ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

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CRAZEDpilot
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Re: Gap Seal Removal

Post by CRAZEDpilot »

crhannay wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:29 pm
Can this gap seal be removed without tearing up the paint and fabric?
Did this work out? remove with heat? how did you get it off without damage?

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ragwing8
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by ragwing8 »

Reviving this thread with a question for anyone who has done it.
I read to put the elevator in neutral position, before applying the tape. Someone else said, “no slack is needed”. If both of these are true how does the elevator move down, past neutral?

I would think you’d need to put the elevator in the down position before applying tape, to insure full travel.
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Andy Young
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by Andy Young »

By attaching to the top side of one surface and the bottom side of the other, the tape crosses a line drawn between the centers of the tubes on each surface, at the midpoint. The geometry of this is such that the total length of a bendable material (like the gap seal) between the attachment points does not change. As the control surface moves, some of the non-glued portion on curve of the tube rolls off of one surface, while extra is taken up on the curve around the tube on the other.

A thought experiment to illustrate:
Picture a bicycle on a stand. Assuming for this exercise that the frame doesn’t interfere, attach a string to the top of the rear tire, wrap it around the back of this tire, then run it up to the top of the front tire, around the front of the front tire, and attach it at the bottom. If you now held onto both tires (to keep the string taut) you could roll one tire forward, and other would go aft the same number of rotational degrees, but of course the string length would not change. This is how the gap seal works.

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Andy Young
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by Andy Young »

All that said, it is indeed easiest to install with the elevator centered.

VA Maule
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by VA Maule »

Andy is exactly right with his explanation

But, if you're still a little cloudy on just how it works. Get some 2" wide (or wider) painters tape and pull off 2 pieces several inches long. Attach the tape strips together sticky side to sticky side long ways with an 1/4-1/2" overlap. Install as Andy described to the bottom of the elivator and to the top of the horizontal stabilizer . The painters tape will let you reposition it and remove it without fear of harming the paint and you can observe how it stays tight through the range of motion.
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Smokyray
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by Smokyray »

Andy,
Awesome topic and excellent instructions.
A few photos of the completed installation would be great, a YouTube video even better!
8)
Thanks!
Smokey

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Andy Young
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by Andy Young »

Well, I’m not much for doing photo or video documentation of processes. I usually feel like I’m too busy doing the work to stop and make videos. Plus just not much interest in that sort of thing. I must be old…

I’ll see if I can get a decent photo of a installed gap seal at some point, but looking at pretty much any Maule above an M-4 should show how it is supposed to be positioned.

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crbnunit
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by crbnunit »

I was nervous at first but is a really straight forward process and really quick to do.
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by armascher »

The best way I found to remove the tape was a hairdryer and laminated plastic card or old hotel key/credit card. Slowly heat old tape, get an edge up with plastic scraper and pull 90 degrees to the fuselage. 3M adhesive/wax remover for the left over adhesive. I found the top that get the most sun exposure is most difficult. Bottom tape came off pretty quick.
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kenja
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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by kenja »

Has anyone gotten a 337 to install these on an M4? Are there any differences with the M4 tail that would make these not applicable?

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Re: ELEVATOR GAP SEAL INSTALLATION

Post by TimB »

yes PM sent
TimB

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