Free Flight Rubber

[Pilot Ben 28]

How would I store the rubber? Talcum powder in a sealed bag? Rolled, curled or just shoved?

[Martin 0]

It depends on how serious you are! I know that the people who enter rubber free-flight competitions do things like buying only sealed boxes of rubber, making up individual motors and bagging these individually, and testing each such motor once during the trimming flights on the day of competition, so they can use the best ones for the more important competitive flights...

Personally, I don't take particularly good care of my rubber. I do use lube on it when flying (I'm currently using the silicone oil from Free Flight Supplies, but I know Duncan uses KY Jelly), and I keep it in a plastic bag mostly to prevent this from then getting all over the model (and because putting the motor and lube into a plastic bag is the cleanest way to actually lubricate the motor). I haven't put talc on the rubber I last used, but I haven't taken that out of the bag since the club BBQ competition, so I don't know what state it's in. That motor was losing quite a bit of power by the end of that day anyway.

My understanding of the rationale behind talc is that it's not about protecting the rubber so much as absorbing water and/or oil that may be around. I certainly keep wing bands for IC planes in talc, as it seems to help with any traces of oil (or the detergent wipes used to clean it off). Generally though, I regard any rubber part (whether wing bands or motors) as essentially a consumable - even with the best possible care it won't last forever.

I have a stock of new rubber (also from Free Flight Supplies), and I simply keep this in a ziploc-type bag with air expelled, in a cupboard to keep it cool and away from the light. Sunlight and heat are definitely enemies of rubber (they also destroy a lot of other things such as the glue on the tape on foamies). I have heard of metal biscuit tins being used for this (also lightproof and reasonably airtight), but I didn't have one handy. I just folded it end-to-end repeatedly until it fitted in the bag.

[Bravedan 106]

I have a large skein of it somewhere (which shows what care I put into it!)

I really must fettle and try out the selection of FF I was bequeathed. It includes timed electric, diesel, CO2 (which I have no idea how to set up or charge!) and rubber. The main problem is that Dave K bless 'im used the same colours on all his planes, and its not obvious to out of comfort zone me which yellow wings and in some cases tailplanes go with which red Fus as several seem to fit each Fus!!

The only one I have tried, a timed electric high wing cabin, I checked and rechecked the timer on to be what I thought would be a very very short trial run, around five seconds max. This was tested as such. Launched on a footling breeze near still evening towards the right of Airsoft's "village", it climbed out far more strongly than expected as the thrust had seemed very light, got to only about four times head height by nearly halfway across to the trees, cut, (which seemed perfect really!) but it then turned 90 left, stabilised straight, and the glide with no perceived height loss to the falling ground took it out of sight down the slope left of the conifer towards the road.

I found it sitting on its wheels right by the gate........................GULP! Have been meaning to fit micro rudder only RC as that experience was a bit much! Another Round Tuit job.

[Peter Royall 47]

Keep it in the dark and not too hot or cold.

A brown paper bag in the chest of drawers would be fine.

Oily