Help! fix plane

[m.Abdullah]

just did my first maiden with ft p40 which didn't went as planed and it crashed before landing. I am looking for suggestions to repair it effectively should i use balsa or just card boar as damage is on wing tips and front face is compressed with rankled foam.

 

[Ligbaer]

just did my first maiden with ft p40 which didn't went as planed and it crashed before landing. I am looking for suggestions to repair it effectively should i use balsa or just card boar as damage is on wing tips and front face is compressed with rankled foam.

can i get pictures, then i might be able to hepl

 

[SSgt Duramax]

To repair a damaged nose on my FT P-40 I used a heat gun to unwrinkle it, and then I glued more foam board on the outside but I sanded the top and bottom edges to add to the contour. It looked quite nice. The wing tips you could either try to heat it the best you can and straighten it out, or trace the outline from the plans, make a new piece, and cut the old one off and glue the new one on.

I suggest strengthening the undercamber wingtips with BBQ skewers that way they won't completely get destroyed. Although I fiberglassed them on my new model. I'll see if I can't find some pics.


Edit: Wingtip reinforcement.

Skewer

Fiberglass

Original crash damage

During repair

After

 

[Merv]

... should i use balsa or just card boar as damage is on wing tips...

The damage on the wing tips is likely minor. There may be no need to repair, it just looks bad.

...and front face is compressed with rankled foam.

If it is a plane build form DTFB, there may be no need to repair. Just smooth it out the best you can and try again. If the damage goes beyond smoothing out. I have successfully cut off the damaged part and just build a new nose. Cut straight, square lines to make the glue up easier. A simple butt joint is all you need.

I agree with @Ligbaer, we are guessing, pictures would be helpful.

 

[bisco]

don't feel bad, i crashed after i landed

 

[SSgt Duramax]

don't feel bad, i crashed after i landed

I do that sometimes too. Or I get caught up on my beautiful approach I accidentally yank the aileron a foot off the ground and the cartwheel ensues.

Interestingly, my daughter had somehow managed to spin the P-40, and I was trying to let her recover it, and took back control too late. The damage was done on what I would guesstimate to be a 10-15 degree impact to the concrete. The pod was gone, someone walking on the sidewalk outside the flying area brought it back to us, but overall, I think the P-40 is pretty tough if built right and faired pretty well

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

just did my first maiden with ft p40 which didn't went as planed and it crashed before landing. I am looking for suggestions to repair it effectively should i use balsa or just card boar as damage is on wing tips and front face is compressed with rankled foam. View attachment 223119 View attachment 223120 View attachment 223121 View attachment 223122

That's a shame it was a nice build too. If it's any consolation I have been there myself and with a little time and patience you can repair that damage.
Here is my Sea Otter after a spiral nose dive from height

Here it is after a nose rebuild

I only finished building the FT Duster in February and after only 2 flights it got damaged while in storage in my attic, the wing ended up getting ripped off. That's also now back together and ready for another flight.
I've spent the last couple of weeks repairing my Edge 540 which also sustained damage to the wing in my attic, as well as needing the motor angle adjusting, cowl repairs and landing gear modifications. That model is also now fully repaired and ready to fly again.

On the Edge wing one of the ailerons had been completely ripped off, the plastic hinges had caused a lot of damage to the foam. I had to cut out the damaged section and fitted new foamboard inserts.
So don't give up on it, take your time and start by repairing small areas first, moving on to larger sections. For wing or tail section repairs I use bracing like carbon fiber rods or wooden skewers (I've used popsicle sticks if necessary on the fuselage for bracing). Always make sure you add the same bracing to both wings, so the weight distribution is equal even if the other wing has no damage. If a part can't be repaired then rebuild and replace it. I completely replaced the nose of the Sea otter and spliced the new section back on.