F3-RES League Bungees

[martynk]

So will I. 

 

 

[cirrusRC]

I emailed emc asking for full price + vat + delivery + import duty + fees

No response yet.....

 

[cirrusRC]

Vega got back to me with the following:

"until the Brexit thee was no need for resellers.

Presently we ship without VAT. Import VAT is 20%.

We have no overview about customs fees and duties. Sorry.

For RES we offer the RES-Sets according FAI rules.

SO the shop will give the price excl EU VAT plus shipping. No import charges."

 

22 meters is going to cost around 54 euros + 30 euros delivery + what ever customs slap on.    So a minimum of £36 each  (for 2 people) for just the tubing.

 

The perfect tubing that HobbyKing used to sell must still be out there somewhere!!! grrrrrr 

[StraightEdge]

David, did you ever try that eBay bungee last year?  I never made mine up so don't know if its any good.

[cirrusRC]

Jon, I managed one launch but it was down wind, pinged off at 15 meters chasing a strong low thermal.   Clearly not a valid test.

The side walls are tiny bit thinner than hobbyking rubber but the stretch is just as good.  I suspect it will lack the energy but I will report back when the jet stream sorts itself out.

[Pete in Northiam]

Hi all - I've been asked a few times if I am planning to make more 10+50 bungees but I'm sorry to say the answer is still: not at present.  If I get time, I will announce my intentions here!  But in any case, I thought it might be useful to post a summary of materials and suppliers I used.  There’s a bit of effort needed to make them but the results seem to last well.  My original is now entering its third year after several hundred launches and seems good for a few more at least.

I made 25 bungee sets over winter 2020 and spring 2021 and sold them at cost for £33 (10m terminated tubing, 50m line) plus P&P.   If you purchase materials for batches of 5 or more you should come in around that cost.  And if you make more than you need then I encourage you to sell them!  Although full-size F3L bungees are great, I would bet many in the growing F3L community suffers as I do with small practice fields where you can't even lay out a 115m bungee, let alone extend it! 

And once you're up, it's all about thermals not bungees, right?

Please take particular note of the warning over a source of failure in this post.  Use glue-lined heat-shrink tubing, ensure it is fully cooled before screwing in the eye and test-pull the connections for aging each day before use. 

See you at an FxRES event?  

Cheers --Pete

Products and suppliers for the 2m Challenge 10m+50m bungees

I have checked the links today but I apologise if they have since changed - I hope the product details lead you to the right product.

- Tubing: Hilltop Products silicone rubber tubing (product range SP40-1.0 9 CLS) This is your major expense.  If you purchase from Hilltop, I strongly suggest that you decide what you want online but order by phone to ensure they can supply continuous lengths.  They stock pieces down to 5m lengths and assume, unless you are dead clear in the order, that 10 x 5m is the same as 50m because, they argue, most of their customers only need 50cm lengths in products.  They can supply up to 50m lengths but not always from stock.  In my bungees I have used the 4mmID x 1mm wall (ie 6mmOD x 4mmID) in black and white.  Despite identical product data sheets, the white proved stiffer than the black so more suited to stronger wind in which you can overstretch the black.  The black works well in calm to about 12mph.  You must pre-stretch the virgin tubing to close to the elastic limit before cutting to length as it will add around 10% to its length on first stretch.  

- Plugs: my batches used Diall 6mm x 30mm grey plastic from B&Q but I fear their current version does not have as sharp ridges or barbs when I went shopping for those a couple of weeks back.  They need to have deep enough ridges and strong enough barbs to show distinctly through the heat-shrink and to expand on two sides to sufficiently stretch the heat-shrink and tubing when the eye is screwed in. 

- Heat shrink tubing: Component Shop 9mm Red Adhesive/Glue Lined Heat Shrink 3:1 Ratio 1.2m

- Screw eyes: eBay, found as: “Screw Eyes BZP 12mm 14mm 25mm 30mm 35mm 40mm 45mm 55mm 65mm 75mm 4g-18g...”, size: 45 mm x 4.3 mm, Pack Quantity: 100 Eyes, seller: ironmongerynow.  Be sure screw eyes have a sufficiently thick shank and deep enough thread to expand the plug - I had one batch (from a different supplier) which were 15% thinner than described and failed to secure the plug in a test but I’m happy to say I got a full refund.

- Sharpie Ultra Fine Point permanent markers for serial numbers, etc - your local stationery supplier

Braided line: Amazon (although I no longer use them - you'll find similar on your favourite online mall).  My last batches used the No. 2.0 30lb 0.23mm size of “SeaKnight Classic 4 Strands Braided Fishing Line” but there are several similar brands if that is out of stock.  For the full F3-RES spec of 0.7mm (on 15mx8mmx4mm tubing), I used DORISEA Extreme Braid in the 200lb, 0.75mm, 8 strand (also from Amazon). 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Pete in Northiam
Correct the comment on cooling the HST

[cirrusRC]

Thanks Pete for putting everything in one place, useful.

The best tubing I've found so far is from China "fastener-kingdom" via eBay. Listed as catapult material.   Takes 2 weeks to arrive.   Stretch is superior to the white referenced above and very close to the original red hobbyking tubing.

I'm currently testing 3 different sizes and will post back once finished.