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Hobie Hawk Restoration
- Thread starter Konrad
- Start date
Konrad
Very Strong User
Trying to maintain trailing edge curve. This is odd for me as I’m usually trying to remove curves. On the left wing the foam core was too thick from the OEM at the trailing edge. With a razor saw I split the trailing edge from the top and bottom. This removed most of the abundant foam. I now needed to glue the top skin to the bottom skin. To avoid the common problem with the repair of the Hobie Hawk were we get kinks in the trailing edge. I’m preloading the trailing edge with its “fixturing” by suspending the wing between two points. I allow the fixture to bow under the weight in hopes that I maintain the trailing edge curve while the glue cures.
All the best,
Konrad
All the best,
Konrad
Attachments
Konrad
Very Strong User
It worked! While I can’t get any photos to show that there're no discontinuities between the repaired trailing edge and the un-damaged trailing edge. I can show that the root area of the wing is now in much better shape than it was when it came from the OEM! Note that I’m using expanding urethane glues to fill in any voids. This has worked rather well.
All the best,
Konrad
All the best,
Konrad
Konrad
Very Strong User
No.
I have a (one) roll of new old stock transparent orange MonoKote. From a structural perspective I'd like to use real Monokote. But I fear what the blue hue left from the original covering will look like. I also have no love for transparent orange. (A strong point is that transparent orange was an original Hobie color) I''d like to use Oracoat for ease of application and selection of colors.
As our hills are brown I'm thinking of Oracover transparent green with white fuselage and vertical fin.
I have a (one) roll of new old stock transparent orange MonoKote. From a structural perspective I'd like to use real Monokote. But I fear what the blue hue left from the original covering will look like. I also have no love for transparent orange. (A strong point is that transparent orange was an original Hobie color) I''d like to use Oracoat for ease of application and selection of colors.
As our hills are brown I'm thinking of Oracover transparent green with white fuselage and vertical fin.
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Konrad
Very Strong User
Well, the wings are now ready for covering. I’m wondering should I try to hide the manufacturing flaws and the break out at the tip with some paint that is close to the same tone as the top plywood layer? I’m thinking this might actually look worse than just owning the flaws and be proud at just how good the wings actually are. I think this wing had so many construction issue at time of manufacture that this set of wing was chosen for the opaque covering at the factory.
Those that know me, know I don’t place too much value on adhesives alone. I like to see some fiber across just about any joint. This fiber can come in the form of a lap joint. Or in this repair I’m using several layer of light fiber glass. I’m sure that as repaired with just the foam fill and CA glue that the tip would hold up just fine to the flight loads. My concern is with the eventual ground loop and hanger rash issues.
Those that know me, know I don’t place too much value on adhesives alone. I like to see some fiber across just about any joint. This fiber can come in the form of a lap joint. Or in this repair I’m using several layer of light fiber glass. I’m sure that as repaired with just the foam fill and CA glue that the tip would hold up just fine to the flight loads. My concern is with the eventual ground loop and hanger rash issues.
Sounds like the hunt for Red Transparent film will have to fire up. 
Konrad
Very Strong User
Help!
I'm looking for an aficionado of Monokote! I'm trying to ascertain which are the good rolls and which are likely to be the bad rolls with the switch to the low VOC formulation.
In my stash I have three distinct lables.
One style reads "Revolutionary New Super MonoKote", the other reads "Revolutionary Super MonoKote" and the last label is in color and it just reads "MonoKote". Nothing Revolutionary or Super!
I assume the colorful label is the bad stuff. But I don't know if the other two labels might be hiding the cross over to the low VOC formulation. None of the labels have a date code on them. Is there a way to tell the good stuff from the bad stuff without actually trying to cover with the film? I'm thinking a dimension or weight difference between the two products.
If anybody can give some guidance I'd appreciate it.
All the best,
Konrad
I'm looking for an aficionado of Monokote! I'm trying to ascertain which are the good rolls and which are likely to be the bad rolls with the switch to the low VOC formulation.
In my stash I have three distinct lables.
One style reads "Revolutionary New Super MonoKote", the other reads "Revolutionary Super MonoKote" and the last label is in color and it just reads "MonoKote". Nothing Revolutionary or Super!
I assume the colorful label is the bad stuff. But I don't know if the other two labels might be hiding the cross over to the low VOC formulation. None of the labels have a date code on them. Is there a way to tell the good stuff from the bad stuff without actually trying to cover with the film? I'm thinking a dimension or weight difference between the two products.
If anybody can give some guidance I'd appreciate it.
All the best,
Konrad
Konrad
Very Strong User
Well, I found 4 rolls of Moneykote that I think will work. 2 are transparent orange and 2 are transparent red. As much as I know Wayne likes orange gliders I'm going to go with transparent red for this Hobie Hawk. Transparent red is a bit darker and seems to hide the blue hue left in spots from the original solid blue covering. This leaves trim schemes and what to do with the fuselage.
All the best,
Konrad
All the best,
Konrad
The red is a great choice.
As I recall the low VOC films have a different smell to them. Not as pleasant as the full VOC films. The old films had what I would describe as a pleasant smell they gave off. In my mind i want to say vanilla like, but my logic side of my brain (a very small side) says that can't be right. The LOW VOC stuff has a different smell, but never used much of it so hard to say. Also some of the LOW VOC seems to be way worse for some colors, so they may have had more than one adhesive they used in that time frame. As I recall the hot pinks and such were particularly horrible.
As I recall the low VOC films have a different smell to them. Not as pleasant as the full VOC films. The old films had what I would describe as a pleasant smell they gave off. In my mind i want to say vanilla like, but my logic side of my brain (a very small side) says that can't be right. The LOW VOC stuff has a different smell, but never used much of it so hard to say. Also some of the LOW VOC seems to be way worse for some colors, so they may have had more than one adhesive they used in that time frame. As I recall the hot pinks and such were particularly horrible.
Konrad
Very Strong User
Major set back!
My repair of the wing tip failed. It looks like the epoxy moved as a result of the iron's heat! I need to come up with a thermally more stable repair. Then decide if I'm going to tear off all the covering or make a patch. If using a patch then how to hide it.
My repair of the wing tip failed. It looks like the epoxy moved as a result of the iron's heat! I need to come up with a thermally more stable repair. Then decide if I'm going to tear off all the covering or make a patch. If using a patch then how to hide it.
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Konrad,
Sorry to see the set back. The red looks good. When it's a question of re cover or just patch. Well i don't mind patches so i'd be inclined to go that route. But you've put a lot of work into the wing so maybe a recover is the way to go. Also the question about the amount of covering you have... a patch uses less material.
Seeing the way the rib failed i'd be inclined to make a rib shaped brace from thin ply and put it on both sides of the cut out. Go from as close to the TE as you can all the way up to the LE. I don't know, just a thought.
Hank
Sorry to see the set back. The red looks good. When it's a question of re cover or just patch. Well i don't mind patches so i'd be inclined to go that route. But you've put a lot of work into the wing so maybe a recover is the way to go. Also the question about the amount of covering you have... a patch uses less material.
Seeing the way the rib failed i'd be inclined to make a rib shaped brace from thin ply and put it on both sides of the cut out. Go from as close to the TE as you can all the way up to the LE. I don't know, just a thought.
Hank
Konrad
Very Strong User
Good Idea about making lapped joints (I know you were thinking of making thin plywood ribs) with more thin plywood. Actually that sounds a lot better than the glass reinforcement I tried! With the glass on top it was in direct contact with the heat from the covering. Putting the bracing "inside" the wing makes more sense. Thanks
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