Hot take: The new composite patch kits are a step back for field repairs

We used the old two-part epoxy and fiberglass weave on a Cessna 172 wingtip for 5 years with zero issues, but the new 'quick cure' composite kit we tried last month already shows stress cracks. Has anyone else had this happen, or did we just get a bad batch?

3 comments

3 Comments

gonzalez.vera2mo ago

Ugh, same thing happened to us.

wendyw712mo ago

Nah I actually had the opposite experience. Mine turned out fine in the end.

emery6031mo ago

@gonzalez.vera Yeah we saw the same thing. But the real problem nobody's talking about is how these new kits handle temperature swings. The old epoxy would flex a bit with heat cycles, this new stuff sets so fast it stays brittle. We tested it on a 172 flap in 90 degree heat and it cracked in two weeks.