Repair of airframe ding

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billdz

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The Custom Equinox is a long, thin rocket. Mine was on the pad at yesterday's launch when a strong wind gust knocked over the entire pad. The Equinox sustained a ding on the airframe about a foot above the fins. We put some clear tape over the ding, put the rocket back on the pad, and the Equinox had a perfect flight. Now, however, I'm wondering if any further repair work should be done, maybe some glue or a wrap of heavy paper?

ding on MFlyer.jpg
 
Looks like a kink on a spiral:
Option 1: Fly it as is. If the kink widens, go to other options. A lot of my rockets have minor, unrepaired damage from hard landings. To me, they are scars of honor.
Option 2: If aesthetics are important to you, do a repair as follows: sand the paint off in the area and apply thin CA to fortify the tube. If you can get a coupler to temporarily back the tube from within, even better. After the CA dries, remove the coupler and sand the area down smooth and prime/paint.
Option 3: Cut the tube, insert a coupler, reglue, and refinish. I would only do this if it was a major kink bending the tube and affecting the flight integrity.
 
Curious. How deep is the ding into the BT, 50%-ish? Will a minimally damp rag or wet Q-tip applied cause the fibers to swell enough to let dry, sand the area, and apply some wood glue? I've layed in a bead of glue, cut a piece of plastic wrap, taped one end and pulled it tight across the gash, taped the other end in place and let it dry. Keeps it smooth and prevents gravity runs.
 
Usually I just cut the airframe and insert a coupler when possible. Balsa Maching sells couplers at 4" long and coupler stock 34" long some of my Comanche 3's have been done that way several times.
 
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