Direct question to the group.

My Nimbus 2C has Mylar on both the upper and lower aileron gaps plus an
internal seal. The lower gap Mylar "fairing" is in only fair condition.
Should I just remove it?

Bill Daniels


"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
Simon Waddell wrote:
Eric,

What you and Herbert appear to be saying is that thee mylar is only a
fairing, rather than a seal. Since the mylar is in turbulent airflow
the
need for a fairing at that point seems limited. At the moment, the seal
is
provided by flexible adhesive tape over the join (upper surface only).

This is sufficient to stop the airflow through the gap. Many gliders use
a single internal tape that works with a "rolling" motion. I believe
this seal is more important than the mylar fairings (I think "fairing"
is a better description, since the real sealing is done by the internal
tape, though the mylar would provide some sealing if there was no
internal tape). I don't know if this internal seal can be done on the
Mini Nimbus. The external seal you describe sounds like it would
interfere with the proper fitting of mylar fairings.

Any of the seals - tape or mylar - must be properly fitted to avoid
control problems. Even the simple external tape can cause problems if it
comes loose on the front edge, or shrinks enough to prevent full control
deflection. The mylar has caused more problems than the simple tape,
however.

Would I be better off (financially, yes!) to forget about mylar and
stick
(not to pun) with the adhesive tape, perhaps on both upper and lower
surfaces?

Probably! There is no need for tape on both sides, as it's job is to
stop the airflow between the wing and control surface. Without clear
evidence of value for the Mini Nimbus, like well done flight tests, I'd
avoid the effort, expense, and potential safety risk of the mylar.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA