Repairing my foam park flyer
By James Packwood
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I managed to face plant my BNF Basic Zero into the ground the other day. My first thought was “It was only $99.00” “My second thought was. I don’t want to spend another $99.00”. Since I like building and have the resources I decided to just fix my model. The damage was a clean break at the cowling from the fuselage. The prop was bent and the wing pin that helps secure the wing to the fuselage had broken off from the wing. So now I head off to the work bench.
Always after any crash, you should always inspect the battery and make sure that it is not punctured. Or swollen. Lipo batteries can catch fire if they are damaged so you should properly dispose of it if there is any doubt. You can check with your city Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility to see if they will accept your Lipo Battery. I they don’t then follow this link on how to safely dispose of the battery https://oscarliang.com/dispose-lipo-battery-safely/ .
You should first determine how much damage you are willing to work with. If it is only a few pieces and the breaks are clean, then it is worthwhile to attempt a repair. If it looks totally unrecognizable then I usually just strip the parts from the wreckage and use them in another project if they are not damaged.
You should never reuse a damaged propeller. If the prop is a clean break, then it is obvious you cannot use it. If it is chipped, cracked or discolored the toss it. A damaged blade can cause severe injury to you or someone else. Don’t be a tightwad and buy several to keep on hand.
Inspect the model and make sure that all the connections, receiver, servos and motor are in good condition. If they are not, then you might consider spending the $99. Sometimes it cost more replacing parts to the plane than buying a new one. You should check with your local hobby shop for the replacement cost of the damaged part and go from there.
Gluing
On some small indoor models or park flyers that have thin wings you can just use clear packing tape to fix any breaks or tears. Since the Zero has a thick foam wing and fuselage I decided to use a medium CA glue to attach the cowling back to the fuselage and the wing pins back to the wing. It is very important that you use a CA glue that is friendly to foam. I have not had good luck with the Insta-Cure CA glue, but I had had success with Super-Gold+ CA glue. If in doubt apply a small drop or 2 to the inside of the cowling to make sure it does not melt the foam.
If it starts to melt, then immediately wipe off the glue. Contact your local hobby to see what they have on hand that is foam friendly. I also use a CA glue accelerator (Insta-Set). Make sure that your parts are properly aligned before using it because you will not get a second chance to rearrange the parts after you apply it.
After your satisfied that everything is solid. Then reassemble the model, plug in the battery and make sure the motor is working properly as well as the servos. Hit the simulator and then head back out to the field to give it another go.
Happy Flying
