Hangar Flying => Hangar Flying => Topic started by: Bruce Hughes on March 27, 2006, 12:00:06 PM
Title: Protection of wings from engine heat
Post by: Bruce Hughes on March 27, 2006, 12:00:06 PM
The RAF manual requires thin aluminum shields at the end of the wings to protect the wings from engine heat. However some builders have gone to stainless steel. I am at the point of needing to order the steel.
ASC lists 304 stainless, .018 inch thick. I assume that that size will be OK
A piece 12" X 48" could be cut in half for shipping and should be large enough to do the job, I think.
ASC also lists 302/304, Ann. at 035 inches thick. Would that thickness be required? The aluminum specified in the RAF manual is thinner than that. What is the Ann.? Annealed? Necessary?
Thank you for any comments. :D
Title: Protection of wings from engine heat
Post by: EZPILOT742X on March 27, 2006, 12:32:31 PM
Like James Redmon did on his Berkut, I used Thermo-Tec Aluminized heat barrier with adhesive backing. It's as simple as cutting out the pieces, sticking them on the wing, and filling in the seams with some red high-temp RTV. The material is about .010 thick and is supposed to be good for a couple thousand degrees. It took me about half an hour to do it all. ACS sells this stuff but you can also find it at auto parts stores and suppliers. It's a little pricey.. you'll probably spend $50 between the thermo-tec and the silicone, but it makes for a very quick and easy job that looks great. It was very clever of James to come up with this... Good Work :-).
Chris Randall Berk-EZ N742X KWHP, CA
Title: Protection of wings from engine heat
Post by: Bruce Hughes on April 04, 2006, 09:54:38 AM
Thanks for your reply Chris. The Thermo-Tec idea sounds good but I have SS on hand and today I will be cutting a shield. I cut one yesterday.
During cutting I realized a few facts:
1. If I follow Burt's original design in aluminum, I will have a pretty heavy shield. Omitting the tabs should be possible. That should reduce the weight by about 25 to 30 %.
2. The cowling fits the wing tightly right now. The tabs would be have to forced into that nonexistant space, between a curved wing and a curved cowling.
There is NO way that is going to work well. Aluminum is soft enough to possibly force fit it but that will not work with stainless.
3. I really do not have a good way to bend all of those tabs. I CAN bend the one at the base because it is only 7 1/2" long SS is a lot harder to bend
4. I have a good way to attach the heat shield to the wing - really better than the tabs, I think.