Side Wall Construction

[Woody]

"I see "said the blind man

[Eric Adams]

"I see "said the blind man

To the deaf woman...

[asianflava]

Woody,
The neat thing about a fabric coverd one is it wouldn't need to be a flat sided tear. Someone could form some stringers to shape it out into a more curvy, swoopy shape.
Cary

Whew, and you guys are saying that vacuum bagging will add unnecessary complexity to the project. I couldn't imagine a fabric covered trailer.

In school we took a class in sheetmetal structures, we built a sheetmetal wing as a class project. In the same block of classes we took a composites class (aka wood dope and sniff), we made both a fabric covered wing and a composite wing. It was a simple carbon fiber spar, prepreg bottom molded kevlar (bagged over a caul) and honeycomb nomex core. Out of all the projects, the fabric wing took the most time because of having to wait for the chemicals to dry and the weather to get better so that it wouldn't blush. Oh yeah, and you'd better learn how to sew.

I just got back from vegas and was lucky enough to be there for the airshow at Nellis. My wife agreed to hold off on gambling so that we could spend a day there. I was dead tired and my feet hurt afterwards but I'm glad I went! Lots of planes there that I've never seen including an F22, F35, F117, Global Hawk, Predator, ME109 and a P38 named "Glacier Girl". They also had simulated Unlimited Reno Air Races done "Vegas Style" whatever that means. How many times do you get to hear a stampede of Mustangs fly by with the throttles at the stops? That Merlin sounds awesome but hearing a half dozen of them, just about made me well up.

Here's one pic I took, from L-R Dago Red, Ridge Runner, and Precious Metal. The new camera got a work out, check out the prop on Precious Metal.

Rare Bear trailing Dago Red

[asianflava]

and shave it off flush with a long sharpened piece of aluminum.
Cary

Can this stuff be hot wired?

[Arne]

I love that pic of the p51 with the twin prop... did it do well?

boy, some guys have way too much money...!

[Cary Winch]

Asianflava,

The low pressure foam is a latex based. I don't know if that will hot wire well. I know you are not supposed to hotwire urethane foams. Most of the spray foams are urethane.

Cary

[Cary Winch]

Asianflava,

Fabric covering wings is a pain indeed. But, I figure a fabric covered tear to be more like a fuselage. No sewing then. It could probably just be draped over the tear with lap joints around it to form the round shape. Lots of glue I suspect.

Time it does take, no question there. But, I think it would be easy. Imagine how easy a hatch would be to cover, just like a big elevator or something.

You are a lucky guy to see that line of planes. I love that stuff. I have seen Rare Bear fly a few times. Did you check out the prop on that thing?

What does Precious Metal run for an engine? A Rolls Royce Griffon? That would be my guess with the counter rotating props. If so, that would be the third air racer I have seen with that combo. The first two don't exist anymore.

Cary

[Guest]

Hey Jim,
I've got a signed poster from Lyle Shelton hanging in my office right behind me. I don't know if he flies the Rare Bear anymore or not. I met him at the Reno Air Races in 1991. Is the Rare Bear still the cream of the crop?

[asianflava]

I posted more pics here http://photos.yahoo.com/moshead2002 I'll probably post some more when I get around to editing them.

Lyle Shelton is listed as Rare Bear's owner. John Penny, a 777 pilot, is the pilot. Although the paddock was open, I didn't get a chance to talk to anybody, I just snapped some pics. It was at the end of the day and we were trying to leave before the masses. There was a Thunder Mustang there too, I really wanted to get the skinny on the plane but didn't get to. A 3/4 scale kit built Mustang powered by a Falconer V-12. We skipped the T-birds so that we could get the jump on everybody else. I thought I remember a Sea Fury that ran counter-rotating props but I may be mistaken.

As far as the foam, I remember that there were some foams that shouldn't be hot wired. I can't remember which but I was told that it was because the fumes they gave off were toxic.

I got to thinking about the fabric covered trailer. It would have the fabric covered areas facing the wind. The leading edges of the wing still have light ply on them, you'd have to do the same. You also have to top stitch the fabric on the ribs so that the ribs don't move around and wear the fabric. It's been a long time since I've looked at that stuff.

It's funny when we were leaving Vegas, I noticed a guy wearing an Embry Riddle shirt behind us in line at the airport.
I told him, "hey I went there, the Daytona Campus."
He said that he worked at that campus and asked if I had finished.
I said, "Yup got my A&P about 12 yrs ago, haven't touched a plane since."

[asianflava]

I found the info in the airshow program of all places. Precious Metal runs a 2239cu/in Griffon to turn those props. I also over heard the Rare Bear mechanic talking to somebody. He said that they have a 3350cu/in radial from a Super Connie and a prop from a SkyRaider.