Hey John, you are right about efficient use of balsa. I think I picked this sheeting method up from my pattern buddies back in the dark ages.
Hi Greg, I use a somewhat crude but effective deep throat hot wire bow that can be handled with one hand while holding the wing core with the other. Not my idea - something I "borrowed" from a source I don't remember.
Another idea I "borrowed" is a small hot wire loop for cutting servo wire/air line tunnels just below the core surface. Run it along a straight edge and it makes a very neat and quick hole.
Hi Kirk, I think the E20 is similar or identical to Vpoxy. Cures in a couple of hours. Bonds tenaciously to glass, but it will penetrate wood very well and makes for a strong joint. I think I got it from McMaster.
Another idea I "borrowed" is a small hot wire loop for cutting servo wire/air line tunnels just below the core surface. Run it along a straight edge and it makes a very neat and quick hole.
Hi Kirk, I think the E20 is similar or identical to Vpoxy. Cures in a couple of hours. Bonds tenaciously to glass, but it will penetrate wood very well and makes for a strong joint. I think I got it from McMaster.
Well Bob, you got me stumped on that first picture, I can see it's a bow of some sort, but can't imagine what it's big enough to cut! I like your servo wire cutter jig. I think I will steal that one, I have been doing a bow through templates on each end, and doing it one person, is not as easy as it sounds!
Hey Sean, not exactly obvious how it works from what I posted. It is small hot wire bow with a deep throat that is used in conjunction with the poster board template shown below. The wing core is sandwiched in the template; a starting hole is made with a soldering iron in each wheel well and hinge block opening; the wire of the bow is fed through the starting hole and hooked to power; the template guides the hot wire cut "through" the core leaving clean and precise surfaces. I like this process much better than cutting through the core with a knife, but it does take a little more effort. Hope that description helps.
Ahhhh,
Now that I know that, making something out of .007 stainless or there abouts with a small lightbulb in the curcuit, or some coiled nichrome, might be an easier solution, I would imagine making all those holes sure takes some time!
Man I love your builds!
Stout stuff that FLY'S GREAT!
Now that I know that, making something out of .007 stainless or there abouts with a small lightbulb in the curcuit, or some coiled nichrome, might be an easier solution, I would imagine making all those holes sure takes some time!
Man I love your builds!
Stout stuff that FLY'S GREAT!
Senior Member
This has been a great thread. I enjoyed it and will be trying some of your techniques.
Just a couple of thoughts, since I'm relatively cheap, I've been using filament strapping tape running span wise around the wing core instead of carbon fiber. I usually use two complete wraps. On a large wing three. It takes some planning as you don't want to cut the tape when you install servos. To further describe it, I run tape top and bottom around the wing from the center-top, around a wing tip, back on the bottom to the other wing tip then back to the start. I do this in two or three places then skin the wing. Seems to be plenty strong enough for Q500's. Originally I saw this used on the "Gremlin" combat wing years ago. On that wing you did the tape and then just covered the foam with low temp covering, no balsa skin.
I've also been embedding kevlar strips under the top skins along the aileron hinge lines for gap less hinges. As described in Phil Barnes video "Vacuum Bagging Made Easy". After skinning the wing you cut out a narrow section of the aileron on the bottom skin, then melt the foam from the bottom to the kevlar on the top skin. On the top skin you carefully score the balsa to the kevlar. I use a small thin jewelers file. It makes an extremely strong flexible flutter free hinge that is almost invisible.
I located the video you mentioned here and I plan to order it:
[link=http://www.airbornemedia.com/store/rv-index.htm]Airborne Media[/link]
The Phil Barnes video is here:
[link=http://home.paonline.com/hayman/PAGE2.htm]Vacuum Bagging Made Easy[/link]
I like Phil's video because of all the other techniques you can pick up beside just making wings. For instance he uses 1.5" square aluminum tubes from Home Depot filled with lead shot for weights. You can make them any length you like, very cool.
Ciao,
Stan
Just a couple of thoughts, since I'm relatively cheap, I've been using filament strapping tape running span wise around the wing core instead of carbon fiber. I usually use two complete wraps. On a large wing three. It takes some planning as you don't want to cut the tape when you install servos. To further describe it, I run tape top and bottom around the wing from the center-top, around a wing tip, back on the bottom to the other wing tip then back to the start. I do this in two or three places then skin the wing. Seems to be plenty strong enough for Q500's. Originally I saw this used on the "Gremlin" combat wing years ago. On that wing you did the tape and then just covered the foam with low temp covering, no balsa skin.
I've also been embedding kevlar strips under the top skins along the aileron hinge lines for gap less hinges. As described in Phil Barnes video "Vacuum Bagging Made Easy". After skinning the wing you cut out a narrow section of the aileron on the bottom skin, then melt the foam from the bottom to the kevlar on the top skin. On the top skin you carefully score the balsa to the kevlar. I use a small thin jewelers file. It makes an extremely strong flexible flutter free hinge that is almost invisible.
I located the video you mentioned here and I plan to order it:
[link=http://www.airbornemedia.com/store/rv-index.htm]Airborne Media[/link]
The Phil Barnes video is here:
[link=http://home.paonline.com/hayman/PAGE2.htm]Vacuum Bagging Made Easy[/link]
I like Phil's video because of all the other techniques you can pick up beside just making wings. For instance he uses 1.5" square aluminum tubes from Home Depot filled with lead shot for weights. You can make them any length you like, very cool.
Ciao,
Stan
Stan, thanks for the link to the Barnes video. I've read good things about it.
Bob
Bob
A quick update....
The fuse is cut away for the wing saddle. Composite shell is rigid and stable even without formers.
The fuse is cut away for the wing saddle. Composite shell is rigid and stable even without formers.
Wing is drilled for hard points. C/F faced spar joiners. C/F reinforcement over hard points. Multiple layers of glass over wing center section.
Immaculate, but I feel like I'm missing something, how are the horizontal stabs connected to the fuse? I'm imagining some type of hard wood spar going into each stab, and through the fuse, but wondering what it is laminated to in the fuse are where it passes through. I've seen other airplanes with this general concept of tail area, but have always been too cautious to give it a try because it seems to me that it would be a highly loaded area. I'm probably wrong, but still curious.
Looks great! I really like your spar detail. Eddie Weeks had designed a similar sized spar out of titanium, I was beside myself they were so small. Goes to show in his case and yours how much benefit composites can be in the wing building.
Looks great! I really like your spar detail. Eddie Weeks had designed a similar sized spar out of titanium, I was beside myself they were so small. Goes to show in his case and yours how much benefit composites can be in the wing building.
Hey Sean, good eye for structure. Any serious flex in that area could lead to fin or stab flutter that would surely ruin my day.
The stab is one piece with c/f reinforcement. It slides into/through a cutout in the lower portion of the fin. That portion of the fin is fully boxed - plywood ribs on top, c/f reinforced fin spars with shear web at the front, and 3/16" thick balsa ply on the sides with glass inside and out. The stab will be epoxied in place with supplemental glass as needed. The fin spars penetrate the fuselage shell and will be epoxied from the inside. It is very rigid.
The stab is one piece with c/f reinforcement. It slides into/through a cutout in the lower portion of the fin. That portion of the fin is fully boxed - plywood ribs on top, c/f reinforced fin spars with shear web at the front, and 3/16" thick balsa ply on the sides with glass inside and out. The stab will be epoxied in place with supplemental glass as needed. The fin spars penetrate the fuselage shell and will be epoxied from the inside. It is very rigid.
That looks really cool. What powerplant are you thinking about?
Andy, target weight is 30#, so I'd like thrust in the thirties. I'm currently thinking Titan SE, Rhino, or P160 SX. However, I'm certainly open to suggestions.
Senior Member
Bob , the new jet looks great ,if and when we ever get out of the burn ban it`ll be great to see both of
you up here and see the new jet fly . Ken
Ken, great to hear from you. I miss fly'n with the Austin gang. Maybe a tropical storm will come up I-35 and give us a good drenching.
