What's the best way to proceed

Both wing halves exhibit almost identical damage from my crash on Sunday, which could have been a lot worse as I didn't have much control over it when it came down from 82m in in about 18 seconds.


But I don't know what the best thing to do is, I'm guessing squidging in a load of glue would glue it back together but at a significantly reduced strength. Any advice?

I'm wondering about removing the rib and making a new one.

And does anyone know if I should be buying a Silver steel or mild steel wing joiner to replace the one I bent! I don't know anything about metals so they may be the same thing! Surprisingly I can find 6mm & 8mm stainless steel, but no 7mm, the diameter I need.

Not an expert myself but was surprised at steel joiner now that we have carbon rod or tubing.

It used to be a thing with gliders that the spar was hollow so that you could load it with lead shot as and when ballast was required. So an aero alluminium or carbon tube would easily suffice. I also dont think that a lot of load goes through the forward locating pegs unles you are doing seriously vicious bunts, so I personally would fill the leading edge void with a lump of balsa and then re-attach the pegs part of the formers using cyano.

If it was mine I would cut the sheeting back, fit a new root rib then scarf in some new sheeting.
As for the 7mm rod, your best bet is to straighten it as you won't be able to source new very easily, or replace with carbon.

Chris how long is the rod , could it be 1/4 inch I could probably find a piece or turn it down for you.

Thanks for the offer John, but 7mm steel rod is readily available on ebay, in either silver or mild steel, but I don't know if there is a preference, I'd initially thought stainless steel would be best, but I cannot find 7mm stainless steel. Unless anyone would advise against it I'll go for the silver steel. I might get hold of some carbon fibre tube as well, just to see what that's like in use.

Pete, thanks, you confirm my original thought, I was just wondering if I was over thinking what was needed, I have that tendency

Save weight at same time. My Fox had a solid plastic rod weighing a fair old bit. Measuring it I find that the Angel carbon wing tube fits. So I bought a piece and saved 75% weight. 7mm carbon - 7mm Carbon

The thing about using silver steel it should be tougher so not bend as easily as mildsteel so could do more damage to wing if it should happen again you wont break either steel or carbon fibre in normal flight I would have thought . Mild Steel should have bent on impact the silver steel and carbon fibre would be likely to break as they are more brittle.
Now your totally confused

Chris - Wing joiner, I would go for carbon fibre tube.
Worth popping in Hengistbury Kites , located on road leading to Hengistbury Head, they stock various sizes &
if you take the wing in they can find one which is a snug fit.
He has lots of offcuts sold off cheaply.

Colin

Thanks Colin, I'd not thought to seek out a kite shop, but that's really good to know.

I'll grab some steel rod and hopefully get it back to where I left off, then experiment with a carbon wing joiner. Considering the kit came with two lengths of carbon tube that run the full length of the ailerons, and the design isn't that old, they must have chosen a solid steel rod over the alternatives for a reason, it doesn't strike me the extra cost of a carbon tube would have made that much difference to the price. But gliders are very new to me, it seems half the time people want them heavier and the other half want them lighter!



I made a start on two new root ribs this evening.