Vintage aircraft construction style ..

[Prem]

How about this for quick and easy:

1) Build it out of plywood.
2) Cover it with roofing tar, and while that's still wet
3) Cover it with blue, brown, white or camo tarp from Harbor Freight.

It it starts to wear out a few years later, just put a new layer on, just like an asphalt shingle roof.

[parnold]

I coated my tear with 4 layers of polyester resin, and I only used one gallon.

One gallon = 8lbs. Not too much weight to worry about for the added safety factor.

[GPW]

Par , that's one less six pack ... You're right , that's an insignificant amount of weight, but with anything Ultralight, even little things add up quickly !!!
You guys got me thinking about a really light 2oz. fiberglass cloth over a fabric covering ... seems most any fabric would do .. Light , Strong , and easy to patch ...
I know I didn't show it on the drawing , but I really think the bottom of the front on the TD should be an Aluminum sheet ... (rock protection) and true to Scale on Vintage aircraft ...


Prem ...

[GPW]

Here's a simple Box done aircraft style ... just as an example ...

[Grid Runner Adventures]

This is interesting. I have been planning on building a western greenland kayak and these are built without any mechanical fasteners just scrap bits of wood lashed together with artificial sinew.

after your frame is made then you use ballistic nylon stretched over and stiched close and shrunk. then you apply resin to seal it up and waterproof it all.

man.. imagine then having a sprayfoam company spray the inside and shave off at the level of your framing! a super insulated light weight camper with a superior tuff outer coating! then you can finish inside as wanted.

Im sold. that will be camper #2's design

[Grid Runner Adventures]

Yep definently going to do it this way on camper #2

https://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/products/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,17/category_id,6/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/vmcchk,1/



just did quick google search for spray foam kits and this popped up for 300 bucks

ballistic nylon can get spendy but I think this method will be worth it.

[GPW]

As an alternative , you could glue blue foam panels between the framing members as per the usual... The spray foam would make a tight integral unit ... but I wonder if it would "puff" the fabric out on the outside ??? Probably it would "grow" towards the open areas and not be a problem ...
Sure would be Light huh !!!! ... and STRONG

[GPW]

Picture of a typical fuselage framework

[Grid Runner Adventures]

the fabric is very ridged when the resin has cured I think the spray foam would expand to the interior and not be a problem aye.

[glassice]

Paul how did you get a gal to do your trailer did you spray it it on ?
Sun will eat foam it has to be cover

[Arne]

a tent on wheels is better than a tent on the ground.

[GPW]

Especially a tent with one of these new Uber fabrics !!! And no setup in the dark ... It's got two things going for it :
1. it's not plywood !
2. it's not plywood!

[Prem]

GPW wrote:

It's got two things going for it :
1. it's not plywood !
2. it's not plywood!

Once I used 3/8th and 1/2 inch MDO plywood with Kraft paper on both sides and no voids, I never went back. Hope you get to try some sometime. Cut with a jigsaw with a fine blade. Even a blade for cutting metal works well. No splinters. Smooth.

[WesGrimes]

the fabric is very ridged when the resin has cured I think the spray foam would expand to the interior and not be a problem aye.

I have been working with this type of foam a lot on my build. The trick to not bulging the fabric is to spray it on in layers.

The chemical reaction needs air to cure properly. If you spray it on thick, the outer layer will cure and leave the inner layer wet. The wet will expand slowly over the next few days and can cause the skin to deform as it pushes in all directions from the center.

If you spray it thin (1/2"), you can let it cure and then spray additional layers until you reach the desired thickness.

[Alfred]

This is an interesting thread, did a quick research of similar discussions:

Navigator posted this is from the book "Rolling Homes":


This is vintage from BobR:


Steve Frederick posted these pictures he took of the RunLite:




RossWade posted this picture of the RunLite:


See the 1938 plans for the RunLight here:
http://www.tinytears.cc/Scans/Runlite.pdf

AL in Asheville