Sailplanes are white...because of gelcoat?

On Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:05:32 -0800, JJ Sinclair wrote:

Martin,
All Libelles use only epoxy resin. In the early days some were concerned
about their ship getting too hot sitting in the trailer, hence the note
in your flight manual. I take it you have a H-301, if so the opaque
looking areas on your wings are probably thin gelcoat allowing the
balsa-wood core to show through. keep moisture away from her and she's a
good old girl............ I have owned 2 and loved them both, but that
removable canopy became too much for an old guy to tolerate.

Thanks for clearing that up, JJ.

I have an early H.201, s/n 82, so its definitely got balsa-skinned flying
surfaces. As a somewhat ex aeromodeler I can still recognise balsa and
know what it looks like under an epoxy/glass finish having finished bits
of several models that way.

The tan layer under my Libelle's wing and tail gelcoat is definitely not
balsa - its an even, textureless mid-tan colour with a matt finish.
There's a square inch or so exposed round the tailplane's front hold-down
where the tape I put over the hold-down has lifted some of the gelcoat
off. IOW there's sufficient of it exposed to be confident of its lack of
texture. Besides its a considerably darker yellow-brown colour than I've
ever seen on a piece of balsa. I'm now really puzzled as what it might
be.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |