solid lines

When using solid control lines, what is the best thing to wipe them off with before each flight? Also is it practical to use solids when flying from a grass field early in the morning when the grass is wet with dew (before work), if the lines are carefully wiped when going out to the handle?

>When using solid control lines, what
>is the best thing to
>wipe them off with before
>each flight?

Anything that evaporates quickly. I think the favorites are acetone, lacquer thinner, Sikkens M600, things like that. I haven't seen anything work that's intended to stay on the lines, like oil, silicone lube, etc. The only thing that I've seen that doesn't cause drag is graphite powder, but it also doesn't really seem to help anything, either. Bill Byles and Ed Southwick like the lemon-scented silicone spray, but it just makes the lines very draggy when it was tried around here. It was also a real pain to clean off.

>practical to use solids when
>flying from a grass field
>early in the morning when
>the grass is wet with
>dew (before work), if the
>lines are carefully wiped when
>going out to the handle?

That's more-or-less what everyone does. If the ground is wet, you need a "handle caddy", i.e. another flunky to hold your lines off the ground while you start the engine. Practical? You be the judge!

One other detail - the lines tend to wear out after 40-50 flights, apparently from scratches due to rubbing together. Then this happens, swap them end-for-end. The airplane end wears out, so you'll get twice the life. You can even see it in bright sunlight, the bright shiny finish gets a bit dull-looking.

After a while, they just get too dirty/scratched to be cleaned, and then you just have to replace them.

All too complicated for me, even though the airplane flies better. I use .018 stranded.

As usual, Brett speaks wisely!

At the Nats, young Daniel Banjock was enduced to try them.... and to learn a mysterious ritual of scrubbing them with two different Scotch Brite pads, then alcohol three times, a bow to the east and away he went. Danny liked them, but soon tired of spending more time fooling with lines than the flight took...he's back to stranded.

I'll bet that a lot will fine the 19 strand stuff to be "the best of both worlds"!

BTW: if you can afford the stuff, RainX is nifty for either type, as it seems to have a bit of skid-resistant stuff in it. Also, search for the 91 % alcohol..... I mix RainX about 10% into the stuff and it seems good.

See ya,

A mention of the 19 strand stuff here. We tried them. Two flying sessions and we junked them! They stick like solids, and when trying to clean them, one of the strands separated from the bundh and started moving up and down the lines. I am also afraid that when you start to get minor wear that you will start seeing these strands go sproing! They are very flexible (only an advantage when you unwind or wind them up, not while flying) and very smooth (why, we guess, they stick like solids. Maybe not quite as bad, but bad enough.)

We just last night pulled out the roll of 7 strand .018 and made up a new set. Last year's lines became back up. The 19 strand is relegated to junk.

And we have another set that we haven't even unreeled and really don't care to. Tom does a very nice job of finishing off the ends, but I would suggest that if you get lines from him you get the 7 strand stellars.

I have a set that I will be trying out this week and/or next weekend. I will report any negatives that I may come across also. They will probably be the same ones that Len has already
discovered.

I put four flights on my 19 strand by .018 cables last night - no negatives to report yet. I did wipe them down twice with Rainx though. Seemed to work O.K., didn't stick that I could notice anyway.

Maybe we got a bad set. Maybe the problem will pop up later on. Both days we tried them it was quite humid out. But the grass was absolutely dry. The first day we put about 8 flights on them. The second day about 6. The second day, after about 4 or 5 flights, when Matt ran the lines out to the handle, they had actually stuck together like they were twisted. But they weren't twisted. That's when he tried cleaning them and noticed that the one strand had separated from the group and was moving up and down the line with the paper towel he was using to clean the lines. This may have been what was causing the sticking problem, but the controls just did not feel free. When we put the new 7 strand lines on, it was like flying a whole new airplane.

We did a pull test. There didn't seem to be any appreciable stretch with either set of lines. The 19 strand lines stretched no more, no less than the others. But there was an altogether different "feel" in using them. We are also wondering, since any lines will get some appreciable wear after a period of use, with the 19 strands will a little wear could cause the outside strands to prematurely fail. I would be interested in hearing about some endurance testing on these as well.

I do want to emphasize, however, that Tom's workmanship is absolutely flawless. He is a fabulous guy and I would wholeheartedly recommend his 7 strand lines for those who want a finished product. This does not in any way reflect on him. When I reported our problem, he was surprised and immediately offered a refund or to swap for new 7 strand lines. He is a first class guy and will stand by any of his products.

I guess I am just a little leery, now, of the 19 strand product, and don't want to risk an airplane on them with further testing.

Never tried solid lines because of what I've read about upkeep. I'm terrible about taking care of stranded lines already. What is this "Tufstrand" control line I see listed at Towever Hobbies (LXFU25 part number)? I can't tell from the description what size plane they are designed to handle. Does anyone have any experience with this?

The upkeep on solids is not anywhere near as bad as you are being led to believe. I like them much better than cables.
"Tuffstrand" is Sullivan's brand name for their kevlar lines, and they make a real nice stooge release line, and little else. They are worthless as flying lines; they have the same drag factor as a 60 pound rock.

I am curious as to why you like solids better than cables, Jake. True, you are allowed to use smaller diameter in competition with solids rather than stranded, and so they cause less drag in the air. But they cause more drag one on another when twisted. And, if you get any type of bend in them at all, that tendency to stick together just increases. Now, they won't stretch like cables will (just slightly) but that seems to be a minor irritation compared to the other.

Even the 19 strand cables caused an irritating stickiness for us. We pulled out a new set of 7 strand cables last night, and the difference was like flying a whole new plane.

LAST EDITED ON May-15-01 AT 10:50 AM (EST)

I like the feel better. Like I said, I am not a PA flyer, and any sticking of the lines (which I haven't had a problem with anyway) is not a concern to me. Less drag, and better performance with smaller engines is. An .049 on .008 solids is something to see. The solids are cheap too.
I am looking forward to trying the three strand "Laystrates"; they are like cables, in being more than a single wire, but the wires are soldered together so you have in effect a single line.

I have always liked solids much better than cables. I like the feel much better. I am not a serious PA type dude, so that may be a consideration.
Has anyone used the British "Laystrate" type lines? I have a sample, but haven't had a chance to try them out yet, though they look promising.

I know that Windy uses a special "surgical" grade of solids, and that they are much more consistant than other (commercially available) sets, but still not wrth the aggrevation!

I'm surprized to hear of Len's reaction to the 19 strand pieces..... I have about 50 flights on a set with no problems...
I generally wipe lines with alcohol as I lay them out after a flight. My belief is that I will be able to carry an extra two feet of lines on a little plane...mayhaps more.

See Ya