Rolladen- Schneider LS3A flap seals- Do they really make any difference?

I Just recently made some using this Template:
http://www.goddard.com/wipers/wiper1.pdf

They seem to be working great. I ordered some 0.040" thick Mylar which seems to work perfect. I selected a thicker material to see if it would be more robust than what I had before. The material before was quite thin and tore in a couple places. I have about 50 hours of flying on my new wipers and they appear to be holding up quite well. I may go back and re-cut them this winter just to make them about 1/4" wider, but we will see.

-SW

On Tuesday, June 17, 2014 12:43:37 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Hi,



it would be great if anybody could send me some information on how to build these seals (templates, dimension, material, etc).



Thanks,

--oliver







Am Sonntag, 6. Januar 2013 13:57:29 UTC+1 schrieb KiloKilo:

You were flying contests in 1979? You must be one of those legacy soaring pilots ...:-) kk







On Sunday, January 6, 2013 12:54:25 AM UTC-5, wrote:



I owned an original LS 3 for many years. Never had a problem with the seals in flight. But the wing root brackets in the factory Komet trailer would crease them unless they were taped together in a gentle curve before lowering the lid. I think I recall adjusting the brackets in the trailer to eliminate this problem. Dick Johnson's testing indicated there was some performance loss without the seals. I know of at least one owner who used auto body putty to build up a flat spot on each side of the fuselage so the butt end of the flaps could "wipe" against them (with a felt seal) and dispense with the flexible seals entirely. I watched them perform this minor modification in the hangar on a rain day at a contest back in...1979?















Chip Bearden







ASW 24 "JB"







U.S.A.

On Friday, July 25, 2014 1:04:22 PM UTC-4, Sierra Whiskey wrote:
I Just recently made some using this Template:

http://www.goddard.com/wipers/wiper1.pdf


Here is the url for the templates along with revisions I made to the above design and pix of them installed.

Regards,

Zero One (Larry Goddard)

On Saturday, July 26, 2014 9:54:35 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, July 25, 2014 1:04:22 PM UTC-4, Sierra Whiskey wrote:

I Just recently made some using this Template:



http://www.goddard.com/wipers/wiper1.pdf



Here is the url for the templates along with revisions I made to the above design and pix of them installed.



Regards,



Zero One (Larry Goddard)


Oops...
Here's the URL === http://www.goddard.com/wipers/

On Friday, July 25, 2014 at 10:04:22 AM UTC-7, Sierra Whiskey wrote:
I Just recently made some using this Template:
http://www.goddard.com/wipers/wiper1.pdf

They seem to be working great. I ordered some 0.040" thick Mylar which seems to work perfect. I selected a thicker material to see if it would be more robust than what I had before. The material before was quite thin and tore in a couple places. I have about 50 hours of flying on my new wipers and they appear to be holding up quite well. I may go back and re-cut them this winter just to make them about 1/4" wider, but we will see.

-SW

On Tuesday, June 17, 2014 12:43:37 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Hi,



it would be great if anybody could send me some information on how to build these seals (templates, dimension, material, etc).



Thanks,

--oliver







Am Sonntag, 6. Januar 2013 13:57:29 UTC+1 schrieb KiloKilo:

You were flying contests in 1979? You must be one of those legacy soaring pilots ...:-) kk







On Sunday, January 6, 2013 12:54:25 AM UTC-5, wrote:



I owned an original LS 3 for many years. Never had a problem with the seals in flight. But the wing root brackets in the factory Komet trailer would crease them unless they were taped together in a gentle curve before lowering the lid. I think I recall adjusting the brackets in the trailer to eliminate this problem. Dick Johnson's testing indicated there was some performance loss without the seals. I know of at least one owner who used auto body putty to build up a flat spot on each side of the fuselage so the butt end of the flaps could "wipe" against them (with a felt seal) and dispense with the flexible seals entirely. I watched them perform this minor modification in the hangar on a rain day at a contest back in...1979?















Chip Bearden







ASW 24 "JB"







U.S.A.
RE "I ordered some 0.040" thick Mylar"

DO you mean 0.004" thick (extra zero in there)
Clear Polysester Film

McMaster part # 8567K42
https://www.mcmaster.com/#polyester-(pet)/=1bmm306


My LS3 seals are getting a bit ratty looking too.

Thanks wfpalmer at gmail

I would really think it is supposed to be 0.040" thick, that's like a couple sheet of paper, your number is very thin.

Think of the spark gap in an automotive spark plug.Â* That's normally
around .028" to .032".Â* Some electronic ignitions call for a larger
gap.Â* Borrow a set of feeler gauges or a caliper and see what .040"
looks like.

On 2/18/2018 6:26 PM, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
I would really think it is supposed to be 0.040" thick, that's like a couple sheet of paper, your number is very thin.

--
Dan, 5J