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I've used gap seal tape on two
ES's, with no problems. I bought everything from Wings 'n Wheels (through
their online site). Most of it is made in Germany. The only product
I got from them that didn't work out was some super-special (read expensive)
tape from 3M that was supposed to be good for wing root gaps. It wasn't --
the type 33+ electrical tape in white works much better.
Probably the key to the gap seal
tape is to have everything really, really clean before installation. That
means putting it on before the first wax job, and cleaning everything with
ethanol. (This isn't available everywhere, but any specialty paint store
that still sells shellac should have ethanol, since that's what you have to use
to cut shellac.) Installing the tapes is a three-part process: first
the double-sided sticky tape goes on, then the gap seal itself, then a leading
edge sealer tape. The gap seals are available in several widths, and in
various lengths. Everything gets rubbed down hard with a thumbnail or
other non-marring implement. If any corners don't stick down properly, the
surface wasn't clean enough.
If a plane has already been
waxed, it might be problematic to get good adhesion. A straight carnauba
wax can be removed with solvent, but silicone-based waxes are essentially there
until the next ice age. (Yet another reason to use good old
carnauba.)
In descents the ES will
occasionally see speeds of 220 knots or so. How the tape will hold up
on a Legacy with significantly higher cruise (and descent) speeds is a
question mark. This stuff is normally made for gliders, and as long as the
wings are still on, they're a bit slower than the Legacy. I'm going to put
it on this one, so I'll let y'all know in a few months.
Jim Cameron
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