Wing band size

[Tim Kearsley]

This is a bit of a beginner's question really, even though I've flown R/C models for nearly 20 years!  Thing is, I've not built much stuff until recently, nor flown many models with the wing held on with bands.  So.... I've almost completed the build of a Vintage Planes Cloud Clipper.  The wing is quite a wide chord, elliptical platform beast, plus the wing dowels are quite low on the fuselage.  The net effect is that from one dowel to the diagonally opposite across the wing is some 22 inches!  I can only see wing bands offered up to eight inch (which I have plenty of) but these seem an awful stretch and I'm afraid something might give!

 

Advice gratefully received!

 

Thank you.

 

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Join bands together?

 

...although when I did a "nostalgia build" a few years ago, I took the opportunity to convert to a nylon bolt fixing rather than use the original rubber band method.

[Tim Kearsley]

Thanks Martin.  Second novice question then - how would you join bands?

[Bruce Collinson]

Loop to loop, surely?

[Bruce Collinson]

And, mechanically, don't bands afford more grip if they are not diagonal?   An old hand at my club suggested putting the requisite number of bands on parallel to the fus, then a pair of diagonals last on, to retain the others.   It feels right.

 

BTC

[Tim Kearsley]

You could well be right Bruce, I've read various opinions on how to apply wing bands.  It's the degree of stretch that bothers me, even with running them straight over the wing rather than diagonally.  The wing chord at the root is about 14 inches and the wing dowels are three inches below the wing seat so you can see you're still looking at 20 inches or more, which is quite a stretch for an eight-inch band.  Added to which, the Cloud Clipper is a very light model and, to me, seems flimsy, so I'm a bit worried about the pressure on the wing.  Having said that, the D section structure at the leading edge does seem quite sturdy.

[Bruce Collinson]

Does sound like longer bands then.   I have used double looped bands for all sorts, including restraints on the model stand indoors.   Those don't get harangued by nitromethane or ultra-violent light but they seem to last just as long with a joint as without.

 

I stick to SLEC bands, they seem to be consistent (as opposed to unknown cheapies).   Thin bit of c/f rod at the point on l/e and t/e where the band would otherwise dig in?   Might be possible to inlet it enough to be unobtrusive.   Whichever, good luck with it.

 

B

[Tim Kearsley]

Thanks Bruce.  Yes, the eight inch bands I've got are the SLEC white ones.  The CF reinforcement is not a bad idea.  To give you an idea how light the model is, it's a 71-inch span and the flying weight, including 3S, 2200 battery, as it's electric powered, is just 3.25 lb.

[Don Fry]

I’ve used a loop of string to make up deficient length in the past.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

3 hours ago, Tim Kearsley said:

Thanks Martin.  Second novice question then - how would you join bands?

[Tim Kearsley]

Thanks Martin.  I realised pretty quickly (when I tried it out) that it was a dumb question!

[J D 8]

 Living out in the sticks in the days before model shops had postal service and later on line, improvisation was necessary. Large wing bands were slices of Land Rover inner tube. 😀

[Shaun Walsh]

1 minute ago, J D 8 said:

 Living out in the sticks in the days before model shops had postal service and later on line, improvisation was necessary. Large wing bands were slices of Land Rover inner tube. 😀

Inner tubes are the most reliable part of a land rover. Unfortunately modern land rovers use tubeless tyres.🤣

[Nigel Sharp]

Rubber bands can be purchased using a number system. Length and width. Length being the flat length.

 

The can be stretched to about 100 % oc the unstretched measurement.

 

If you know the number of the band you can buy them in boxes by weight. From many online stationary suppliers.

 

[Geoff S]

When I built my Lazy Bee, which has a very wide wing chord, I tried both joining shorter bands together (like Martin Harris demonstrates, above) and also cutting them narrower, which allows them to stretch without crushing the wing, and using more.  I built a Das Liddle Stik during lockdown and hold the wing on with bands - I always use 6 - 2 diagonal, 2 straight and finish with the last 2 diagonal. The wing hasn't fallen off so far 🙂  I don't think the length is super critical as long as it's tight and you use enough to allow for a single failure.

 

Further - why do bands survive OK, in a plastic bag in a drawer but perish quite quickly if they're even slightly stretched between the dowels for storage?  I also use thin elastic bands to retain the interplane strut securing rods (as Boddo himself does on his biplanes) and they perish quickly, too.  I keep the Liddle Stik wing bands in the battery box for storage. They still perish quicker than the ones in my drawer but not as quickly as stretched ones.

[Tim Kearsley]

Having looked a little further into this, it seems larger rubber bands are not hard to find.  Rubber Bands UK sell bands of just about any size you like, in a variety of widths.  Thanks to all who offered help and advice.

[Engine Doctor]

You can also buy bands in colours to suite the colour of you model, look on ebay.  Tip , stretch bands hard a few times and hold for a few seconds before fitting to model. They become much more elastic after a good stretch . Beware though that this also finds any defective bands so make sure that if one snaps under tention it wont clip you face or more importantly your eyes. Store bands ina bag with a little talc powder and they last for ages.

With old timer models with stick frames dont be tempted to convert to bolt fixings . I know bolt are a tidier etc but If you do c9nvert to bolts and wing tip clips the ground on a bad landing its more than likely to split the fuz. Bands  will allow the wing to move without causing any damage and hold wing more than adequate for gentle flight that model is intdnded.

[PatMc]

1 hour ago, Engine Doctor said:

With old timer models with stick frames dont be tempted to convert to bolt fixings . I know bolt are a tidier etc but If you do c9nvert to bolts and wing tip clips the ground on a bad landing its more than likely to split the fuz. Bands  will allow the wing to move without causing any damage and hold wing more than adequate for gentle flight that model is intdnded.

I totally disagree ! Tailplanes on the same models are often glued in place & are usually just as vulnerable. 

Rubber bands were great damage limiters for uncontrolled free flight landings which were as likely to be downwind or crosswind as into wind. RC models simply don't need the same protection & because they are subjected to higher "G" throughout each flight than FF rubber bands can be a positive liability.

All of my vintage models have bolt on wings & tailplanes (plastic or steel screws) with zero landing damage resulting. The Junior 60 & the Frankenstein first flew circa 1986.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

[leccyflyer]

That Veron Robot is affa bonny Pat. 😎

[J D 8]

   When it comes to bands or bolts which is best for rough ground landing sites [ stuff like tussock grass, heather and other scrub] bands are best I recon.

  Cardinal on its way to whoopsy after bad launch. Busted bands no damage.

[Engine Doctor]

Your entitled to your opinion as am I but tail planes should always be permanently fixed , again just my opinion.

[Outrunner]

My little Tomboy has a rubber banded on tailplane, can't see any reason why it shouldn't be. The wing seems quite happily banded on too...

[GaryW]

On 15/01/2024 at 12:48, Tim Kearsley said:

This is a bit of a beginner's question really, even though I've flown R/C models for nearly 20 years!  Thing is, I've not built much stuff until recently, nor flown many models with the wing held on with bands.  So.... I've almost completed the build of a Vintage Planes Cloud Clipper.  The wing is quite a wide chord, elliptical platform beast, plus the wing dowels are quite low on the fuselage.  The net effect is that from one dowel to the diagonally opposite across the wing is some 22 inches!  I can only see wing bands offered up to eight inch (which I have plenty of) but these seem an awful stretch and I'm afraid something might give!

 

Advice gratefully received!

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

By Cloud Clipper you mean this one ,, It's pretty much a copy of a Ben Buckle Super Scorpion which I have a scorpion and im using 8 inch elastic so assuming u do mena the cloud clipper in the first photo 8 inch bands will be fine just be sure to give them a pre-stretch first ,,, Second photo is my scorpion

 

 

Edited January 16 by GaryW

[PatMc]

2 hours ago, Engine Doctor said:

Your entitled to your opinion as am I but tail planes should always be permanently fixed , again just my opinion.

For what reason ?

[PatMc]

8 hours ago, leccyflyer said:

That Veron Robot is affa bonny Pat. 😎

Thanks Leccy. It's actually a surprisingly good little aerobatic model that I am delighted with, although I only bought the Robot kit because I wanted the unrun NIB DC Sabre that went with it. The Sabre remains unrun but the Robot has been powered by 4 or 5 different diesel & glow before being electrocuted

There's quite along story behind it with all the modifications to the original design as well as the power changes but it wouldn't be fair to hijack this thread any further.