Has anyone ever tried to make one? With these new laser cutters one could easily cut formers and wing ribs etc out of super light weight titanium sheets or something similar..

Andy

Hmm, I dunno, still might be a heavy airplane, make a big wing I supose.

If this was viable, I wouldn't have to pay 20 bucks a foot for carbon fiber right now. There is a reason composites are through the roof, so I'd like to send a special thank you to the full scale guys taking advantage of all the awesome materials I've been spending a fortune on because they have taken over the world supply of them and driven the price up. [>:]

Not a Jet, but someone built and flew an aluminum warbird(Tigercat)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_36...tm.htm#3641578

Flight Report:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_41...tm.htm#4184925

Or this full alu Beaver......but 180lbs or 82kg
Moki/RCS 400 motor
http://www.mhm-scale-aircraft.com/

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwBgSMLHge0


Will never work for our small jets

No reason it could not be done, there have been several all-metal RC kits offered over the years, Jerry Nelson (of Nelson R/C Specialties) is working on a couple designs he plans to offer at some point (metal framework but fabric covered). I remember seeing pictures of an all-metal Bulldog (British built single engine) many years ago in RCM and an all-metal P-51 model here in the States.

However, in most cases a fully metal skinned model they would be heavy for the size, very hard to build (skill wise), relatively fragile, and very hard to repair. And they would be aluminum, not titanium (Besides high cost, it is notoriously hard to machine, cut and drill - try working with some Ti sometime, you'll see. ).

I have built 2 full scale homebuilts, one all composite (Vari-EZ) and the other (HP-18) had a composite forward fuse and metal tailboom and flying surfaces. I would MUCH rather deal with wood or composites....far more forgiving. But that's just my opinion, YMMV.

Barry

Just a comment on lasers. The lasers used for most kit cutting (wood cutting) are CO2 lasers. These lasers cannot cut metal. YAG lasers are used to cut metal, but do not cut wood and plastic. We are still not quite there on practical laser cutting of metal parts for model planes.
Mike

I guess one could lay out the parts and take the metal to a water jet or laser shop to have them cut. One of my customers can cut 1/8" stainless steel with his water jet.

The innards of that Beaver are awesome ! (As it were, so to speak, to coin a phrase ![X(] )

Seems a pity that such beatiful work gets covered up with such a bland exterior.

Hey, easy there, some of us are artfully challenged!

Gee, I cut aluminum, stainless, steel, titanium and other metals on a 2000 Watt CO2 laser for 18 years and I never knew you can't cut metal on a CO2. I guess I should have read the directions.

yeah there are several medium sized lasers that can cut thin metal using CO2. Here is one:

http://www.vy-tek.com/pdf/fx.pdf

Better get a few of your buddies to share the cost...they start at about $42,000.00.

lol.

Warbird 51, I must say that I stand corrected. I have no experience with a 2000 watt CO2 laser, I didn't even know they made them at that power level. I have a 120 watt Epilog and it won't cut metal. It will mark very thin stainless. Most kit cutters are using lasers in the range I have.
Mike

Hi Mike,

I've cut .25" armor plate steel, 3/16" aluminum and .25 Stainless on the laser in the shop I'm retired from. We could also engrave/mark the metal as well. The Amada Laser was only $380,000 in 1989. There is no substitute for power!! We could handle a sheet that was 60" by 144" They now have CO2 lasers over 6000 watts now. I never tried cutting wood as we did not have the ventilation needed in the room we had it in. It was a neat machine to operate.

Wayne