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Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:18 pm
by Triker
This might be a small issue, but if it aint right, its wrong.

I have a question regarding my Spirit 15 wing .
When in flight my tips of my wing flutter while flying. I'm talking about the section just before the wing tip on trailing edge between the 2nd and 3rd batton.

It looks like there is a small pocket where I can insert a small "batton" or rod to straighten out or support that piece of the wing.
Does anyone perhaps have an idea what is causing it?

regards

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:29 pm
by nicow
Sent me your tel nr.My wing is not doing that.

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:27 pm
by bryan
Please share knowledge. My Aquilla wing has started doing that but only on the left side. It worried me at first but since I can see nothing wrong have tolerated it. I would feel better if it could be fixed!
Regards
Bryan
ZU BFR

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:40 pm
by Africa
your trailing edge is too slack. to tighten this there are a few quick fixes you can do. You can tighten the batten bungees/strings or use a cable/zip tie in your batten holes and tighten the tie pulling the holes closer together. this will tention your trailing edge. Another thing is to tighten your spreader bar cable tention. that will also help. If it still does that your wing sail is stretched and needs to be worked on. Jamie

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:31 am
by AndyG
Africa wrote:your trailing edge is too slack. to tighten this there are a few quick fixes you can do. You can tighten the batten bungees/strings or use a cable/zip tie in your batten holes and tighten the tie pulling the holes closer together. this will tention your trailing edge. Another thing is to tighten your spreader bar cable tention. that will also help. If it still does that your wing sail is stretched and needs to be worked on. Jamie
Listen to the man. Jamie ran the wing department at Solo Wings and knows what he is talking about. Check the bungees first as they lose their elasticity/tension over time.

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:44 am
by Triker
Morning Gentleman

I will have a look at this over the weekend. Thank you for the tips.

regards !

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:05 am
by nicow
Thanks Africa (^^)

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 3:53 pm
by Africa
nicow wrote:Thanks Africa (^^)
No probs Nicow. How long have you been in Potties? I was Born there and so was all my family. jamie

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:06 pm
by nicow
I'm here since standerd 5 (1982)
I am the owner of the Potties Nuus.

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:41 pm
by Africa
nicow wrote:I'm here since standerd 5 (1982)
I am the owner of the Potties Nuus.
ok great. My family owned Mathewson Ford. I was in potties last year when my oupa died. I did Ben erasmus's flight tests many years ago.

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 11:30 pm
by Biggles
AndyG wrote:
Africa wrote:your trailing edge is too slack. to tighten this there are a few quick fixes you can do. You can tighten the batten bungees/strings or use a cable/zip tie in your batten holes and tighten the tie pulling the holes closer together. this will tention your trailing edge. Another thing is to tighten your spreader bar cable tention. that will also help. If it still does that your wing sail is stretched and needs to be worked on. Jamie
Listen to the man. Jamie ran the wing department at Solo Wings and knows what he is talking about. Check the bungees first as they lose their elasticity/tension over time.
Spirit 15 doesn't have bungies, the battons have a string loaded tab that sits in a pocket. see pic, very clean design but the plastic sometimes gets stuck in the aliminum batton making them a mission to remove. I have a bunch of spares due to the amount of times they siezed.

Triker, I would compare the batton arrangement to the manual to make sure they are all in. I have attached a pic showing all the battons and struts in the wingtip 1) WASHOUT BATTON strut that inserts into a hole in the leading edge tube (just bearly visible through the sail), its a 10mm diameter tube. 2) Lower batton in white sleeve 3) Is the wingtip batton Again bearly visible, it hooks onto a pocket on the tip, and a stainless hook on the main spar, and has an overcentre lock to hold it in place.

Second pic shows batton positions in blue

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:23 pm
by Nacho
Keep us posted on your findings and solutions!

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:59 pm
by Triker
HI Biggles

The area surrounded by the red circle, is where I experience the flutter. Will your above mentioned explanation possibly affect that red circle area?
Also underneath the wing on both sides, there seems to be two identical small pockets (or socks) where something like an antenna wire or some kind of small batten can be inserted to straigthen or support that area(indicated by black dotted line). Is it perhaps possible, or is it just me.

Will take some photo's and post them over the weekend.
Thanks a mill for the help so far!
regards

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:43 am
by Biggles
I think the first thing you should do is get a batton profile chart and check the profiles on the battons. Africa is probably correct and the trailing edge is too slack, how to remedy this on teh spirit I do not know.

Re: Spirit 15 wing flutter

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:34 pm
by Africa
The batten profiles has nothing to do with the trailing edge tention. this is due to the sail being stretched. looking at these pics on this wing i am not sure what else to do other than tighten your spreader bar cable and tention the wing alittle more. On the aquilla which is what i am very experienced with my suggestions will work.

another thing while I am thinkig is that you can buy spacers that fit inside the end cap on the leading edge and when you put the sail back on it will tention the wing more too. The spacers will "lengthen the legth of your leading edge by a hair on both sides and in return tention your sail as you would have to pull the sail over the end of the leading edge. Ok, now i am really missing Aidan. he was a genious with this stuff. he taught me so much!! I am sorry i cannot do the pics and drawings. Not computer litterate enough..LOL