Can you make the swappables with HK foam

[WeatherMan]

In australia you cant get the dollar tree foam board, so this is the best alternative. When watching the build videos it seems like the designs rely on the paper backing, which I do not believe the hobbyking foam has. Is it then possible to make the designs with it? Link: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/aero-modelling-foam-board-5mm-x-500mm-x-1000mm-white.html

 

[daxian]

hi weatherman ...
it is possible !! you will need to use packing tape to reinforce the board when folding i.e. for the wings)like Ed at experimental airline,
i have made a couple of wings that way ...
or cover the board some other way for the fuselage folds ....be warned HK foam seems more brittle than the foam FT uses !!
so it may not last as well ,but it is useable .
there are a lot of australian members here on the forums ...find out what they found best down under !!!

 

[WeatherMan]

So you are saying use tape where the paper would normally help the fold then?

 

[varg]

Yeah, coat the foam in tape, especially where you need to bend it, and it is quite strong. Even with paper, putting tape on the outside surface of sharp bends prevents tearing and strengthens things. When bending foam the inside surface of the curve is compressed but the outer portions are under tension, and it tends to rip. When you put tape on it, the tape becomes the outer surface of the bend and doesn't stretch easily, so the foam won't tear and the bent portion is tough. Do some test bends with tape and you'll see that even with very sharp bends, the tape doesn't let the foam tear. You won't be able to do 'ABC' folds as easily with tape, but it can still be done if you lay the tape along the joint, space the boards properly and fold them in using the tape where paper would be with glue on the inside of the joint.

 

[WeatherMan]

Thanks, I think that's what I will do

 

[Hai-Lee]

Just a heads up! I found that the wing fold could still rip after the plane had bee completed because the tension could cause a simple packing tape failure. I reinforce the LE fold of builds where the fold is not along the entire LE with a reinforced cloth based tape, (Normally from Bunnings).

Also because the foam is a little more rigid it resists bending more and can suddenly fold in stressed areas, (not necessarily where the plane dictates). To aid on some builds I use a roller or rolling pin on the inside of the curve to provide a little compression and a slight cupping of the FB which seems to help relieve the stresses of the curves.

Whereabouts in AUS do you reside?

Just what works for me!

Have fun!

 

[WeatherMan]

They both seem like good tips, thanks. One question though, would hobby king wing tape suffice (link https://hobbyking.com/en_us/wing-tape-45mic-x-45mm-x-100m-wide-blue.html ) as the cloth tape I could find is really expensive and im doing this on a reasonably low budget. I come from the southern suburbs in south aus.

 

[varg]

Reinforced packing tape is commonly used on all types of foam planes, it's strong stuff and I'm sure you can find that relatively cheaply and locally to boot.

 

[daxian]

hi again ...
i found the HK tape ok on the two wings i built ,as long as i took my time with the fold-over in the wing .
as it seems more brittle ,you can use the reinforced tape at the fold line /leading edge,to be sure of a good fold .
nothing worse than getting halfway in the fold and having it snap in half !!!

 

[Hai-Lee]

Just a little cost saving note!

You do not need to use the fibre tape on the entire LE but you can use just a few pieces, (across the exposed ends of the fold), combined with standard packing tape across the entire LE fold.

Have fun!