopy hinge and the turtledeck. This is the single largest source of noise. I use two strips on the canopy hinge to create a hinge in the tape.

3) Seal in the wingroots top and bottom. This holds down the tape from the canopy and could improve low speed thermalling performance

4) There are often big gaps just above the spar where the wings go into the fuselage. Tape those in.

5) Using foam, seal in the bottom corners of the canopy. This is a huge source of noise because it is right over the low pressure point on the wings. It also turbulates the airflow at lower speeds. You will get 2-3 mph before buffet if you seal that in.

6) Using strips of foam, seal in the front and back edges of the canopy so that when it shuts, it is resting against the foam.

7) If you take the wings off, seal the holes on the wing root of the wing. Keeps air from flowing into the glider from the wing.

8) Using a couple strips of 2" tape, seal in most of the tailcone. Be mindful of the elevator pushrod.

9) Using a couple blocks of hard foam, contact cement them over the release hole. Lessens the draftiness quite a bit.

I bet there are a couple things I didn't think of. Feel free to email me at danielsazhin at gmail.com (no spaces). My club 1-26 is on a trailer right now ready to go to Petersburg WV for the wave camp. Once it is together and sealed up, I can send you some photos of what a well sealed 1-26 looks like.

Also, while you're at it, you should seal in the aileron gaps. This could be done with the same tape and best done with two strips on the hinge. You could also seal in the elevator and rudder gaps with aircraft fabric or a nifty technique using 2" vinyl duct tape. Makes the controls crisper at slower speeds.

Best Regards,
Daniel