How to strengthen a foam-core fuselage?
03-15-2005, 09:28 PM
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How to strengthen a foam-core fuselage?
Hi,
I'd like to try a profile fun-fly as you guys all seem to be having too much fun
and I have a couple of .46's spare.
I came across the Sirex Super Wasp design and have download the plans. It looks like this is an old design but should be good enough to begin with.
Anyway, rather than laminate the fuselage from balsa, glasscloth & epoxy - which strikes me as very heavy! - I was thinking of using some 6mm/0.25" thick Depron, maybe two thicknesses laminated, and then skinned with either 1/16" balsa or 1/32" (1/64"?) ply. So my questions are...
1] What would you use to strengthen the fus, hardwood or carbon-fibre tubing?
2] Where abouts would you place the strengtheners... a 'rail' along the bottom and/or top of the fus or a c/f spar running centrally down the fus (I've been looking at Paul Swanys web-site [sm=thumbup.gif]
)
Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated so I can get a simple hack in the air.
Cheers!
Steve
I'd like to try a profile fun-fly as you guys all seem to be having too much fun
and I have a couple of .46's spare. I came across the Sirex Super Wasp design and have download the plans. It looks like this is an old design but should be good enough to begin with.
Anyway, rather than laminate the fuselage from balsa, glasscloth & epoxy - which strikes me as very heavy! - I was thinking of using some 6mm/0.25" thick Depron, maybe two thicknesses laminated, and then skinned with either 1/16" balsa or 1/32" (1/64"?) ply. So my questions are...
1] What would you use to strengthen the fus, hardwood or carbon-fibre tubing?
2] Where abouts would you place the strengtheners... a 'rail' along the bottom and/or top of the fus or a c/f spar running centrally down the fus (I've been looking at Paul Swanys web-site [sm=thumbup.gif]
)Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated so I can get a simple hack in the air.
Cheers!
Steve
03-15-2005, 11:25 PM
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RE: How to strengthen a foam-core fuselage?
I have had good experience with the balsa-fiberglass-balsa sandwich fuselage as shown on the wasp plans. See my purple fun fly. Note the lightening holes, especially toward the rear where you need little strength. Note I also used the idea of a single wheel which has served me well. All up weight is 3 lb 8 ounces. This is with a OS .46 and standard muffler.
03-15-2005, 11:45 PM
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RE: How to strengthen a foam-core fuselage?
What I'm wondering is how you managed to get that picture without any cracks in the runway.
Must not have been taken at your home field.
Must not have been taken at your home field.
03-16-2005, 01:25 AM
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RE: How to strengthen a foam-core fuselage?
I'd go with a 3/8 or 1/2" carbon fiber rod down the middle through wing if possible. I build a Taco with a 6mm depron fuse and a 6mm carbon fiber spar and it was light and strong and easy to build. With the carbon fiber spar the balsa is more or less superfluous. Mine was electric so I didn't even cover it. Survived crashes, didn't twist, etc.
Balin
Balin
