Gyroc Hinge Redux

Silicone doesn't hold paint well; it'll come off over time. You could always paint the rocket (or at least the fins) white and use white silicone bathroom caulk.

I'm not sure how well it'll hold up, but it's an interesting idea. Definitely worth testing.

-Kevin

Somebody on another forum, recommended the paper from those Tyvek shipping envelopes. I believe those are those white envelopes, made from some really tough "cloth-like" paper. I was going to give this a try, when I build my Thrust-Aero Gyroc "clone".

got a product name/number?

shockie B)

I built several Gyrocs when they were offered as Free Kits by Estes. Alas, I don't know what happened to them. IIRC one suffered a very violent C6 cato. But that "PRM" hinge material was always the weak point of the kit. It would lose adhesion after a year or so and fall apart.

I can't tell you about silicone, but I can tell you what I used on my 2.2X (BT60) upscale. I used Klett aircraft hinges. I also eliminated the elastic, and instead ran a long music wire torque rod through both hinges, and bent it so that it would snap the flaps in place when the motor pod ejected. After over a decade, it still works perfectly with no fixing ever required. IIRC there's a picture of it flying on Chris Taylor's NARAM LIVE site.

Years ago, I built a gyroc clone, and simply replaced the adhesive paper hinges with plain heavy paper or cardstock, glued on with Elmer's. Worked fine for dozens of flights over a couple of years until it landed on the roof of a building where I couldn't retrieve it.

There is a lot of overkill in the suggested fixes (which I've noticed is common--you don't have to build a small model like an HPR best), because the weak point was just the adhesion of the paper hinges--not the paper itself.

I found a tube of the most awesomest (!) rubbery gunk in the world, SHOE GOO! Not going to use much, just a schmudge of it across the joint to make it work. Will post results soon.