AXN nose strengthening

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AXN nose strengthening

Postby symowallo » Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:40 am

I'm only a newbie aircraft pilot and am cutting my teeth on the AXN... Love it so far. Like others though, the nose has taken a pounding. I'm getting splits around the canopy area on the sides and the front.

It appears that some people are reinforcing the front by gluing carbon fibre along the sides, inside the cockpit area in order to strengthen this area. For those who've done this, has it helped reduce nasal damage? What's the best option here?
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby cynr100 » Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:03 am

Hi Symo,

Have a look at this thread, best to start at the beginning but I have directed you to my latest "repair innovation" :lol: :lol:
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=1443&start=180
By strengthening parts of the nose area you just transfer the impact forces to the next weakest point thus the inevitable will happen and you purchase another AXN :D
I have a spare under my desk, still boxed, whilst I have some fun with the clipped wing "Son of AXN" :lol: 8-)

Dennis
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby drg964 » Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:45 am

Like Dennis said you will just transfer the impact to another part, which in my case is the body area just behind the motor (after it suffered a major nose dive from about 30 metres :lol: )

Which reminds me I get some of my own EPO foam safe CA glue so I can bond the AXN back together.

Dennis, is there any place in Cairns that sells the stuff?
You can call me Al
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby cynr100 » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:18 am

drg964 wrote:

Dennis, is there any place in Cairns that sells the stuff?


Mate, I've not tried yet I still use hot glue and "Scotch Tough Tape"where ever I can. There is a hobby shop (cnr Aumuller & Mulgrave, N/E cnr next to the butcher shop in Aumuller) have been in there once and they mainly cater for wheelies and a few helis.
Here's a shot in the dark, try Spotlight cnr Lyons & Mulgrave they deal in curtains,materials and arty hobbyists supplies I'll bet a pound to a penny they will have something :D

When I started work on the "Son of AXN" remodel, the tail was splitting along the original seam and I could twist the whole tail 30deg either side of centre. I just used the Tough Tape with a figure eight overlap at the wing end and individual lengths to wrap around with every piece overlapping by 3-4mm. This tape sometimes lets go after 24 hours but is easily reset so I have gotten into the habit of applying gentle pressure to every piece 24-48 hours after applying. The tail is better than new, which means it will explode in impact :lol: :lol:

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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby symowallo » Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:58 pm

Thanks guys, I think I'll just stick with fibreglass tape and hot water for reshaping. I've found some really good glue, unfortunately you can't buy this in Australia, but just slip it in with your next Hobbyking order - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... duct=17535 - I used it for the first time yesterday and it's as sticky as a sticky date pudding with extra stickiness. Beats anything local that I've tried. Takes a while to dry, and it's different to the glue that comes with the AXN, but it seems to work OK.
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby drg964 » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:42 am

cyrnr100 wrote:There is a hobby shop (cnr Aumuller & Mulgrave, N/E cnr next to the butcher shop in Aumuller) have been in there once and they mainly cater for wheelies and a few helis.


Just tried Phoenix Hobbies today. They are now further south along Aumuller St (in the old Postal Centre by Scott St) and like you said cater for wheels and helis - hence no EPO glue...

symowallo wrote: I've found some really good glue, unfortunately you can't buy this in Australia, but just slip it in with your next Hobbyking order - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... duct=17535


Sounds interesting.

From the HK page...
According to the label, you shouldnt smoke, but it's okay to use an umbrella while applying this glue.
Active Chemical: Magic

:lol: good to see they have a sense of humour.
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby rogueqd » Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:04 pm

I have to disagree with the "just transfer the energy to another part" posts above.

Ok, eventually, in a bad enough crash, any plane will break. But some strengthening down the sides of the fuse, from behind the leading edge of the wing to as close to the nose as you can bend some cf rods, and from before the trailing edge of the wing to 5-7cm behind the hole under the motor, makes quite a bit of difference. I've picked up and flown my plane after some quite bad crashes that I'm sure would have broken foam had I not reinforced it with 3mm CF rods. The only other fragile parts are the horizontal stab tips at the ends of the elevator, but if they break off I just fly without them until I get home and can glue them back on.

I cut slits on the outside and pushed the rod into them after squeezing in some glue, but the ends of the rods come unstuck some times, so I'd try gluing CF rods along the inside of the fuse if you can get them in some how.
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby S-rob » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:42 am

Ive used any hobby CA on my EPO planes, doesnt need to be foam safe on EPO. But test 1st if unsure
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby quarry44 » Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:38 pm

Re the Hk glue,make sure to cap the tube tightly after use,or it will dry into a rubbery mess.I now use UHU POR instead.It's around $7 a big tube at a local art supply store,but I reckon it's worth it.Spotlight don't have it.Gorilla glue is ok too,but you need to put tape over the join straight after gluing it,or you end up with a big foamy bubble,which is hard to remove.The tape will cause the excess foam to migrate to the inside of the fuse,where you won't see it.Aliphatic resin will work,but takes a long time to dry.
I only use foam-safe ca on small joins,it goes brittle,and is a mite expensive.
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Re: AXN nose strengthening

Postby symowallo » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:16 pm

Thanks for the input rogueqd, I have put a couple of 3mm rods down the side of the fuselage starting around half way along the wing and about 8-10cm after the motor. It was a biatch of a job, and I basically did what you did - cut some slits in the fuselage and pushed them in. On the right hand side I ended up punching a hole in the fuselage when I tried to push the rod too hard into the slit... But good old fibreglass tape fixed that LOL!!!

That HK glue is great but it sticks fast, and it stuck too fast on the rod to get enough time to push it in. But it was sorted in the end.

The foam in the nose area is too thin to do this though. I'm not going to risk cutting slots in the nose to fit the carbon fibre rods in. I think I'll just have to repair it every time I crash it, which is every time I fly it...
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