Badland Part 103 Pilots and Builders Forum

You don't realize how much you depend on you hobby iron until you drop it. I don't believe many of us actually use the little metal stand/rest that comes with the tool. We just set the iron down almost anywhere when we need both hands to pull/smooth the fabric. I naturally knocked mine off the worktable and it broke where the handle mates with the iron's surface. I mixed up a batch of epoxy and have it curing so I'm done for the day with the hope that the epoxy will have sufficient strength to get me working again.


I have the topside fabric in place and have turned the wing over on the workbench to apply the doubblers over the fittings that protrude thru the skin.



With the wing basically covered in Fokker Red, I laid out the Sky Blue leading edge fabric so that I could locate the upper surface fixing tape glue line. It also gives a rough idea of what the Blue/Red surface will look like.



My Insignia white strip tape is due in today's USPS delivery so if the hobby iron repair works, I hope to apply the Sky Blue and trim tapes to finish the stb wing by the weekend. I learned a lot on this wing so I hope the port wing progresses more swiftly and the quality is somewhat better.

Bummer about the iron, Kurt, but the wing is looking really good!

Are you planning to glue the fabric down around the protruding fittings? If not, it may cause airflow into the wing, which would probably be less than ideal. (Unless you are hoping for an ornithopter effect? haha)

I am looking forward to seeing the two tone fabric with the white trim tape applied!

I've been waiting months for the white trim tape. When it finally got manufactured in Germany it was shipped to Anchorage just in time for the frigid weather. The order sat awaiting pickup then seemed to get lost getting to Seattle. All tracking indicated today, but again a no show. While waiting I may try mounting the Sky Blue flaperon to see what that looks like.

I fabricated my fitting covers to seal the airflow from entering the wing structure.

Well, at least you have things to do to keep you busy in the meantime! All of my current projects require the plane or the trailer to be outside. More rain expected tonight, but the weekend should be clear. I've got my fingers crossed.