Quest FLIC Kevlar Replacement

Sure, I could have built another Quest FLIC, but I like the Shuttle decor.

I thought the Kevlar had broken off at the engine block. It actually burned through a few inches above that. Looking back, that line looks a little thin.

I pulled it out the back with long tweezers and cut it off with my hobby knife.

Through the back end, I took my awl and pushed it through the engine block / body tube seam.

The awl is very sharp, be careful not to punch it through the body tube and into your hand!

The engine block was lifted to allow passage of the new line.

A double knot was tied in a new, thicker piece of Kevlar.

The free end (no knot) was fed under the raised engine block using the long tweezers. The Kevlar was pulled through from the front until the double knot came close to touching the engine block.

Using a dowel, the lifted side of the engine block was pressed down and back into it's round shape against the inside wall of the BT-5 airframe.

The Kevlar line was pulled again from the front, seating the double knot against the engine block

A drop of glue was set in place using a dowel.

The glue was placed on the joint where the (previously raised) engine block and Kevlar knot came in contact with the inside mainframe body tube.

With the knot in place below the engine block, the "T" engine might extend out the body 1/16" more than before the repair.

No big deal, the FLIC is probably stable with a slight change to the center of gravity.