RCU Forums - View Single Post - Composite wings, any advantage ?
View Single Post
Old 10-26-2011 | 08:09 AM
  #37  
MTK
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,386
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
From: Whippany, NJ
Default RE: Composite wings, any advantage ?


ORIGINAL: mithrandir


Composite wings are heavier because they are simply not optimized. I doubt any of the composite ARF manufacturers actually employs an engineer to design the wing structure.

I could make a composite wing stronger and stiffer for the same weight as a foam wing....

Stated another way, proper design and technique in laying up a composite wing will be adequately stiff/strong and considerably lighter than the same size balsa veneered foam or all balsa. In other words, stronger/stiffer isn't really necessary

However, Bob Hunt and several other top CL guys routinely build 700 sq inch wings for CL models, finished in dope, that weigh in at 1 oz per 100 square inches. Not every one can do that and I'm not certain that ratio of weight to area will work in a free flying, heavier pattern model but it might. It will require open bays to achieve the weight but that's straight forward stuff