Rubber Band Rant

[BobK]

Yeah I know here I go again, I have mentioned this to a few people and usually get a "whatever" response but I have to say every time I see people using only two rubber bands on their wings I just have to cringe a bit. Maybe it's because it was pounded into my head over and over again and I realize that I am used to bigger heavier planes, but take a second and think about it, what happens when you happen to grab that one bad rubber band in the package and it snaps while flying? Don't ask but I know the answer.

Anyway, just take a second and think about it, I am just as lazy and I personally hate strapping more than two rubber bands on (cripes I just built a biplane..that means I should use eight! ) but I still do, several times I have seen a plane come down with a snapped band and I can tell you it doesn't float in at all. So, just consider taking an extra few seconds and use four, I really hate to see crashes because of a simple little thing like a snapped band.

Two rubber bands strapped straight across the chord..not a great idea, the wing can shift on the wing saddle and a band can slip off the end of the dowel or skewer, or if one snaps..lawn dart.

Two rubber bands crossed of the center of the wing..still not a great idea, the wing can shift on the wing saddle and can also seesaw on the fuse, if anyone has a plane that flies horribly it just might be the reason why. You can test this by setting your plane on the ground and push down a wing tip while holding the fuse solid, especially on something like the Storch with a long wing. If it is floppy on the ground just imagine what it is like in the air, and if one snaps..again..lawn dart.

I have also seen people cheat a bit and use extra long bands, they will run them straight across the chord to the other peg then stretch them all the way over the wing again to cross them, ok..now you have the effect of using four, but if one snaps..another lawn dart.

The right way, two rubber bands strapped straight across the chord of the wing, then two more crossed over the center. The crossed bands put on after the first two lock the first two in and the wing solidly in place, and this gives you three bands left if one snaps..if two snap you still are at least fairly good..and I would toss out the rest of your rubber bands and buy new ones.

I know someone will think that four is too many and feel the wing will be mounted to solidly in a crash, that may be so but it will still give quite a bit. With my collection of different sized planes I have ran into problems finding just the right sized bands, sometimes I link two smaller ones together to make longer ones. If you use the right sized bands for the size of airplane you are golden.

I just wanted to mention this, I hardly ever see more than two bands being used here, and I am not saying you have to use four..just consider it. It is a tough lesson when the unlikely happens..I know this.

 

[MrClean]

Many of us have experience with rubbers. When I started everyone had a bag of talcum powder or kitty litter and had rubberbands in them as if they were a limited quantity product. Rubberbands are only slightly less populace then high fructose corn syrup.

I also have watched many a plane and wing separate and come back together thanks to an insufficient number of bands or watched the wing go off on it's own. And the bands they're using? you don't need no 64's for anything flight test. I'd go with a better ratio of #32 bands of smaller size. And put on the correct number of bands to cover possible load and then a final set crossed to retain. Most of these planes that would be 6 #32's altogether, maybe 8. Use em and loose em, like HFCS they'll make more.

 

[RAM]

The first foamy I built would not work with more than one rubber band. More that that and the wings would not fold to the dihedral on take-off.

It was a copy of this design by sr71afan.

 

[Ron B]

a friend spent 3 months building a beautiful balsa cub and had 2 bands on it and he got about 50 ft. in the air and 1 broke and plane ended up in so many pieces it was just trash that was a costly mistake. Rubber bands are cheap.

 

[BobK]

When I started everyone had a bag of talcum powder or kitty litter and had rubberbands in them as if they were a limited quantity product.

I think there was a time finding good rubbers was a real problem. I use mainly #64's and #62's which are readily available most anywhere, I am glad you mentioned #32's I need to find some of those. Watching a wing separate and return in flight gives the same scernario as when a cartoon charactor falls off a cliff..in the first instant only part of their body falls then the rest catches up lol. I had a friend who pushed the envelope on rubber bands so badly we would pick on him when he did a loop we said we could see air between the wing and fuse..and I believe we actually did.

The first foamy I built would not work with more than one rubber band. More that that and the wings would not fold to the dihedral on take-off.

I realize there are special occasions as this, heck that wing makes me want to wet myself anyway every time it takes off and lands

Ron B then you know the feeling, even worse imagine your friends feeling knowing after all of that work ended up being trash just from a simple rubber band.

These are #62's linked together on a Storch, linking probably isn't the greatest idea, but it makes almost the perfect length here. Too tight stresses the bands and has no give and they are ready to snap, too loose doesn't work either.



Again, I am not making a rubber band 'law', but at least this way when the inevitable happens (and it will) I can say I told you so.

 

[TexasTeacher]

The first foamy I built would not work with more than one rubber band. More that that and the wings would not fold to the dihedral on take-off.

It was a copy of this design by sr71afan.

Wow do you have the plans for that. I would love to fly that in the gym here.

 

[RAM]

Wow do you have the plans for that. I would love to fly that in the gym here.

He did not make plans for it. I sent him a message on youtube and he provided me with some photos. I used Klonk to measure from the photos and did my best to copy those measurements to foam. (I had to make some guesses on scale).

I still have the photos and the emails from him. I can try to send you those. He's a really nice guy and has provided photos and dimensional info to others who've asked. I think I'm the only one who went ahead and built one.

 

[razor02097]

I've flown balsa and foam planes with rubberbands. Typically if a rubberband snaps it will when you stretch it onto the wing. Not always but for balsa planes I usually use 6-8 bands depending on the size. I have a slow stick I typically use 4. If you aren't wearing them out and keep them stored properly, rubberbands are just fine to use.

 

[BobK]

My Slow Stick HAS to be my least favorite plane to put bands on, I have millenniumrc wing mounts on mine and they have tiny little hooks..every time I mount that wing a rubber band slips off the hook and I get snapped lol. I should go back to the originals which I added a small length of aluminum tube to the hooks and they hold better..but the fancy expensive red mounts look so "pretty".

http://www.flyerc.com/X-FusePartsSet.html

 

[RAM]

Wow do you have the plans for that. I would love to fly that in the gym here.

This is all I have. They are photos with measurements from sr71afan. I made a show suggestion long ago for FliteTest to come up with a working model (http://forum.flitetest.com/showthre...ter-job-of-creating-this-mesmerizing-airplane). Now that I have a couple builds behind me I don't think this information lacks anything you need to make his airplane. He did suggest flying it in under 5mph winds. I didn't do it justice but it was my first build so I'm pretty happy with it.

Here is the text from the email he sent describing it. If you do build one please send him a note. I don't think he will mind me sharing this but he should get all the credit.

The cross-bracing on the bottom of the wings is 1mm carbon fiber rod. It is simply glued to the bottom of the wing with CA (super glue). CA melts most foam material, but not the EPP I used on this model. The cross-bracing reduces the twisting of the wing due to the EPP being very flimzy.

The flying wire is like the wing strut on a Cessna high-wing airplane. It prevents the wing from folding upward while the wing is supporting the fuselage in the middle. My flying wire is a piece of string attached about a foot out on the wing, and wraps under the belly of the fuselage, and attaches at the same point on the opposite wing.

The fuselage is basically a big box. I start by cutting two sides, adding a bulkhead (former) on one of them at the leading and trailing edge of the wing, then gluing the other side on which forms a box. Then I glue the two tail end pieces together, and make a firewall to go between the sides at the nose, and glue that. Then I glue on some top and bottom sheets, and before you know it, there's a finished fuselage.

Perhaps the pictures (attached) will make things a bit easier to visualize. The wing is made from two pieces on top, connected by ribs on the bottom. There's a picture that shows the airfoil so you can see that.

The side view of the fuselage which has measurements should be changed to the flat wing saddle (place where the wing sits on top of the fuselage) shown in the very next photo. The measurements remain the same.

Oh, I made the wing fold in half for ease of transport. You don't have to do that.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Thanks BOBK. I have a tiny trainer and just never considered it. Thanks for the photo too.

I have noticed in the high desert climate that rubber bands don't last long here. After the bag is opened they get brittle fast.

 

[TooJung2Die]

Yeah I know here I go again, I have mentioned this to a few people and usually get a "whatever" response but I have to say every time I see people using only two rubber bands on their wings I just have to cringe a bit.

...snip...

I just wanted to mention this, I hardly ever see more than two bands being used here, and I am not saying you have to use four..just consider it. It is a tough lesson when the unlikely happens..I know this.

You mean like this?



Guilty as charged. I get complacent. I consider DTFB airplanes to be disposables. Now that my airplanes are lasting longer between crashes I should think about preventing crashes not caused directly by my lack of pilot skills.

Everyone is entitled to one rant per day. Yours was helpful.

Jon

 

[BobK]

Thanks BOBK. I have a tiny trainer and just never considered it. Thanks for the photo too.

I have noticed in the high desert climate that rubber bands don't last long here. After the bag is opened they get brittle fast.

I am just asking people to think about it, it is a simple thing that might just save your plane. I wonder if putting your rubber bands in a ziplock bag would help?

lol Jon, lets just say if you lose that beautiful plane to laziness I don't want to hear any crying..and I'll be saying 'I told you so!'

 

[BobK]

Ironically after making this post I yanked this gem out of a brand new bag today, glad I caught it. Sorry about that bad pic.

 

[RAM]

Did you know...that you can nick a rubber band when it's not stretched, then stretch it, and it will not break? However, if you stretch a rubber band and then nick it, it will break?

 

[razor02097]

Ironically after making this post I yanked this gem out of a brand new bag today, glad I caught it. Sorry about that bad pic.

Have you ever done any sort of home renovations? I can't tell you how many screws I've pulled out of a box that are defective. Should I just stop using screws? Rubber bands do have their place. But like with many things, they are consumable and should be replaced when they break or break down. It should just be one of the things that need to be checked before tossing up the plane.

 

[BobK]

Have you ever done any sort of home renovations? I can't tell you how many screws I've pulled out of a box that are defective. Should I just stop using screws? Rubber bands do have their place. But like with many things, they are consumable and should be replaced when they break or break down. It should just be one of the things that need to be checked before tossing up the plane.

I'm not real sure but I think you completely missed the point of this thread, I never said anything about stopping the use of rubber bands. That is the second post you have made here arguing something I never said.

 

[razor02097]

I'm not real sure but I think you completely missed the point of this thread, I never said anything about stopping the use of rubber bands. That is the second post you have made here arguing something I never said.

Yeah I know people either not using them properly or not using enough, etc.

My first post was about how I use them and my short one sentence opinion. The second was in response to your recent rubber band find. It was more of sarcastic mini rant... seriously the quality of hardware isn't what it was

edit:

Oh I wasn't trying to argue with you btw, sorry if it came out like that.

 

[CrashRecovery]

This is one time I agree with BOBK. I never fly anything with out 4 bands on it. And if they are smaller ones I tend to double up on at least two connections, usually the ones that dont cross the wings. This is the one time where more is better, not like tying knots.

 

[BobK]

Yeah I know people either not using them properly or not using enough, etc.

My first post was about how I use them and my short one sentence opinion. The second was in response to your recent rubber band find. It was more of sarcastic mini rant... seriously the quality of hardware isn't what it was

Its all good I just wanted to be clear that I wasn't telling people not to use rubber bands, just to check them and make sure they don't let a bad one slip by. I agree the quality of everything seems to be less than it used to be, and pretty soon everyone who is used to the quality of products today will think they are real quality products..then companies can drop quality another step.

This is one time I agree with BOBK.

Once is better than none, Thanks..I think