Crushed fuselage . . .
 

. . . gotta rebuild a new one for an Eaglet 50.

Someone sat on the fuselage I was getting in the process of covering and boy did it get crushed, no way to rebuild it, so I will have to do another by scratch.

My question is: Instead of using the traditional preshaped fuselage sides, top & bottom can I build a new fuselage with ply 1/4" or 1/8" sq. sticks, with ply sheeting where necessary (ply block of course for the firewall & formers)? I do not have the equipment (lathe, tablesaw, etc.) to form the fuselage parts as shown on the plans.

As long as the shape of the fuselage is the same as the plans does it really matter what the parts are? Will the changing of parts effect the flying of the plane?

Or would it be cheaper to see if the manufacturer has the replacement parts?

I still have the wing and the control surfaces (tail-feathers) are already covered.

Would it be cheaper to build the fuselage as explained or to see if the manufacturer has the parts?

RE: Crushed fuselage . . .
 

There’s no reason it couldn’t be stick built. I don’t have the knowledge or skill to design it and know that it would be as strong as the plywood sides. I think this link will lead you to what you need to do it with factory parts.

http://www.carlgoldbergproducts.com/eaglet50.htm

1 5576 K-61 BUNDLE # 2 D/C PLYWOOD SHEETS (CONTAINS 6 ITEMS - 7 PCS) $22.50
Which contains
2 D/C SHEET 6106 DOUBLERS &GUAGE
1 D/C SHEET 6107 FIREWALL & FORMERS
1 D/C SHEET 6108 REAR TOP SHEET
1 D/C SHEET 6110 FORMERS
1 D/C SHEET 6112 FRNT BOT & HATCH
1 D/C SHEET 6113 FORMERS
If the fuselage has any balsa sheeting you’ll need to get that too. You can cut the balsa with your exacto knife.

RE: Crushed fuselage . . .
 

Corrugated plastic sheets make good fuselages - specially the box type. Quick and cheap.

RE: Crushed fuselage . . .
 

i dont know what you mean by crushed. i understand it was sat on, but as for the damage i dont know what we are talking about here. the reason is that the eaglet 50 was my first plane too, and first kit. well being the typical rookie i was, and hell bent on proving that a rookie really can make a rookie mistake, i built two left wings. so i bought the wing kit to correct the problem. when i did this in 91, it came with wing saddle doublers fuse doublers and all the bulk heads in front of the plane. i guess the assume that a crash is why most people will be looking to replace the wing. but any way, if they still offer all these other things with it, and if its not too far gone then maybe 24 dollars for the wing kit might just get you what you need to fix the fuse.

however as far as your question about building it out of sticks goes, it will work just fine, might be faster and easier to get some 1/8 lite ply and use the old parts for a template and cut new ones.