Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Now that we’re well into the flying season, chances are you have at least one plane that has been “benched” because of a not-so-gentle landing. Why not take a few minutes this weekend and repair it? Here’s what you need to know.

Let’s face it! Accidents are bound happen, and when it comes to flying RC airplanes, the chances are that you’re going to suffer some damage to your airplane. There’s no reason, however, to trash your crash. With today’s beautiful molded foam fliers, you can get back into the air with very little effort. You also can save some bucks by repairing your bent bird instead of buying new parts or an entirely new airplane.

What’s Needed

The supplies needed for any model repair are a hobby knife with sharp replacement blades, some masking tape, a sanding bar with medium sandpaper (100 to 150 grit), and some fine 220-grit sandpaper. The glue needed is 15-minute two-part epoxy, foam-safe CA adhesive, and foam-safe accelerator. Denatured alcohol is good for cleaning the surface of the foam and for cleaning up excess epoxy from repairs. We used an assortment of glue, including those by Bob Smith Industries and Flash Adhesives.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips
Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Removing Dents

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 1: The leading edge of a foam wing can really take a beating, but dents are really only cosmetic issues. If you have a minor dent, simply apply a wet paper towel to it and heat with a covering iron. Most of the time, the steam will expand the foam and your dent will disappear.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 2: If the dent is more pronounced, you can quickly cut away a section of the damaged material with a razor saw and glue in some new foam.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 3: Cut some new foam to length, and glue it in place with foam-safe CA. The best way to do this is to cut the foam a bit oversize, and spray foam-safe accelerator to the new material. Apply the CA glue to the cutout area, and insert the repair piece. Hold it in place until the glue sets. Use your saw to remove most of the unwanted material, then use a sanding block to smooth the replacement piece.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 4: Apply a little hobby filler around the edges to fill in any gaps (Hobbico HobbyLite Filler is great for this).

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 5: Once the filler has dried, use fine sandpaper to smooth the repair. If you need to, apply more filler around the repair area to feather out the repair area.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 6: Apply some matching foam-safe paint to complete the leading-edge wing repair. The hardest part of this repair really is finding matching paint. Usually, the instructions that come with your airplane will call out the colors used. If not, go to the hobby shop and check out the Master Modeler and Tamiya brands of acrylic foam-safe paints. You’ll be able to match the color chips and then lighten or darken the colors slightly to match. In real life, warbird repairs seldom matched the rest of the airframe, so welcome to scale weathering!

Mending Broken Wings

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 1: In extreme cases, you might break a foam wing in two (or more!) pieces. A great trait of foam is that it is usually very easy to piece back together. Mix up a small batch of 15-minute epoxy on a plastic can lid. Run two or three lengths of each part as shown and then mix together.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 2: Place some waxed paper or food wrap under the wing pieces and then apply just enough mixed epoxy to cover the exposed ends of the break. Use some masking tape to hold the parts together while they rest flat against your work surface. Be sure to wipe away any excess epoxy that oozes from the repair using a paper towel and some denatured alcohol.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 3: After the epoxy has set, remove the tape. Using a sanding bar, smooth out the repair area.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 4: If your wing is more than 36 inches in span, use a piece of thin plywood that is 4 to 6 inches long and ½ inch wide as an internal brace. Using a hobby knife and a razor saw, cut a straight line all the way through the wing, as shown. Test-fit the plywood, then apply foam-safe CA and insert it into the wing. Apply some accelerator, and let the glue set.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 5: After the glue sets, apply model filler to the repair and let the filler dry.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 6: Using fine sandpaper, sand the filler smooth and flush with the rest of the wing surface.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 7: Apply matching foam-safe paint, and let it dry. The repair is complete, but you can also apply some decals over the repair area, if you like, to completely cover the mended area.

Repairing Foam Hinges

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 1: It is not possible to repair a live-foam hinge, where the hinge is molded in as part of the control surface. It is best to install new hinges in the damaged surfaces. Before removing the surface, mark the locations for the new hinges. For this rudder, three 1/8-inch Robart Hinge Points will be installed.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 2: After marking the hinge locations, take a sharp hobby knife and slice through the molded hinge to separate the rudder from the fin. Use some sandpaper to smooth the mating surfaces.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 3: Sharpen the end of a 1/8-inch brass tube, and use it as a drill to produce the holes for the Hinge Points. This produces much neater holes than a wood drill bit.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 4: Mix up some 15-minute epoxy, and use a toothpick to apply the adhesive into each of the holes in the rudder.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 5: Insert the Hinge Points into the holes, and set aside until the epoxy cures. Make sure that no epoxy gets into the pivot pins. If it does, quickly remove the hinge and install a new one. You have about 20 minutes before the epoxy starts to thicken and set.

Model Airplane News - RC Airplane News | Easy Foam Airplane Repair Tips

Step 6: Apply more glue inside the holes in the vertical fin, and slide the hinges in the rudder into place. Again, wipe away any adhesive that oozes out of the holes with paper towels and alcohol. Set aside until the epoxy sets.

That’s it! Let the glue set and get your pride and joy back in the air.

Please share your easy repair tips in the comments below!

 

1 Comment

  1. When using robart hinge points, lubricate the the hinge to keep it from accumulating the epoxy and preventing smooth operation.
    Use fishing reel oil, vaseline or similar lube.

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