> > > HA There are any number of double sided tapes which will do the trick... IMHO better than any Sika product. That is, Boeing and others use tape glue on wing panels aft of the max camber. I don't know if they use Sikaflex. Several windows and hatches on my ex boat were "sealed" with Sikaflex and leaked like mad.
Tape glue or double sided will work fine. The trick is to have a good foam layer between the layers of glue. Most tape is available with different thicknesses of foam, and of course the foam will need to be something good like PU foam. 1mm should be OK for foam thickness. The foam allows the tape to flex and that resists shearing and peeling to an extent that is hard to believe. You only need something like a few grams per mm2 to have massive hold down which will not let go. The 3M foam is called VHB (Very High Bond) but like many 3M products is hard to get hold of and Very Sxxxxng Expensive. To give you some idea of the strength, we made a mistake with a plastic panel with an edge about 12mm thick and 2 metres long, butted up to a similar edge. We had to rotate the panel almost 180 deg before the join let go, and it tool most of the strength of 2 people to work the join loose. I think we use a Tessa product at work, but there are many others. Tape is 100% easier to use than any wet glue, and does not distort thin alu panels. Trouble is, that you only get one chance! That being said, you can hold the panel in place, and slide the backing progressively off the tape. DMcD
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