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Wings construction materials

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atomic-chomik
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Wings construction materials

Postby atomic-chomik » Wed Jul 26, 2017 4:55 am

There may possibly be some ridicule with this question, but why arent wings made of aluminum? Can they be made of aluminum and be usefull/functional? are there any other composite materials that might work? I see them made from G10, which is great stuff but I'm not sure that it is any lighter. I have a machinist buddy who is going to help me make one, for a fraction of the price(can't afford pay for a factory one, dont want to either) and wings is something we have been discussing.

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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby plummet » Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:29 am

Yes but it will be heavy And doesn't float.

Mine are bamboo core. Carbon skin's. Bonus I'd the foil floats.

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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby cosmo » Wed Jul 26, 2017 1:56 pm

How is the process to shape hi grade Aluminium?
a 3 axis CNC router I think. And you need a big block to shape a anedral wing. Probably one wing cost half of a mold that you need to make a hi precision carbon wing.

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downunder
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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby downunder » Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:05 am

4 axis CNC I think. Or you end up with a lot of sanding and uneven surface, even with a rounded bit.

To make a carbon wing takes couple of hours with my method:

http://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=199&t=2394227

Now I am on my second mold made from a WS fin which is thinner and longer. About 6mm thick on a fuselage side. Heaps less everywhere. Plus, it does bend, and alu doesn't (sort of does, but only up to modulus).

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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby atomic-chomik » Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:15 am

downunder wrote:
Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:05 am
4 axis CNC I think. Or you end up with a lot of sanding and uneven surface, even with a rounded bit.

To make a carbon wing takes couple of hours with my method:

http://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=199&t=2394227

Now I am on my second mold made from a WS fin which is thinner and longer. About 6mm thick on a fuselage side. Heaps less everywhere. Plus, it does bend, and alu doesn't (sort of does, but only up to modulus).


So, looking at your method, I'm wondering, if you weren't putting a curve in the wing., would you have filled date mold with carbon fiber and resin? As it works out, my buddy has a mold of a nice wing and I'm wondering if laying up epoxy and carbon fiber in it , then vacuum bagging another layer after would be...ok. Tt would be nice to put bamboo in the body too but maybe that is overboard...or overfoil lol

atomic-chomik
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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby atomic-chomik » Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:18 am

plummet wrote:
Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:29 am
Yes but it will be heavy And doesn't float.

Mine are bamboo core. Carbon skin's. Bonus I'd the foil floats.

How did you construct with a bamboo core? Any suggestions?

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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby plummet » Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:59 am

sandwitched together and attacked it with an angle grinder with 36 grit sanding disk. Then moved onto palm sander and torture board
IMG_0397.JPG

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Re: Wings construction materials

Postby opie » Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:39 pm

I saw Dave from Litewave working on foils last summer and he was using metal wings for R&D.


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