Filling small holes in panel?

[soaringjac]

Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

[soaringjac]

Will bondo work?

[[email protected]]

TIG welder?

[Tim Taylor]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 4:24:07 PM UTC-7, soaringjac wrote:
> Will bondo work?

Bondo might work, but is brittle. You might want to look at an epoxy based filler that would be more flexible in the long run. AEROPOXY LIGHT from Spruce would likely be a better choice. For a few small holes you could try something like JB Weld. If you have some cotton flock, I would mix some with JB Weld and use that. It would provide an epoxy base with the structural strength of fiber to minimize cracking.

[Tim Taylor]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 5:39:40 PM UTC-7, Tim Taylor wrote:
> On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 4:24:07 PM UTC-7, soaringjac wrote:
> > Will bondo work?
>
> Bondo might work, but is brittle. You might want to look at an epoxy based filler that would be more flexible in the long run. AEROPOXY LIGHT from Spruce would likely be a better choice. For a few small holes you could try something like JB Weld. If you have some cotton flock, I would mix some with JB Weld and use that. It would provide an epoxy base with the structural strength of fiber to minimize cracking.

Just saw that JB Weld makes a putty: SteelStik™ Epoxy Putty - 2 oz

Looks like it would work as well.

[soaringjac]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 4:45:03 PM UTC-8, Tim Taylor wrote:
> On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 5:39:40 PM UTC-7, Tim Taylor wrote:
> > On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 4:24:07 PM UTC-7, soaringjac wrote:
> > > Will bondo work?
> >
> > Bondo might work, but is brittle. You might want to look at an epoxy based filler that would be more flexible in the long run. AEROPOXY LIGHT from Spruce would likely be a better choice. For a few small holes you could try something like JB Weld. If you have some cotton flock, I would mix some with JB Weld and use that. It would provide an epoxy base with the structural strength of fiber to minimize cracking.
>
> Just saw that JB Weld makes a putty: SteelStik™ Epoxy Putty - 2 oz
>
> Looks like it would work as well.

Cool thanks Tim! I might give that SteelStik a try

[[email protected]]

How about your Silver and Gold badges!?

[soaringjac]

Haha

[Robert Palfreeman]

On Saturday, 7 December 2019 18:12:08 UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

How small?

[soaringjac]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 3:12:08 PM UTC-8, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

Well I used the SteelStik and that seems to have worked great so far! I guess we will see how it holds over time

[soaringjac]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 6:52:38 PM UTC-8, weemacgregor wrote:
> On Saturday, 7 December 2019 18:12:08 UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:
> > Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?
>
> How small?

about 3/8th

[Cookie]

aluminum brazing rod and propane torch. Did an old Grob Panel with many holes. Learning curve required. Can warp if not careful...may have to flatten out after.

When finished don't paint....grind and sand repair areas to flat....

Then use 3m 1080 vinyl wrap..."anthracite" color carbon fiber...looks great, easy.


Cookie

[[email protected]]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 9:10:24 PM UTC-8, Cookie wrote:
>
> Then use 3m 1080 vinyl wrap..."anthracite" color carbon fiber...looks great, easy.
>
>
Would 1080 vinyl be a good material to cover crazed gelcoat?

[[email protected]]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 6:12:08 PM UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

Very small(screw) holes can be filled by counter sinking and putting a flat head screw in, followed by a bit of filler.
Larger(switch size) holes, assuming no interference with something on the back face, can be covered from the back by a small piece of aluminum, bonded with epoxy, followed by filling he hole with body filler.
Unsupported body filler will fail in a short time.
Good Luck
UH

[carbonprop[_2_]]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 4:12:08 PM UTC-7, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=black+hole+plugs+3%2F8&crid=11GGUBTWOIW65&sprefix=black+hole+plugs%2Caps%2C230&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_16

[Cookie]

I just got word that "vinyl wrapping" has been approved in Europe for many makes and models of gliders.

To cover crazed gel coat...IMHO...not a good choice.

Two reasons. 1080 has an outdoor exposure life of maybe 4 years....so maybe if a glider is kept inside most of the time it would be OK.

Also vinyl wrap gets almost impossible to remove if it is left on for 4 years...
In most automotive used it is sort of semi permanent, removed and replaces periodically.

As for covering the crazing...it won't really...the vinyl take on the shape of the under surface so I am afraid that the crazing will show through somewhat. Also the crazing may continue to get worse under the wrap.

I just did a wrap on my car roof, to cover up blistering and peeling clear coat...BUT I had to wet sand 400 grit and remove all traces of the clear coat before applying the wrap.

Wrapping is not all the inexpensive.

Cookie


On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 2:13:03 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 9:10:24 PM UTC-8, Cookie wrote:
> >
> > Then use 3m 1080 vinyl wrap..."anthracite" color carbon fiber...looks great, easy.
> >
> >
> Would 1080 vinyl be a good material to cover crazed gelcoat?

[Cookie]

On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 8:40:36 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 6:12:08 PM UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:


Using the aluminum brazing method, the panel comes out flat on both sides...so new holes can be put where you need them. Patches on the backside and thru screws, and pockets of Bondo, may prove problematic if they interfere with the new installation.

Cookie
> > Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?
>
> Very small(screw) holes can be filled by counter sinking and putting a flat head screw in, followed by a bit of filler.
> Larger(switch size) holes, assuming no interference with something on the back face, can be covered from the back by a small piece of aluminum, bonded with epoxy, followed by filling he hole with body filler.
> Unsupported body filler will fail in a short time.
> Good Luck
> UH

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 4:00:40 PM UTC-5, Cookie wrote:
> On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 8:40:36 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> > On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 6:12:08 PM UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:
>
>
> Using the aluminum brazing method, the panel comes out flat on both sides...so new holes can be put where you need them. Patches on the backside and thru screws, and pockets of Bondo, may prove problematic if they interfere with the new installation.
>
> Cookie
> > > Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?
> >
> > Very small(screw) holes can be filled by counter sinking and putting a flat head screw in, followed by a bit of filler.
> > Larger(switch size) holes, assuming no interference with something on the back face, can be covered from the back by a small piece of aluminum, bonded with epoxy, followed by filling he hole with body filler.
> > Unsupported body filler will fail in a short time.
> > Good Luck
> > UH

[Gary Wayland]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 6:12:08 PM UTC-5, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

Assuming 80 MM is a BIG hole...

How about another cool wiz-bang super-secret vario that just came on the market! At 57 MM for your convenience! Merry Christmas

On switch size hole... Do not plug! Part of the feng shui of a used or antique soaring plane... :)

(the other guys on this thread had some great ideas to plug) pouring epoxy in the hole that has tape on the back or Tig before you fill the hole. Countersinking a bit to spread the hole bigger may give you more surface. The biggest problem; the aluminum is thin to get a lot of surfaces to adhere to.... Bondo will fail in a short time because of the small amount of surface area...

[[email protected]]

> I have a good friend that has a bullet hole through his glass panel. We fixed everything else on the ship but the panel. That hole is part of the history of the ship.
> UH

On occasion, I have considered punching a few .45 holes through my vario and altimeter for giving me unwanted information.

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 12:57:56 PM UTC-8, Cookie wrote:
> I just got word that "vinyl wrapping" has been approved in Europe for many makes and models of gliders.
>
> To cover crazed gel coat...IMHO...not a good choice.
>
> Two reasons. 1080 has an outdoor exposure life of maybe 4 years....so maybe if a glider is kept inside most of the time it would be OK.
>
> Also vinyl wrap gets almost impossible to remove if it is left on for 4 years...
> In most automotive used it is sort of semi permanent, removed and replaces periodically.
>
> As for covering the crazing...it won't really...the vinyl take on the shape of the under surface so I am afraid that the crazing will show through somewhat. Also the crazing may continue to get worse under the wrap.
>
> I just did a wrap on my car roof, to cover up blistering and peeling clear coat...BUT I had to wet sand 400 grit and remove all traces of the clear coat before applying the wrap.
>
> Wrapping is not all the inexpensive.
>
> Cookie
>
>
My 2003 gelcoated glider is showing first faint signs of gel crazing. It's only out in the sun when I fly it. Seriously, I'd to know if refinishing with vinyl wrap would be a better choice than a $30K refinish in PU. As I understand it, refinish is only for cosmetic reasons. Is there any data that shows older crazed gelcoat reduces performance?

[Cookie]

Well, it might make sense to wrap a glider when the glider is new...to protect the gel coat...before it crazes.

We have noticed that when we refinish a glider, that when we peel off the vinyl racing number off the tail fin and rudder, (or remove a painted on number) that the gel coat underneath that portion of the plane, is NOT crazed.

You would have to budget changing out the vinyl wrap every 4 years. vs painting the glider every 10 or whatever. You must remove the wrap periodically or else it does not come off easily after 5 or more years.

Guys who buy Ferrari's of Lambos, or Ford GT's type of cars often have clear vinyl applied to protect the factor original paint...but in the collector car world, original paint is a real value thing.....more then offsets the cost of a wrap job every 4 years.


Cookie




On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 10:56:59 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 12:57:56 PM UTC-8, Cookie wrote:
> > I just got word that "vinyl wrapping" has been approved in Europe for many makes and models of gliders.
> >
> > To cover crazed gel coat...IMHO...not a good choice.
> >
> > Two reasons. 1080 has an outdoor exposure life of maybe 4 years....so maybe if a glider is kept inside most of the time it would be OK.
> >
> > Also vinyl wrap gets almost impossible to remove if it is left on for 4 years...
> > In most automotive used it is sort of semi permanent, removed and replaces periodically.
> >
> > As for covering the crazing...it won't really...the vinyl take on the shape of the under surface so I am afraid that the crazing will show through somewhat. Also the crazing may continue to get worse under the wrap.
> >
> > I just did a wrap on my car roof, to cover up blistering and peeling clear coat...BUT I had to wet sand 400 grit and remove all traces of the clear coat before applying the wrap.
> >
> > Wrapping is not all the inexpensive.
> >
> > Cookie
> >
> >
> My 2003 gelcoated glider is showing first faint signs of gel crazing. It's only out in the sun when I fly it. Seriously, I'd to know if refinishing with vinyl wrap would be a better choice than a $30K refinish in PU. As I understand it, refinish is only for cosmetic reasons. Is there any data that shows older crazed gelcoat reduces performance?

[[email protected]]

Vinyl wrapping a glider was addressed in a previous thread. See below for a glider pilot and wrap installer's take on the concept:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/rec.aviation.soaring/nLzx-iXBwwE/l4J4LirzAwAJ

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

Cookie wrote on 12/9/2019 8:58 PM:
> Well, it might make sense to wrap a glider when the glider is new...to protect
> the gel coat...before it crazes.
>
> We have noticed that when we refinish a glider, that when we peel off the vinyl
> racing number off the tail fin and rudder, (or remove a painted on number) that
> the gel coat underneath that portion of the plane, is NOT crazed.
>
> You would have to budget changing out the vinyl wrap every 4 years. vs painting
> the glider every 10 or whatever. You must remove the wrap periodically or else
> it does not come off easily after 5 or more years.
>
> Guys who buy Ferrari's of Lambos, or Ford GT's type of cars often have clear
> vinyl applied to protect the factor original paint...but in the collector car
> world, original paint is a real value thing.....more then offsets the cost of a
> wrap job every 4 years.

If the glider is painted with polyurethane or similar, it will not have to be
repainted "every 10 or whatever". Shucks, my gel coat is in good condition, with
minor crazing along portions of the leading edge, after 4000 flight hours and 25
years. No one would paint with poly without the expectation it will last 30+ years.

Crazing often seems to occur first on the wing leading edge. Has anyone ever
refinished just the leading edge of glider, whether it's with gel coat or PU? That
would be a lot cheaper than doing the entire glider.

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 9:20:39 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
> Cookie wrote on 12/9/2019 8:58 PM:
> > Well, it might make sense to wrap a glider when the glider is new...to protect
> > the gel coat...before it crazes.
> >
> > We have noticed that when we refinish a glider, that when we peel off the vinyl
> > racing number off the tail fin and rudder, (or remove a painted on number) that
> > the gel coat underneath that portion of the plane, is NOT crazed.
> >
> > You would have to budget changing out the vinyl wrap every 4 years. vs painting
> > the glider every 10 or whatever. You must remove the wrap periodically or else
> > it does not come off easily after 5 or more years.
> >
> > Guys who buy Ferrari's of Lambos, or Ford GT's type of cars often have clear
> > vinyl applied to protect the factor original paint...but in the collector car
> > world, original paint is a real value thing.....more then offsets the cost of a
> > wrap job every 4 years.
>
> If the glider is painted with polyurethane or similar, it will not have to be
> repainted "every 10 or whatever". Shucks, my gel coat is in good condition, with
> minor crazing along portions of the leading edge, after 4000 flight hours and 25
> years. No one would paint with poly without the expectation it will last 30+ years.
>
> Crazing often seems to occur first on the wing leading edge. Has anyone ever
> refinished just the leading edge of glider, whether it's with gel coat or PU? That
> would be a lot cheaper than doing the entire glider.

I've done lots of spot repairs to local crazing. I'm sure others have done the same. This happens wherever final finishing is done at the factory on joints. Leading edges, wing roots, fuselage center joints. canopy frame edges.
Result
No crazing showing
Repairs don't match color
Improved appearance for a while.
Can be a useful short term improvement to delay refinishing.
UH

[[email protected]]

As for performance denegration by minor crazing, dont spend you time worrying about it. One bad mental decision on course is about all it amounts to. Your dealing mostly with a cosmetic issue.

[[email protected]]

> I have a good friend that has a bullet hole through his glass panel. We fixed everything else on the ship but the panel. That hole is part of the history of the ship.
> UH

The glider was in the trailer. The 9 mm jacketed bullet penetrated the fiberglass lid of the Cobra trailer, passed through the upper and lower wing skins of the left wing--including the Kevlar layers--before piercing the canopy and instrument panel cover, then exited the instrument panel on the lower left side(vaporizing the battery selector switch and damaging the fuses) before traveling through the cockpit (unoccupied at the time, obviously!) and rebounding off the rear canopy frame--knocking a fist-size hole in the right rear side of the canopy before or after that--then landed harmlessly (compared to what had already occurred) in the fabric boot at the base of the control stick. All in MUCH less time than it took to read this!!

UH suggested preserving the bullet hole in the panel as part of the history.. I understand the current owner might consider passing along the actual bullet to the new owner whenever he ultimately sells the glider. :)

Chip Bearden
JB

[[email protected]]

If I hadnt been there, I wouldnt have believed it! Amazingly after close inspection and scrutiny by at least 5 people, and a little duct tape it flew that day in a nationals comp! After all it was the Nationals! :) God bless you Chip, never let it be said you are not competitive. Only regret is they didnt catch the *******s that would do such a thing!

CH

[JS[_5_]]

On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 2:58:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > I have a good friend that has a bullet hole through his glass panel. We fixed everything else on the ship but the panel. That hole is part of the history of the ship.
> > UH
>
> The glider was in the trailer. The 9 mm jacketed bullet penetrated the fiberglass lid of the Cobra trailer, passed through the upper and lower wing skins of the left wing--including the Kevlar layers--before piercing the canopy and instrument panel cover, then exited the instrument panel on the lower left side(vaporizing the battery selector switch and damaging the fuses) before traveling through the cockpit (unoccupied at the time, obviously!) and rebounding off the rear canopy frame--knocking a fist-size hole in the right rear side of the canopy before or after that--then landed harmlessly (compared to what had already occurred) in the fabric boot at the base of the control stick. All in MUCH less time than it took to read this!!
>
> UH suggested preserving the bullet hole in the panel as part of the history. I understand the current owner might consider passing along the actual bullet to the new owner whenever he ultimately sells the glider. :)
>
> Chip Bearden
> JB

Thanks for that, Chip.
"Who shot JB" details I've been wondering about for a while. Amazing.
Hold my beer and watch this,
Jim

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 9:42:37 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
> On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 2:58:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > > I have a good friend that has a bullet hole through his glass panel. We fixed everything else on the ship but the panel. That hole is part of the history of the ship.
> > > UH
> >
> > The glider was in the trailer. The 9 mm jacketed bullet penetrated the fiberglass lid of the Cobra trailer, passed through the upper and lower wing skins of the left wing--including the Kevlar layers--before piercing the canopy and instrument panel cover, then exited the instrument panel on the lower left side(vaporizing the battery selector switch and damaging the fuses) before traveling through the cockpit (unoccupied at the time, obviously!) and rebounding off the rear canopy frame--knocking a fist-size hole in the right rear side of the canopy before or after that--then landed harmlessly (compared to what had already occurred) in the fabric boot at the base of the control stick. All in MUCH less time than it took to read this!!
> >
> > UH suggested preserving the bullet hole in the panel as part of the history. I understand the current owner might consider passing along the actual bullet to the new owner whenever he ultimately sells the glider. :)
> >
> > Chip Bearden
> > JB
> >
> >On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 8:05:18 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> >If I hadnt been there, I wouldnt have believed it! Amazingly after close inspection and scrutiny by at least 5 people, and a little duct tape it flew that day in a nationals comp! After all it was the Nationals! :) God bless you Chip, never let it be said you are not competitive. Only regret is they didnt catch the *******s that would do such a thing!
> >
> >CH
> >
> Thanks for that, Chip.
> "Who shot JB" details I've been wondering about for a while. Amazing.
> Hold my beer and watch this,
> Jim

Just to fill in the holes, so to speak, here's the rest of the story.

A second bullet punctured the (closed) front door of the trailer and passed through the bottom and top skins of the right wing, bounced off an aluminum hoop in the underside of the trailer lid, and dropped onto the trailer floor where it was retrieved.

The sheriff dug two others out of the front of the aluminum lower structure of the trailer. A fifth bullet is still rattling around inside the sidewall: it went in at a glancing angle and never came out.

Fortunately (look on the bright side) the bullets through the wings left very small holes. Most important, it was easy to peer inside the wings and see nothing important was damaged: e.g., spars, ribs, bulkheads, control rods, ballast tanks. No instrument damage, either. So a little speed tape (really, Cliff; duct tape? haha) and the glider was good to go. The tape patch on the canopy hole next to my right ear didn't really impair vision. I twisted wires to connect the main battery and flew without backup power that day (the longest task of the contest, naturally, so I was checking voltage fairly often prepared to start shedding load if I had to).

Many thanks to all who helped. Cliff offered a battery selector switch that morning and competitor Danny Sorenson loaned several switches for the remainder of the contest. Various TSA club members assisted as I rushed to do quick repairs and get ballasted and on the grid. There were some raised eyebrows but it was clear the glider was airworthy. Annoyingly, UH and I had just painstakingly stripped, profiled, and refinished the wings in polyurethane the previous winter. But his repairs of the bullet holes are imperceptible now. I wish I could say the pristine new canopy was welcome but I'm ultra careful (this incident notwithstanding) and the old canopy was scratch-free, too.

Kudos to CD Mark Keene. He coordinated with law enforcement that morning and won cooperation from all there so we didn't attract attention on social media that might have disrupted the contest. When he inquired if I wanted to fly, I answered, "Yes, if it's airworthy." He nodded, asked me if I needed help, and told me not to worry about being late to the grid. When I arrived there after everyone else had launched, he briefed me, made certain I was in the right frame of mind to fly, and calmly sent me on my way. His polite, helpful, professional behavior contrasted with a few other contest management performances under stress in the past few years (no names mentioned).

AIG (under the SSA Program) was wonderful to deal with on the claim though they admitted this was a "first".

There were some theories on who might have done it and five shell casings out by the road. But no prints or probable cause to go searching for a pistol that might have matched ballistically.

Research indicated it would have taken approximately 9 layers of Kevlar to stop what were likely relatively low-velocity rounds. The ASW 24 wings do have Kevlar top and bottom but not that much. Still, the bullets did get slowed down quite a bit. The trailer's double-wall aluminum lower structure stopped three rounds. PSA: inside an ASW 24 fuselage inside the trailer might be a good place if you're at the gliderport surrounded by armed attackers and need a safe room. :)

Chip Bearden
JB

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

On Friday, December 13, 2019 at 4:55:04 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 9:42:37 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
> > On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 2:58:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> > > > I have a good friend that has a bullet hole through his glass panel.. We fixed everything else on the ship but the panel. That hole is part of the history of the ship.
> > > > UH
> > >
> > > The glider was in the trailer. The 9 mm jacketed bullet penetrated the fiberglass lid of the Cobra trailer, passed through the upper and lower wing skins of the left wing--including the Kevlar layers--before piercing the canopy and instrument panel cover, then exited the instrument panel on the lower left side(vaporizing the battery selector switch and damaging the fuses) before traveling through the cockpit (unoccupied at the time, obviously!) and rebounding off the rear canopy frame--knocking a fist-size hole in the right rear side of the canopy before or after that--then landed harmlessly (compared to what had already occurred) in the fabric boot at the base of the control stick. All in MUCH less time than it took to read this!!
> > >
> > > UH suggested preserving the bullet hole in the panel as part of the history. I understand the current owner might consider passing along the actual bullet to the new owner whenever he ultimately sells the glider. :)
> > >
> > > Chip Bearden
> > > JB
> > >
> > >On Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 8:05:18 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> > >If I hadnt been there, I wouldnt have believed it! Amazingly after close inspection and scrutiny by at least 5 people, and a little duct tape it flew that day in a nationals comp! After all it was the Nationals! :) God bless you Chip, never let it be said you are not competitive. Only regret is they didnt catch the *******s that would do such a thing!
> > >
> > >CH
> > >
> > Thanks for that, Chip.
> > "Who shot JB" details I've been wondering about for a while. Amazing.
> > Hold my beer and watch this,
> > Jim
>
> Just to fill in the holes, so to speak, here's the rest of the story.
>
> A second bullet punctured the (closed) front door of the trailer and passed through the bottom and top skins of the right wing, bounced off an aluminum hoop in the underside of the trailer lid, and dropped onto the trailer floor where it was retrieved.
>
> The sheriff dug two others out of the front of the aluminum lower structure of the trailer. A fifth bullet is still rattling around inside the sidewall: it went in at a glancing angle and never came out.
>
> Fortunately (look on the bright side) the bullets through the wings left very small holes. Most important, it was easy to peer inside the wings and see nothing important was damaged: e.g., spars, ribs, bulkheads, control rods, ballast tanks. No instrument damage, either. So a little speed tape (really, Cliff; duct tape? haha) and the glider was good to go. The tape patch on the canopy hole next to my right ear didn't really impair vision. I twisted wires to connect the main battery and flew without backup power that day (the longest task of the contest, naturally, so I was checking voltage fairly often prepared to start shedding load if I had to).
>
> Many thanks to all who helped. Cliff offered a battery selector switch that morning and competitor Danny Sorenson loaned several switches for the remainder of the contest. Various TSA club members assisted as I rushed to do quick repairs and get ballasted and on the grid. There were some raised eyebrows but it was clear the glider was airworthy. Annoyingly, UH and I had just painstakingly stripped, profiled, and refinished the wings in polyurethane the previous winter. But his repairs of the bullet holes are imperceptible now. I wish I could say the pristine new canopy was welcome but I'm ultra careful (this incident notwithstanding) and the old canopy was scratch-free, too.
>
> Kudos to CD Mark Keene. He coordinated with law enforcement that morning and won cooperation from all there so we didn't attract attention on social media that might have disrupted the contest. When he inquired if I wanted to fly, I answered, "Yes, if it's airworthy." He nodded, asked me if I needed help, and told me not to worry about being late to the grid. When I arrived there after everyone else had launched, he briefed me, made certain I was in the right frame of mind to fly, and calmly sent me on my way. His polite, helpful, professional behavior contrasted with a few other contest management performances under stress in the past few years (no names mentioned).
>
> AIG (under the SSA Program) was wonderful to deal with on the claim though they admitted this was a "first".
>
> There were some theories on who might have done it and five shell casings out by the road. But no prints or probable cause to go searching for a pistol that might have matched ballistically.
>
> Research indicated it would have taken approximately 9 layers of Kevlar to stop what were likely relatively low-velocity rounds. The ASW 24 wings do have Kevlar top and bottom but not that much. Still, the bullets did get slowed down quite a bit. The trailer's double-wall aluminum lower structure stopped three rounds. PSA: inside an ASW 24 fuselage inside the trailer might be a good place if you're at the gliderport surrounded by armed attackers and need a safe room. :)
>
> Chip Bearden
> JB

Where and when did this shooting happen?

[Charlie Quebec]

Only in America. This is what you get when you’ve got guns everywhere.

[[email protected]]

Don’t get started Charles Q!!

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:32:24 AM UTC-8, Charlie Quebec wrote:
> Only in America. This is what you get when you’ve got guns everywhere.

That is why I asked where, when, I thought perhaps he was in Canada for a contest and the hunter thought the trailer was a moose? Could happen.

[Scott Williams[_2_]]

On Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 5:12:08 PM UTC-6, soaringjac wrote:
> Any recommendations on what to use to fill small holes in an aluminum panel?

My preferred method is to make a new panel. at least as long as the original was flat plate aluminum. The classic gliders I can afford (SHK, Std Cirrus, Phoebus, Grob 103) all have had aluminum plate panels, usually pretty ragged from multiple instrument changes over the years and making a new one only takes 3 or 4 hours and I can put the instruments where I want.
Of course a band saw and drill press make this possible in my case.
Good Luck,
Scott