1-26 noise insulation

I'm a post-solo pre-rating glider student flying out of Littlefield, TX. I've just fairly recently started flying my clubs 1-26E (#663) and the wind noise while in flight is like standing next to a train. A lot louder than the rusty trusty 2-33 I've had all my training in.

I'm wondering what things any of you have done to better insulate the 1-26 from the noise and any suggestions you all may have.

Thanks and safe flights,
Jason Hannon

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

Sweet Red (563) went from sounding like a flying freight train to a pretty quiet machine after all of that. It makes quite a difference to me when it is sealed up right and it is quite a bit quieter. You can hear the air a lot better and it thermals a good 4 mph slower (38 mph rather than 42mph) at about 35-40 degree of bank. Really fun ship!!

Best,
Daniel

Daniel is IMO the master of 1-26 sealing. At Moriarty he had about 3 miles of tape on the thing. I copied his strategy when I flew 482 at Caesar Creek and was very happy with the improvement in noise and low speed performance.

On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 1:02:25 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Daniel is IMO the master of 1-26 sealing. At Moriarty he had about 3 miles of tape on the thing. I copied his strategy when I flew 482 at Caesar Creek and was very happy with the improvement in noise and low speed performance.

It is a good idea to put a layer of tape down on the painted surfaces that will not get removed when you replace seal tapes. This will go a long way toward not peeling up or otherwise damaging the paint on the glider.
Messing up the club glider will not make you popular.
Good Luck
The Painter

Jason,

Congratulations!

First, join the 1-26 Association. The best deal in soaring at $15 per year.

Web http://126association.org

Next go on the Keep them flying page and look up the Sealing Articles from Charles Shaw. Great details with pics that work wonderful.

I let several people fly my 1-26 after a good sealing and it freaked them out because it was so quite.

Have fun, learning.

Also see the other parts of the 1-26 web page, and join the Sweepstakes when you start flying away from the field.

Kevin Anderson