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David,
Here is the answer you are looking
for.
I put my tape on in September '05. It is 4"
wide and I have it only on the wings at this time. I have had no problems with
it and so far there is no discoloration although it was mentioned at
purchase. The plane has always been hangared and the tape has
approximately 225 flight hours on it. It has been through rain and a
little ice. It was suggested that I use 6" wide but I think the 4" I used
works just fine.
I looked in Aircraft Spruce for clear leading
edge tape. At that time there were two 3M products listed with a pretty
long descriptive paragraphs. Both paragraphs were worded
identically! I called Aircraft Spruce and asked the difference. They
said we don't know, call 3M.
I called 3M and talked to Dan Berstrom who knew
what the heck he was talking about. I asked, "What's the
difference?" His first comment was, "What are you putting this tape
on"? I told him it was for a Lancair. He said that is a no
brainer. 3M Number 8674 will last 3 times longer and is easier to apply
than the other one. The good one just hasn't gone through the
certification process like the other one. (I don't remember the number of option
#2)
In the Aircraft Spruce catalog I have now, I only
see one part number -3M 8672. Again, the tape I got was 3M
8674.
Install wet. Mix one quart- 3 cups water- one
cup alcohol (not the drinking kind), and 2 drops if Joy detergent in a spray
bottle.
Use some kind of guide for the placement of the
tape. (I used masking tape) THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO BE A 2
PERSON JOB. I did it with by myself, but I almost lost it.
Spray the wing down with solution. Make sure
it stays wet during installation. The liquid will evaporate quickly.
You can't use too much spray. Peel the backing off the tape and
install. Trim as necessary. As long as there is solution under the
tape it can be moved. Quickly squeegee all water and bubbles from under
the tape. Let dry.
The temperature needs to be above 60 degrees when
installing but not too hot.
To remove- (I haven't done this part
yet) Use hot water 140 to 160 degrees or a wall paper steamer. Apply
steam or hot hot towels for 10 seconds and it will soften the
acrylic.
These installation instructions don't come with the
tape. They were told verbally to me by 3M.
If you want a leading edge tape for a short period
of time (like some people put tape on and fly to Oshkosh and take it back off
for the show) this is not the one.
As for the gap at the wing root, the best thing I
have found is a cloth tape one inch wide covered by two strips of vinyl
tape. I don't remember the numbers right now but it comes from some glider
supply house in New York I think. I can look it up if anyone is
interested. The vinyl tape eventually peels off or is eroded away by rain
and bugs but this seems to last longer than other systems I have
tried.
Dan Reagan
IVP 450+ hours and still learning
Cincinnati
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