Long Wing Bands

[Chris King 3]

I'm re-commisioning an old Lazy Bee I've had in the loft for donkey's years but I can't find any wing bands longer than 8" which are too short.

The entire path of the band would be around 22" so I reckon on needing something like a 10" band at the very least.

I've trawled this forum for any suppliers that might help but it seems no-one does anything bigger than 8".

[cymaz]

You could loop two together?

[Chris King 3]

True but it does leave a big bump on the top of the wing which doesnt look great.

[Capt Kremen]

Try 'First Steps Rubber Bands' they do a range of good quality bands. (Much cheaper and better value than model shops and high street stationers too!)

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Chris King 3]

Even First Steps only go up to 8" or 200mm!

Not sure what size inner tube I'd need tbh. Don't have them around these days as everything is tubeless.

[DaveyP]

Quick question, is there a rule of thumb for the size of band to use on a wing ?

If a wing has a chord of, say, 8" would you buy a 4" band, 5" band or 6" band ??

Edited By DaveyP on 14/07/2020 18:58:56

Edited By DaveyP on 14/07/2020 18:59:55

[Peter Miller]

Go on Amazon

I bought a huge back of black rubber bands for my Super Scorpion andthey were really long

[Malcolm Fisher]

For one of my models, I cut long enough strips from inner tubes - single strips not bands and used a hole punch at each end to fit over the dowels. Worked well for me and they lasted longer of I made the ends wider where the holes had to be punched.

Malcolm

[Geoff S]

I've cut wing bands to make them thinner and they stretch further without being too fierce. Just to make sure I always use 6 bands. IIRC I found thinned down 8" bands were OK with my Lazy Bee (standard size) but it's not been flown for years.

Inner tubes are rare these days. We used to use radially cut ones to make bands to hold competition numbers on our trials motor cycles in the 1960s but they'd be much too short (4" ). You could perhaps use small wheel pedal cycle inner tubes cut circumferentially?

Geoff

Edited By Geoff S on 14/07/2020 20:01:01

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi Chris

When you say 22" do you mean the total length around the band, or the length of the band laid flat?

If you mean the total length that would mean a chord around the 11" area.

Rubber bands are measured folded flat, and unstretched.. I have some bands I use on my Limbo Dancer. These are just over 7" unstretched, but will happily stretch to over 11" in use.

Other than that, Amazon do list some 200mm ( 8" ) here.

Personally, I think 8" would do you fine.

Jeff

[Chris King 3]

Posted by Jeffrey Cottrell 2 on 14/07/2020 20:16:30:

Hi Chris

When you say 22" do you mean the total length around the band, or the length of the band laid flat?

If you mean the total length that would mean a chord around the 11" area.

Rubber bands are measured folded flat, and unstretched.. I have some bands I use on my Limbo Dancer. These are just over 7" unstretched, but will happily stretch to over 11" in use.

Other than that, Amazon do list some 200mm ( 8" ) here.

Personally, I think 8" would do you fine.

Jeff

The chord is about 15". The 22" inch I quoted was the length of the band layed flat. e.g. the length from each dowel diagonally across the wing

[Chris King 3]

Posted by Malcolm Fisher on 14/07/2020 19:57:34:

For one of my models, I cut long enough strips from inner tubes - single strips not bands and used a hole punch at each end to fit over the dowels. Worked well for me and they lasted longer of I made the ends wider where the holes had to be punched.

Malcolm

Hmm, that gave me an idea. I took an old band and cut it so it was one run and punched a hole in both ends and its pretty strong. A 4" band nearly goes the distance I need.

That might work. It's just judging how strong the end with the hole is.

[Chris King 3]

Posted by Geoff S on 14/07/2020 20:00:25:

I've cut wing bands to make them thinner and they stretch further without being too fierce. Just to make sure I always use 6 bands. IIRC I found thinned down 8" bands were OK with my Lazy Bee (standard size) but it's not been flown for years.

Inner tubes are rare these days. We used to use radially cut ones to make bands to hold competition numbers on our trials motor cycles in the 1960s but they'd be much too short (4" ). You could perhaps use small wheel pedal cycle inner tubes cut circumferentially?

Geoff

Edited By Geoff S on 14/07/2020 20:01:01

Did you chop them in half to get two bands from one?

[Chris King 3]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm sure there's something here that will work.

Chris

[Steven Curry]

This company appear to supply bands up to 300mm if you really need long bands. They're not cheap though.

Link

[Bob Cotsford]

You could buy some flat rubber strip, the type used by freeflight modellers, and tie your own bands to get them tensioned as you want.

[Geoff S]

Posted by Chris King 3 on 14/07/2020 20:44:54:

Posted by Geoff S on 14/07/2020 20:00:25:

I've cut wing bands to make them thinner and they stretch further without being too fierce. Just to make sure I always use 6 bands. IIRC I found thinned down 8" bands were OK with my Lazy Bee (standard size) but it's not been flown for years.

Inner tubes are rare these days. We used to use radially cut ones to make bands to hold competition numbers on our trials motor cycles in the 1960s but they'd be much too short (4" ). You could perhaps use small wheel pedal cycle inner tubes cut circumferentially?

Geoff

Edited By Geoff S on 14/07/2020 20:01:01

Did you chop them in half to get two bands from one?

Yes. I just cut round the circumference with a pair of scissors, making 2 thinner bands out of one wide one and the same size. Never had one fail except perishing like they all do but I just checked them before use.

Geoff

[Guest]

I have seen piano wire - S shaped - joining pairs of bands together to get the chord width.

no unsightly bump in the middle - it looks a more elegant " engineered" solution

john

[Doctor Chinnery]

Back in the day, we needed l-o-n-g rubber strips, literally hundreds, we used tractor back-tyre inner tubes. Lots of stretch in those and the rubber will knot satisfactorily - if cut transversely you can make huge rubber bands but I guess those might be too big unless you're talking about the Big Lazy Bee ( but mine sported twin plastic bolts on the trailing edge and twin 3/8" dowels in front).

[fly boy3]

I had the same problem with my Super Scorpion. From dowel to dowel stretched diagonally, I needed well over 21inches.joining two band together solved the problem with a large unsightly bulge at the join. Cured this by joining them together with the smallest nylon tie could find. Solved.

[kevin b]

Do you anybody who works at the postal sorting office. They seem to get long rubber bands and might know where to source them.

[kevin b]

Try here.

**LINK**

[Manish Chandrayan]

Bicycle valve tubes come packaged in long lengths. A suitable length cut and knotted (if you don't mind getting knotty) serve the purpose

[Keith Berriman]

I read somewhere the red post office rubber bands are bio degradeable in the sun in case the get dropped on route and dont cause to much litter