Gap seals
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:44 am
by vhhomer
Has anyone else put rudder or other gap seals on their Onex or Sonex? If so, what was the result?
Vince Homer
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 4:40 pm
by Onex107
Any one interested in gap seals I’d be glad to send pictures of my Onex tail by email. It’s a simple installation and I think it is effective. Besides, it stops all those questions about the large gap.
Edit 6/12/19 - Added Email contents and pictures:
I don’t have a very sensitive butt, but, I thought the tail was having problems staying behind the airplane. So I went ahead and added rudder and elevator gap seals. I makes sense that the lift should be the same on both sides and with the hinge gap that wasn’t going to happen. The seal material I used was bought at a hardware store. It’s a roll of alum. About 12 in. wide that is normally used in the valley of a roof. It’s .010 thick coated gold on one side and the shiny side has a clear sealer on it that needs to be removed if you are going to polish it.
The seal is about 4 in. wide and has a row of holes on the inside edge to let the seal fit inside the spar and over the rivet tails from the rudder skin. I held it in place with a piece of 1/8 X 1 alum strip that goes behind the rivet tails and clamps the seal material in place. I had to put notches in the edge of the bar stock to let it seat behind the tails. Two or three rivets or screws hold the 1/8 bar in place. It can’t get out from behind the rivet tails so it doesn’t need a lot of fastening.
It helps to put a small crimp in the trailing edge to keep it straight and make it lie against the rudder. Mine does not follow the rudder through it’s full deflection. The tail behaves better now and the elevator seal had a bigger effect than the rudder. I had to add more down trim at cruise from the previous setting.
Edit 6/14/19 - Added elevator gap seal image.
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:34 pm
by GordonTurner
I’d like to see those pictures:
Thanks, Gordon
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:28 am
by stroudj002
Please send me the pictures.
Thanks,
Jim
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:48 am
by vhhomer
I also would be interested in some photos.
Vince Homer
vhhomer@hotmail.com
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:50 am
by Rofomoto
I’d like pics also please
rofomoto@gmail.com
thanx billy
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 9:46 pm
by n502pd
Onex107 wrote:Any one interested in gap seals I’d be glad to send pictures of my Onex tail by email. It’s a simple installation and I think it is effective. Besides, it stops all those questions about the large gap.
yep, add me to the interested in pictures list too!
thanx!!
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:31 pm
by Cess32cw
Please add me as well.
Markackerman2005@comcast.net
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:02 pm
by onex28
Hi Morrie, not sure if I could make it work with my wrapped rudder but please send me the photos. Thanks
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:09 am
by 8pointroll
Hi. Please ad me as well. Sonexn9sl@gmail.com. Thank you
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:44 am
by chris
Onex107 wrote:Any one interested in gap seals I’d be glad to send pictures of my Onex tail by email. It’s a simple installation and I think it is effective. Besides, it stops all those questions about the large gap.
I can help you post them here if you want.
Gap seals
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:25 pm
by caveman370
I’d like some pictures also
n7000t@yahoo.com
Thanks
Mike
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 12:15 pm
by chris
Updated Onex107’s first post in this thread with his email info and pictures.
Gap seals
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:59 pm
by caveman370
Detail if you could on behaving better. Is there more speed or just different aerodynamics going on?
Thanks
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:22 am
by inventor
Thanks for posting the pictures. Do you have any pictures that show more detail? I can’t figure out exactly what you did.
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:07 am
by Eckenroth
There have been a fair number of requests for pictures. Has anyone followed through and installed a gap seal. If so can you post your evaluation of the results.
In addition I would like pictures. Jeckenroth@nbn.net
Paul
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 10:17 am
by A10snoopy
Our me on the list, please. Thanks.
Paul
OneX 076
Re: Gap seals
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:25 pm
by gr8jab
Sailplane guys use a pre-curved mylar gap seal tape just for this purpose. Only one edge has adhesive. Unfortunately, it’s white. Maybe available in other colors. It would not be abrasive to the control surfaces like the flashing, and easily removed or replaced if needed.
If you don’t want a permanent installation, and just want to experiment, maybe this is a cheap and reversible method.
The widest I found (fast google search) was 78mm (~3in). https://wingsandwheels.com/mylar-gap-seal.html
Jeff
