the concept for lightweight high strength

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buildingjunkie
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the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by buildingjunkie »

So i am very new to RC let alone RC Combat but it is like crack for an idle mind like me. My question is about taking aluminum and forming it over a foam wing in one solid sheet of aluminum. Now i know that alot of detail is not worked out with that statment so i will try to cover everything i have thought of and hope that I can get some feed back.

Lets start with a lil background on me, I am a Custom Design Jeweler of ten years now so working in tollerences of hundreths of a milimeter is something i do on a daily basis. Fab work is typical on everything i do at some point during the construction phase. That being said lets work on the question i have.

Why cant someone build a combat plane with detach wings and a fuse made of aluminum covering foam?

Is it against the rules? Will the weight be correct if i build this plane to scale? What happens if you collide with some poor guy with a foam plane vs a aluminum plane.... suks to be the other guy. Would mid-airs still have the same outcome... planes hit the dirt? What is the thinest aluminum skin i can use to provide me with the strength i am looking to get?

So while i post this i have decided to start this projec even though it will be alot of trial and error i think i can build a plane that would have alot higher survival rate if a mid-air takes place.

Any comments or suggestions would be great for a rookie like me. Thanks -tha junkie
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Which_way_is_up
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by Which_way_is_up »

Well often new ideas come from people that don't know any better and think outside the box and that's not meant as an insult. :D

So my two cents at this point concerning your ideas are this.

Your enemy is (1)weight and (2)the time and cost it takes to make it vs the additional benefits that you get that you can't get from designs that are currently used.

I look forward to any new designs you come up with! :D
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David Drowns
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by David Drowns »

With a metallic skin you better range check it real good too. I look forward to any flight reports.

Welcome to the wonderful world of combat. :wink:
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by Hat Trick »

My guess is that a AL skinned foam wing would be very strong as long as it was intact. As soon as you have a imperfection form a dent or ding the constant stresses that happen every time a wing goes into and out of load would lead to failure. Repairing damage might prove difficult. Cost is always a factor and if you can DIY it might be possible. The present construction methods are both light and strong and fairly easy to repair. I never say never though and say go for it if you have the desire. R&D is half the fun of combat!
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buildingjunkie
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by buildingjunkie »

Thanks for the feed back on an active forum... now that i have had a min to think about what i am getting my self into here is some more insight.

Great point about flight stresses on the "skin" to over come that problem i figure i will have the foam core with carbon fiber spars running along the axis for pitch.

I really liked the idea of having dings in the LE from taking someone elses plane down... i am a meannie, I know. But to overcome the actual "repair" of a damaged LE i thought i would use self sealing foam that expands like crazy... let dry or can help dry with a basic hair dryer... sand to shape and then renforce with clear packing tape and some good ole gorilla glue. For major repairs i would have to overcome that with having at least 3 planes of the same design that i was going to fly during any event.... but 3 is not enough so i figured i would make around 6 warbirds all having different flight char so i can switch planes between rounds based on what i am up against... and also depending on how i feel like flying agressive or laggy. The way i would have it broken down is 2 of the design i fly the best based on my style of flying at the time and 4 of different planes mabey a twin from japan idk.

What i am going to do is start this project over the weekend and see what mats i need to get and what holes i need to fill.

Pictures will follow in my update.

thanks again for helping a rookie. -mac
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by gsjames »

I just did a little "quick math". Covering a 500 sq in (1000 sq in top and bottom) foam wing with 0.016 2024-T3 aluminum (about as thin as you can buy it without it being "aluminum foil" would add 1.57 POUNDS of weight. That doesn't include the adhesive and any aluminum added to the fuselage and/or tail section.
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Ed Kettler
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by Ed Kettler »

About 7-8 years ago Mike Fuller had his "bots" for Open B that had laminated Lexan over foam wings and a carbon fiber square tube for a fuselage. His operating premise seemed to be that if he couldn't cut you he could fly through you with little damage. I seem to remember that his weighed about 3 pounds.

That being said, the aluminum covered wing might only work in Open B, as the maximum weight of 3.5 pounds would allow more performance envelope than an SSC plane, which has a minimum weight of 40 ounces, and anything much over 46 is not really competitive.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

Ed
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Re: the concept for lightweight high strength

Post by Hat Trick »

You either need to be stronger than the other guy or be better able to absorb the impact better than the other guy. Think like the car makers do. Crumple zones. EPP in the LE does a great job of absorbing impacts. Think brute strength vs a energy absorber. Who wins??? Throw in weight vs. good flight characteristics. Lighter is always better.
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