very light boat, new teardrop technique?

[PKCSPT]

Got my attention, is there a build thread or pictures I missed? I love your windows. Looks like you might see shadows through the side, is light or privacy an issue? Kitty adds a nice touch of color.

[tmoenter]

Sidewalls are insulated with reflectix so not translucent.

[rowerwet]

Those boats owe a lot of design ideas to early aircraft. The way dope and fabric air craft skin is protected from UV is a layer of silver paint, under the finish colors. Skin on frame boat builders skip that to show off the structure.
Silver paint on a tear would take care of most solar heating, but still would need insulation for cold nights.
The cheaper, faster answer is a foamie with PMF skin.

[tmoenter]

As I said, i used reflectix bubblewrap, two layers midway in the 3/4 inch skinwall. With 2 air gaps and two reflective layers with double layer of bubbles it makes a reflective, high R-value wall. The only heat gain I get is from my 2x4 foot skylight and that is easily dumped using my solar powered vent fans. It is very cozy and easy to heat at night.

[tmoenter]

BTW I have built a number of GA boats of various configurations starting with and improving on Platt Montfort's techniques. They are very light and strong. I built the 10 foot version of the dinghy shown in the original post. Fantastic boat...light and fast. I find that with proper engineering of the keels and gunwales, the kevlar roving is unnecessary.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1443381496.496310.jpg (83.78 KiB) Viewed 1458 times

[tmoenter]

Two layers of reflectix captive within the rib structure before skinning.

IMG_0453.jpg (34.54 KiB) Viewed 1455 times

Here is a detail pic of the sidewall showing how the insulation was done

[S. Heisley]

tmoenter: Thanks for posting pictures of your trailer. I've added a reference to this thread into the Trailers with lifting roofs thread, here:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50969

[aggie79]

Very innovative! Curious minds would like to know more. For the front, is the Dacron applied over plywood for puncture resistance?

[GPW]

Curious , we posted this back in 2010 and got no positive comments although we’d been building planes like this for 50 years ...

Still seems like a good idea to me ...

[tmoenter]

Front and top have 1/8 plywood backing. Bending plywood for the curves, marine okoume for the flats. Dacron over everything and all sealed with waterbase polyurethane.

[tmoenter]

After successfully making strong lightweight boats this way it was a no brainer for me to evolve to my camper project. Commercial campers waste way too much space on inside kitchens and cabinetry...all of which weigh a ton. I cook outside...don't need/want a kitchen. I had 4 must-haves... Queen bed... 6'3" standup...under 1000 pounds...garageable. Had to design and build my own to get what I wanted.

[CLChastain]

Dacron is dirt cheap. Lightweight. Strong. Also will follow compound curves well. I seal with water base spar polyurethane which doesn't yellow.

Who is a dirt-cheap supplier? I googled "Dacron fabric" but all kinds of entries show up in the Google index that don't seem pertinent.

BTW, love the kittycat photobomb in another comment. Cats are expert photobombers....

[tmoenter]

Aircraft Spruce. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/ My tuxedo cat "Yoda" is my greatest admirer and my most vocal critic. He insists on regular coffee breaks.

[CLChastain]

Ah.... a supervisor.

[AndrewB]

You can also get it from kayak building sites at a heavier weight fabric. The construction can be pretty bomb proof, especially at the heavier weight fabrics.

I am planning on building one similar to tmoenter's. He is an old family friend and was like an Uncle to me when I was young. We recently reconnected, and it was pretty funny to hear of him building a skin on frame boat, as I had just made a SoF kayak the previous year. When he started describing a skin on frame trailer, I thought it was a perfect adaptation of the technology. My wife also loved the idea, especially when we saw the finished pictures. She has ordered me to make that my next project.