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I found a NIB Diamond Dust kit & I'm making templates to have for future builds.

Does anyone know where to buy Carbon Fiber Tubes for these planes ??

I found Carbon Fiber arrow shafts for the smaller tube but still need the larger tube.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

When I enlarged it to a twin, I bought longer tubes at a kite shop in my local area.

nitro junky

My Feedback: (3)

The kit comes with fiberglass tubes, not Carbon Fiber Tubes.

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

You will find that the tubes in the kits aren't carbon fiber but black fiber glass tubes. I had the same problem as you trying to hunting down hunt down the right size.
Put an ohm meter to the tubes in the kit, they won't conduct at all, carbon fiber conducts very well. There's nothing wrong with fiber glass tubes, they are less likely to end split and have more flex and are lighter (thinner walled) than carbon tubes. Jeff may have done this for a reason, diamond dusts are well thought out. One of my 5 clones will try carbon tubes.

soarrich

My Feedback: (98)

http://www.macqc.com/tubing.html

Details 4 Scale

My Feedback: (3)

Carbon fiber tubes can be found at CST Sales and Aerospace Compostites. Don't have the links handy, but a search should turn them up quite easily.

They both have tubing up to .500 in thin wall C.F.

The C.F. tube is lighter but more expensive. The black glass is a good alternative and they carry it as well.

Dan

Mike Connor

My Feedback: (5)

I may be wrong but I think my first kit from 5 years ago came with carbon fiber spars and fiberglass leading edges. The fiberglass broke and the carbon fiber did not in this crash.

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Thanks guys, I'll check kite supply places.

Mike

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Here's a place I stumbled across while looking for CF and Kevlar...
I have not ordered anything from them yet...but it looks like they have a great selection![8D]

http://www.acp-composites.com/ACP-CAT.HTM

They have all kinds of neat stuff

nitro junky

My Feedback: (3)

Your kit may very well have had carbon fiber in it. I am speaking from my own experience, the kit I just finished had all fiberglass.

freakingfast

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The fiber glass tube size average measurements found in my kit are : leading edge and spar extenders .300 O.D. X .250 I.D. Main wing spars .355 O.D. X .300 I.D. Note, forward non exstended spar has a smaller tube glued inside it to thicken the wall. As you may have found in searches there is no exact match in carbon, so get the spar material before you make the holes in the ribs, in any case.

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The next issue I've found is tubing comes in up to 32" lentgh & the Diamond Dust has a span of 34".

Do scratch builders just shrink span 2" or has someone found 34" CF or Fiberglass tubes .350-.355 o.d. X 34" long??

Mike

FlooredCOBRA

A while back when I cracked up my tubes I was in the same boat. I went to the hobby shop to pick up prop or something and then I came across these Dave Brown fiber glass tubes. They looked pretty close so I went ahead and bought them.

When I got home I compared them and they were dead on. They were the exact same size and all I had to do was cut down to size and it worked well. Here is a link to the rods. It comes in a long clear plastic bag with a white and brown tag at the top. It has the hardware to make push rods but I tossed them to the side and just used the rods.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LA1584&P=1

Oh I forgot to mention I used these for the leading edge on the plane.

Mike Connor

My Feedback: (5)

Did your NIB kit not have the spars and leading edge with it? Both of my kits came with 18" cf spars and the rear spar had the fiber glass tubes glued inside them to make them 34" long.

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Actually no my kit is short the tubes.

I did find arrow shafts that are .300 od X 32" long & still looking for the .350 od with the .300 id. for the spars.

Mike

nitro junky

My Feedback: (3)

I went to a in door fly in last week in Syracuse NY. It was only about a 15min drive from my house. There was a vender there that might have what you are looking for. [link]http://www.dragonplate.com/[/link] They have Carbon Fiber Tubes up to 48" long. Hope this will help

evan-RCU

The Dave Brown push rods are what I used...

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Thank you everyone.

Mission Accomplished.

Mike

Troy-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

www.goodwindskites.com has some of the best carbon-rod selections and prices. Nice website and easy to shop. [8D]

Xardas26

So where did u find the OD .352 ID .300 CF Spars now?? The closest thing I could find was a fiberglass tube:

http://www.goodwindskites.com/merch/...oductid=007008

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I used .300 OD tubes for everything.

I went to an archery shop & bought a dozen .300 OD X .244 ID carbon fiber arrow shafts in the stiffest grade they have.

For the rear spar I used "Hard Oak" wooden dowels 3" long & I inserted 2" of them in each end of the .300 CF tube to make the 34" spar.

Had to sand a little as they fit really tight & then CA them.

I actually drilled a 1/4" hole in the outer rib for the dowel to protrude into instead of using the wooden T that is normally used.

I also cut a 1/4" balsa outer rib so the dowel had plenty to anchor into.

Seeing how the spar's in the original Diamond Dust use joints that overlap 3/4" to 1" for the .300 to .352 main spars I'm hoping the one piece tube will get the job done.

I'll finish the Dust in the next few nights & then have to wait for warmer temps to test fly.

I mounted my NIB MVVS Q-500 .40 rear exhaust engine on it with a .40 GRRT tuned pipe & can't wait!!!

It is -5 below Zero right now BURRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

Excellent thread!! I was able to buy a NIB DD. I am not going to build the original, just use it for templates to build several kits for myself. I will build those and preserve the original.

Please post if anyone has new info involving where to get materials.

Thanks!!

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

I still have ribs for templates too. I bought a 10" band saw last year to cut them out and I wish I had it many years ago. I use it all the time for many other things and more than I use a dremel tool. It's a Craftsman Model 119.214000. It's all metal. I think it was around $100. For a few it's fine to saw them out but I made a bunch for my use and I ended up making them on a CNC milling machine. Laser is even faster but it leaves a burnt edge that I sand off where it gets glued.

You have some choices when it comes to plywood. SIG sells there 3 /32" (.093" ) standard 3 ply that is real close to what the original ribs were made of. Midwest has the same 3/32" size with 5 ply but it's much heavier and its strength is almost Omni directional. For the engine mount I recommend that you use the Midwest 1/8 (.125" ) birch 5 ply, instead of the 3 ply like the kit had. On the engine mount where you cut out for the engine, wick some thin CA in to the edge. Seal the engine mount area with finishing epoxy before you cover. This make the engine mount area rock hard and much stiffer. Several hundred flights and hardly a mark where the engine sits. Only had to tighten a few times.

The two square holes in the main ribs for the servo mount were move closer and the rear one was raise slightly for a better angle to the control horn. Lay out your servos and optimize it for you.

If you use carbon fiber tubes you may have radio range reduction on 72 MHz. Others builders please let us know if you noticed this on an all CF tube construction diamond dust. Spread spectrum it should be fine.

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

That is exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks freakingfast.

ChuckL

My Feedback: (2)

The only DD I had interference issues wtih was my first one which I built from the kit with FG tubes, but that had to do with the interior setup of the antenna that is shown in the kit. It may have been just to close to something I'm not really sure because ever since I started routing my antenna out the wing tip and have never had an issue since and I use CF tubes on everything and good old 72MHZ.