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Static Wicks?

mciaglia

Well Known Member
As I am waiting for my empanage kit to arrive, I am in the process of amassing the needed items to complete it without much delay. Ordered the primer (azko), have all the tools, might purchase the delrin rudder stop blocks as recently discussed.

However, there are a few build threads that are starting to add static wicks to the aircraft. as there electronic dependency of flight instruments increases GPS, iEFIS, electronic ignition... is this an option to be seriously considered? Almost all certified planes of this size and larger have them especially any that may be flying into IMC.

With a well planned electrical system this should not be an issue, but do more builders seem to be favoring them?

Thanks for any input
 
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You should have made this a poll. I did not install them on my plane and have not had any issues -- yet (and I probably only have something like 5-6 hrs IMC on my plane which is a minuscule amount of time to really draw any definitive conclusions). Would it hurt to install them? No. Are they critical? Not sure but anecdotally most of the RV's that I know that fly in IMC don't have them. In the end, if they will give you peace of mind, then by all means install them. My $.02....
 
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I installed 3 static wicks, 2 on the elevator and 1 on the rudder during the build and before painting. I do fly in IMC. Have had no comm issues during flight.
 
Static Wicks now days are a waste of time and money.

Back in the days of LORAN, yes they would have been nice and maybe required. Today in the days of GPS navigation static wicks are a waste of money to purchase and a waste of time to install.
 
I installed 3 wicks on my empennage and a wick at each end of the wing. On a different aircraft, I had a stormscope installed. It would show false detection's anytime I was in the clouds. I installed wicks and issue went away. If you fly a lot of IMC at the speeds the -10 flys, wicks are not a bad idea. If you are a VFR flyer, don't bother.
 
During the build of my RV-6, (late '80s) I took a tour through the Mooney plant. I noticed that some Mooneys had static wicks and some didn't. The answer was that every Mooney leaving the plant with a Loran C installed got them.
I deduced that my RV was roughly the same speed as the Mooney and if they needed them, maybe I did too. I installed them and never had a problem.
 
Bonding Jumpers?

Seems like all the fancier store bought planes that have static wicks also have bonding jumpers (ground strap) between the moveable surfaces and a fixed part of the airframe. They are often placed near the hinge points. If you install static wicks are you giving up some effectiveness if you don't install ground wires?

Don Broussard

RV 9 Rebuild in Progress
 
Wicks

There is considerable science behind static wicks, how many and their placement. Can't see any real downside to installing them, other than additional build time but with that said, are they really necessary with this type of aircraft and current avionics? Probably not...
 
+1 for No Wicks

I did not install them, but I'm not flying yet, so I can't comment on their usefulness. I would think they could be added later (with bonding straps), if desired.
 
Static wicks can help even in clear air if you have composite surfaces that can build up charge. We had a customer with a single engine Commander who installed our Suntail, and it kept failing. Each unit would come back fried inside as if it had been repeatedly struck by lightning. After several replacements, I spoke to the owner and determined that the rear tail cone was fiberglass, and his static wicks on the rudder were very old, and that the ground strap from the rudder to the airframe was severely frayed. I surmised that the Suntail, being the aft most grounded object on the tail (since the rudder wasn't), was acting like a lightning rod for the charge build up on the tail cone. The TVS devices inside can handle lightning transients that are infrequent, but not a constant barrage of hits.

Once he replaced the frayed rudder ground strap and the rudder static wicks, the problem was solved, since now the static would discharge to the rudder and out the wicks instead of through the light.

High speed air flowing over non-conductive surfaces can build up huge static charges, and if those charges zap the wrong thing, they can be disruptive or damaging.
 
Am I the only one with NO static wicks on my RV? There are over 3,180 flight hours on my RV-6 including IFR over 19-years and have no static issues. Yes I have an OLD approach certified GPS Comm and a SL30 that work perfect without static wicks.
 
Static wicks grounding

If you are installing wicks on control surfaces you need to make a flexible ground between the control surface and the aircraft or the wicks won't work
 
After replacing thousands and thousands of dollars worth of wicks on certified airplanes and repairing damaged/corroded structures under the wicks, and replacing clothing that snagged on them...I hate em. I would not use them on a homebuilt until I had a proven need. They're ugly too. If you need them for sure, okay. Otherwise...yuck.
 
After replacing thousands and thousands of dollars worth of wicks on certified airplanes and repairing damaged/corroded structures under the wicks, and replacing clothing that snagged on them...I hate em. I would not use them on a homebuilt until I had a proven need. They're ugly too. If you need them for sure, okay. Otherwise...yuck.

My experience with them matches yours.

I have a 1968 Cessna 177 without them. A friend has a 1976 Cessna 177B with them. One was broken off last year, ~$50 for the part and an hour labor to replace it. It had 26 hours of flight time on it since installed new (sit in a heated hangar) and already there is a black coating flaking off it and it looked worse than the older ones already on the airplane!. (My radios sound better than his)

I've changed more than my fair share of them on transport category jets. No way would I be drilling hole in my airplane to put those on it.
 
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Static wicks can help even in clear air if you have composite surfaces that can build up charge. We had a customer with a single engine Commander who installed our Suntail, and it kept failing. Each unit would come back fried inside as if it had been repeatedly struck by lightning. After several replacements, I spoke to the owner and determined that the rear tail cone was fiberglass, and his static wicks on the rudder were very old, and that the ground strap from the rudder to the airframe was severely frayed. I surmised that the Suntail, being the aft most grounded object on the tail (since the rudder wasn't), was acting like a lightning rod for the charge build up on the tail cone. The TVS devices inside can handle lightning transients that are infrequent, but not a constant barrage of hits.

Once he replaced the frayed rudder ground strap and the rudder static wicks, the problem was solved, since now the static would discharge to the rudder and out the wicks instead of through the light.

High speed air flowing over non-conductive surfaces can build up huge static charges, and if those charges zap the wrong thing, they can be disruptive or damaging.

Don't think I have ever seen them on any of the canards (VariEz, Cozy, etc).
 
I bought special 9/32 baby wrench from the snap-on dude to carry in my pocket. Any time a Citation came into my hangar the first thing I'd do is pull all the wicks and bag em and hang em. I've seen passengers take out a whole row of them (snap snap snap) and scrub the trip or have to send another airplane.
 
I started putting nutplates on all the control surfaces for wicks during the build, and for grounding straps. Then I went to Oshkosh, and saw 2 RV's total on the line with them. Decided to try without the wicks and save some money. Have probably 20 hr in IFR and have not had any problems. YMMV
 
Am I the only one with NO static wicks on my RV? There are over 3,180 flight hours on my RV-6 including IFR over 19-years and have no static issues. Yes I have an OLD approach certified GPS Comm and a SL30 that work perfect without static wicks.

I have no wicks - RVs don't need them.
John
 
control surface grounding

If you place the static wick on control surfaces be shur to place a flexable grounding strap across the bearing surfaces as the bearings won't give a good ground path.
 
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