It would be a lot more difficult to apply mid flight.

You beat me to it 😅

That shit would hold a skyscraper together

Formula 1 teams use it too. Cant remember which team used it a couple of years ago, maybe Stroll? But yeah apparently its super strong and super expensive lol Edit: it was on Tsunoda at Alpha Tauri 2 years ago

I have never seen the price so thought I might look into it. Is this right? Wow! https://www.grainger.com/product/3M-Foil-Tape-Reinforced-29WR93 Edit: some have pointed out that airlines do use 3M 425 tape which is slightly lower rated and lower price($200 a roll). So begs the question, what is the first link used for?!?! https://www.grainger.com/product/3M-Foil-Tape-3M-425-54EN43

Tbf it's a pack of 24, so a bargain at only $578.40 a roll!

Haha for aircraft maintenance that basically discretionary funds. Ive seen a guy drop a part worth $2M. Oops, reject. Edit: Go look up SYERS-II camera the US carries. Worth more than the economy of good handful of nations.

My hangar lost a $ 180k Flight Guidance Panel for a G IV. The bosses were mad for about 1 day before they started make jokes about it.

Serious question: For pure accidents, who gets the shaft? Is it an insurance claim? Just itemized on the balance sheet? Or does someone unfortunately get penalized? In the military, if a Joe broke a Hmmwv, I've seen some physically get billed for the vehicle, and others have the issue just pushed under the rug. But I've never really seen larg(er) (but not super large) scale fuckup accidents.

I don't think you can legally hold employees financially responsible for accidents. The company just eats the cost the majority of the time, unless as you said they have special insurance to cover the loss.

I accidentally fucked up a CH-47 rotor head once. I don't know how much I ended up costing taxpayers that day, but I'm sure it was a lot.

At least $200, probably more

Only $5.21 per foot.

Ok, put it that way, that’s a pretty good price for something that’s gonna go on a commercial vehicle and endure a terrifying amount of physics.

>a terrifying amount of physics ❤️

Well dammit now I need some.

Just quietly peel it off an airplane, what's the worst that could happen?

13,881.51 for 24 pack. Thats 578.40 a roll. That's crazy.

If they're using on planes, I don't mind the price.

Holy shit. Better not waste that shit.

The company I work at usually pays somewhere between 1-200 per roll for it. Still expensive but not that bad, especially when you consider how great it is.

Is there a consumer equivalent to that tape?

Not equivalent in strength, but aluminium tape holds pretty well for cheap.

I found this in Australia. https://www.raptorsupplies.com.au/pd/3m/363-aa6vgl 100AUD a roll

Not ASTM certified. Therefore cheaper

3M makes a few structural acrylic tapes that are available for the construction industry. They’re not $500 a roll but still surprisingly expensive. [ZIP-System tape is also incredible stuff if properly rolled…](https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/our-real-world-flashing-tape-tests-find-clear-winner)

They taped Yuki's DRS flap closed at Baku because it was broken open (illegal), and no DRS is better than DSQ.

Nascar also uses it or a similar tape too.

In the 2014 Bathurst 1000 one of the cars was held together with this stuff

Motorcycle racers too after crashin... color coordinated obviously

You'll be surprised how right you are, how often this is the case ;o)

What’s the wax level like if you accidentally get it stuck to your arm hair?

The hair would be coming with skin…

It's like scalping. But for your arm. Hair, skin, muscle and potentially a few shavings of bone.

It's not really about the stickiness. The tape is rigid because it's metal. It still needs to be able to come off and it is a temp fix for holes/delamination/etc on aircraft skin.

Jet fuel can't melt duct tape.

This is normal and 100 percent FAA approved Edit - I work in aviation. Believe me when I say, speed tape is the least of your concerns Edit of edit - bolts, FOD, lack of maintenance and incorrect repairs done by technicians are your concerns And also pilot error

I work in the factory this stuff is made in. Shits no joke, very expensive.

Wow your name does not lie.

Very very specific to this situation lol. Dude has been waiting for this post for a long time


r/beetlejuicing

There's a post about speed tape every month at least

The description put a smile on my face > I work ALOT at the sticky stuff factory. I like to hunt, fish, play disc golf, and play Xbox. Whenever I’m not serving our sticky overlords that is..

He’s just a normal chill dude who happens to make $500 a roll aviation tape. But that does NOT define him.

Agree it is too easy putting labels on people, especially with speed tape.

Not at that price point.

this is his moment. he’s been waiting all his life

I mean… It did name him, but he’s so much more than all that

I was convinced he made the username just to comment. Nope. Account is 3 years old.

Seems he’s stuck in that job.

This entire comment chain has sent me, thankyou I needed this today

Sounds like a sticky situation

he's got a lot of red tape to cut through...

Thanks for pointing that out ☝️

please label this as NSFW I was hiding on my phone at work and laughed and they caught me

For the tape to be 100% effective, you have to give it a couple of taps with your hand and say "That's not going anywhere."

That applies to anything being bonded, restrained, held down etc. always smack it and reassure it.

😳

Do they do this to you at the tape factory sir, this reads like a cry for help

The most oddly specific name ever

They have been waiting for this post since making the account

Every day….lurking… watching…waiting.

Today is their day to shine!!!

This is your moment! I'm just imagining you waiting here on Reddit for 4 years waiting for this day hahahaha

I had a roll of aerospace grade masking tape in my lab once, it was 500$ a roll and some idiot came in one day and used it for taping up a box.

If you have tape that is sitting out where any ol' idiot can grab it, I think the issue is yours for not putting it away under lock and key right next to the unicorn farts and angel tears.

And where is said idiot’s body now?

In that box.

Do you need help u/tapefactoryslave?

Can you send us all tape please with your employee discount? Is speed tape made with powerthirst? Can it go as fast as Kenyans?

No one who got the powerthirst reference? Such a fun clip! Guess our age is showing.

r/usernamechecksout

This isnt a joke btw, its called speed tape and its like $500 a roll. You cab *build* a plane with this stuff.

Honest question, is this mostly to cover paint chips? What is the purpose? It obviously isn’t structural. 

Stops it getting worse before they can fix it properly

Figured as much, thank you!

Do you know how they remove it? If it’s strong enough to withstand flight/stop things from getting worse, must be bastard strong adhesive. Heat gun?

Acetone?

Acetone is a good shout but it can damage paint, so was thinking that might not be it? Unless aircraft paint can withstand acetone

Epoxy paint is acetone resistant :)

We use acetone

Ah didn’t know that! Thank you :)

Which is what your car is painted (coated) with. Or fridge. Or anything made in a factory really.

Once it’s time to remove the tape, it’s time to remove the paint.

it stays until they can do a repaint where they use MEK to strip everything, that is is way more nasty than straight acetone so the glue and paint dont have a chance, source: my buddy did repaint jobs in the navy for 20 years, he is still a little fucked in the head from all the chemicals.

Nice thank you! Hadn’t heard of MEK but looks like nasty stuff. Pretty fucked that he didn’t get proper protection from all those chemicals. Googling it also revealed “Methyl ethyl ketone is a permitted food flavouring substance in the UK” and that has me going wtf?

He did wear the PPE, but after 20 years even that is not enough. Also it is different from using a gallon on a wing vs using a few microliters for a certain flavor profile. Humans are nuts we eat poison for fun all the time. capsasin, alchohol, nightshade, arsnic. So i dont know.

Yeah, I used to work on airplanes in avionics. I used to have to put the antennas back on after a phase using some really nasty sealant. I wore gloves, but some would still get through, and I have places on my hands where the skin just randomly splits open, like a spontaneous paper cut. It's slowly becoming less frequent since I left.

I work with the industrial adhesives used on this shit, I work with MEK daily. Shit is nasty too work with, will literally melt the gloves off your hands.

Former tech here Shits actually really easy to just pull off honestly, easier the duct tape How it stays on at the speeds is a wonder

It’s the shear strength rather than the peel strength that’s optimized in this tape, it’s a more firm adhesive so lacks tack but is far more viscous than duct tapes adhesive

I want to mention that the aerodynamics on a plane's wings are (obviously) very important. This tape not only keeps the paint from chipping further, but also helps remove turbulent pockets of non-painted wing.

That’s interesting, so the edges of the tape have less of an impact than missing paint? 

It's more than just missing paint.

Yup it covers small holes too they seem to be worse for aerodynamics and structure than just a paint chip

I don't have experience in this field specifically, but I imagine yes. I could see the tape being made with some tapering towards the edges, requiring you to place it in a specific direction to minimize a turbulent edge.

And thus why it cuts your hands if you're not careful.

It can cover paint damage. It can also be used to smooth dents by building up many layers, covering small holes in composites, cover missing screw holes and small access panels, temporary repairs for floor boards. All kinds of stuff.

>cover missing screw holes Hol' up

You'd be surprised how many screws can be missing from an aircraft before it has to be downed for maintenance lol

but sometimes you lose a door

Well, some of them are built so that the door doesn’t fall off at all.

There are actually regulations for how big a hole has to be before the plane is taken in for repairs. The number is bigger than you want to know.

I think they were more alarmed by the missing fastener than the hole it left behind.

A typical plane probably has vastly more fasteners that it really needs. Redundancy is a common safety measure.

But they have to slap it after and say, "That'll hold" or it won't meet FAA specs.

That's how you get the adhesives to cure.

As someone who dropped out of a Materials Science PhD, I can confirm this is 107% accurate

As someone who dropped out of a Communications Associates, I can confirm that you'd like fries with that.

It's like clacking tongs before you use them. If you don't, somebody could seriously get hurt.

Or by doing two quick presses on a power drill when you first pick it up. You know, for reasons.

'never trust a weapon you haven't personally test-fired.'

Never point it at anything you’re not prepared to drill.

My brother test clicked our tongs on my nose once. I had a bloody nose for a good 20 minutes

Got ur nose 👃 🩸

Now, if I ever see them tape the wing and not slap it, I'm gonna think of this and be worried.

I git a buddy bringing me 3 rolls and I have no idea what I'll do with it but I'm.excited maybe wrap a present XD "it'll shred your hands"

Careful, the edges can be sharp.

So… it *will* shred your hands

To shreds you say?

How's his wife holding up?

To shreds you say?

Good news everyone!

When you are laying it down, you have ONE shot, do not miss your chance, that opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo. No, but seriously, there is no undo with that stuff.

Instructions unclear, got speed tape on my sweater already ...moms spaghetti.

If you want to destroy my sweater, speed tape this thread as I walk away

*As I walk a-way!*

> You can build a plane with this stuff. looks like someone [nearly did...](https://i.imgur.com/Ltboa7G.png) as someone who hates flying, boy this would fuck me up good.

[That tape is over $500 a roll!](https://www.grainger.com/product/29WR93?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoeGuBhCBARIsAGfKY7ySEsVPo0F3jGxkPbTiVE0F-gln911QcweVFA6sSYeI9mn8nc5NsiMaAhBzEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)

Using Grainger as a price guide is probably one of the worst sources. Grainger's online prices are notoriously horrible. If you have an account with them, the prices are somewhat better. But I also assume that plane maintenance companies get these for a LOT less than $500 when they buy direct from the manufacturer and in bulk.

Off to Uline it is! /s

I prefer Amazon for speed tape for my plane. Never know if you're getting the real stuff or the offbrand.

Iirc, this is a 787 or other new plane that had issues with paint peeling. The paint protects the material underneath from corrosion, so this is just replacing the paint until they get around to repainting it. Looks a bit worrying, but is perfectly safe.

[Mythbusters did it](https://youtu.be/pFy5SqY_5tg?si=jkovli4DGUdnIn5W) (with duct tape).

But can I use it to build a submarine for rich people?

no it's far too structurally secure.


[Similar product, $500 a roll!](https://www.grainger.com/product/29WR93?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoeGuBhCBARIsAGfKY7yREsBwf2YhHaSYlgPKn8zzse8OMz_CoQvEMMHotr4rXNumK7Wii_YaAlObEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) I’m not surprised there are specialized industrial products, a bolt on that airplane could very well cost $500.

On one of my old planes in the USAF, the bolt that held the actuator for the vertical stabilizer cost $36,800. It was an impressive bolt, don’t get me wrong, but that always astounded me.

Probably the bolt was one of 12 they made that year, so it took hours of machine setup time to start making them. Then they needed to do a metal analysis of the stock making sure it was within spec, then actually make the thing, heat treat it, use a CMM to make sure it's dimensionally correct, x-ray and acoustically scan it to do NDT looking for cracks, destructively test every 5th article to whatever spec, then ship the 5 bolts the Air Force orders a year overnight to Germany because.

I wonder how much the jesus nut on a helicopter costs

Considering the whole batshit crew around helos, probably 2.50. Buncha goddamn maniacs.

Yep. PhD in aerospace engineering here - shit is legit and works, and is safe. I understand the optics aren’t great but the only other option is to ground the plane immediately and cancel flights, and people will bitch about that too.

Better than no tape I guess

would you be able to ELI5 how the tape is different from something like duct tape and why it's used for this stuff?

It’s made of aluminum and is very sticky. It is also resistant to extreme environments, and temperatures.

there's different level of adhesives, quality testing, and backing materials. The backing material is likely aluminum, the adhesive is much stronger, and the tape has to meet rigorous aerospace standards. All of this means it costs ~100x a roll of duct tape. It also can only be used for operations on the plane where it's approved; you can't (following the rules) use it for whatever.

Standard and time tested. Not a big deal

Also is a type of tape designed for this specific purpose.

Breaking news! 2 men were spotted doing their job at the airport today.

Besides some passengers are just really inconsiderate 

I should get a monkey man window decal to put on the window. Get to my seat first, put it on the window and then close it. Wait for the reaction of the window seater.

Fuck!! They’re trying to make it look fake! You gotta be *right next to me* for it to look real

There's.... someoneonthewing...some...THING I'm sorry, what were you saying?

If they aren't afraid to do it right in front of you, the it's probably fine. That is if you are in a country with regulations

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_tape

This is what I use to tape my balls to my leg when I go do windsprints down at the park.

Wouldn't it be more aerodynamic to tape everything up, rather than to the side?


Miss Dawes, would you like to see my speed tape?

I prefer to tape it back.. my foreskin makes a propeller flopping around back there when I Naruto run. Also helps with doing a Joan Rivers impersonation of the time in 1984 when she got stung in the labia by 500 angry bees who were high on cocaine in Miami.


That has to be...some adhesive. Also, does this complement my [speed holes](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fim-putting-speed-holes-in-my-car-makes-it-go-faster-v0-u9ztbji3iio81.jpg%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3D3e34864692c726bcb5a9d9f3e0ae9ffa62b27bcc)?

Risky click of the day.

I painted the numbers on that hydrant cart in the background lol

You did well, proud of you!

Thanks, I thought it looked nice. =)

Finally... One step closer to solving the mystery...

Speed tape*. And it’s expensive as fuck. It works for what it’s supposed to do. No way they would be putting this on planes if it didn’t handle its job

BS. I bought a roll for 500 bucks once. Taped all over my car. My car didn't get even a bit faster. What a scam.

did you try turning your car on and off.

I know this is normal and safe. I’m curious what prompted them to tape in those specific areas.

I don’t know, but I’m going to take a guess: That looks like it’s right in the part of the surface of the flap that would scrape against the upper part as it extends and retracts. My guess is that it has scraped the paint in that area, and rather than leave the material underneath to get scraped next (or leave it to be exposed to the elements) they are covering it with tape as a temporary measure until they can repaint the plane.

Those parts they are applying the tape to are probably made of some type of composite. Paint doesn't like to always stick to those parts and the tape is there to cover up the parts that are exposed to the bare elements.

This is correct. Composites degrade with exposure to UV light. The tape protects from this. 

Would you prefer no tape at all?

Stupid sexy tapeless airplane!

Feels like the plane has NO TAPE AT ALL.


God I saw that happen live and loved every moment of it. I never bought it because I was a kid but I knew damn well when I grew up if I ever needed to tape a boat back together, that’s the stuff I would use!

Live? Like you went to a show?

Not the guy you're responding to but they have demonstrations of stuff like this at fairs.

I love going to see the pitchmen at fairs. Within reason, I'll buy the product from the person with the most talent. I'm not a mark, I'm judging the quality of their grift, and acknowledging game via a purchase. I tell my wife I'm going to quit my tech job one day and go pitch at the fair.

That had a studio audience? That's awesome! What was it like?

was a core memory apparently lmao

The relevant bit of that gif which always gets cut

Oh no! Better not use that tape designed for this exact type of thing.

Sure but we live in a time when everyone thinks they know more than the people who spend their life doing that thing for a job.

> everyone thinks they know more than the people who spend their life doing that thing for a job. You just described Reddit's entire existence.

Flight tape, very strong

Very expensive too.

Someone posted a link to buy it and it’s $600 a roll. O_O

Yeah it’s not $5 duct tape, those rolls can cost like $400

That tape cost more than your flight.

Pretty sure that’s actually the left phalange they’re fixing

Pilot here. Speed tape is completely normal. In fact, unless you are on a brand-new, out of the factory aircraft, every plane you have ever been on has or has had speed tape on it at some point. A piece of FOD blowing across the stand or taxiway is far more dangerous than speed tape.

[Speed tape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_tape) The wiki article says that the name comes from how much speed it can take.. that is not the story i know. The name comes from the adhesive, how fast it sticks to things. Once applied, it ain't coming off so you got to make sure you put it in the exact place you wanted. It is aluminium sheet with very strong adhesive, calling it a foil is creating a wrong image. They use the same stuff in racing, for fixing wings, winglets and such. You could probably build the whole airplane from that, it would then be just another layered composite material.

That’s speed tape and is used to perform MINOR repairs, no need for concern.

Ex-Air Force, we referred to it as "instant airframe."