Symmetrical molded fuses

[raptor22]

I've been wondering, if I was to make a perfectly symmetrical molded fuselage, it would be alot easier to make a half-plug that is glued onto a board and subsequently having the whole thing wazed, etc and making two mold halves from that instead of making the whole plug perfectly symmetrical, making cradles, etc.

I haven't heard of anyone doing that. Is it feasible, and a good idea?

--Alex

[hayman]

I have a video that will show you how to do it.

Bill

Check it out
Made Easy DVD's (http://www.paonline.com/hayman/video.htm)

[raptor22]

I know how I would do it, I just was wondering if it was a good idea and why noone I know of is doint it that way. I mean, what I fugured was that it is so obviously easier that the practice would be more common.

Besides, I'm too cheap to pay for a dvd ;).

--Alex

[Salto]

Alex,

If the fuse was symmetrical about a horizontal plane, how would you do the wing saddle and the tail saddle? Also, if symmetrical, the fuse would not necessarily be properly aligned in flight to the airflow, so the design would not be good from an aerodynamic point of view.

Anyway, you still have to make a plug, and two mold halves, the only time saved would be mounting the plug up on a parting board, which is minor compared to the former two tasks.

Graham.

[raptor22]

Alex,

If the fuse was symmetrical about a horizontal plane, how would you do the wing saddle and the tail saddle? Also, if symmetrical, the fuse would not necessarily be properly aligned in flight to the airflow, so the design would not be good from an aerodynamic point of view.

Anyway, you still have to make a plug, and two mold halves, the only time saved would be mounting the plug up on a parting board, which is minor compared to the former two tasks.

Graham.

I meant vertically. The plug would be easier to make, since it doesn't have to have two sides or be perfectly centered and symmetrical.


--Alex

[davidfee]

Alex,
It sounds like it would work (you can make a stab mold that way) but I would tend to agree with Graham.

-David

[Salto]

Alex,

I'm confused by what you are proposing. Conventionally, fusalages are already symmetrical about a vertical plane, but this does not allow you to make a half plug and two molds from the one half plug unless the fuse is also symmetrical about a horizontal plane. Then my above comments would apply.

Graham.

[SkyPyro]

I think you'd be unhappy with the results and end up makeing a full plug anyways. In addition to what Graham said, wouldn't lining up the two mold halves be very difficult, because of the lack of alignment pegs?

Dan

[davidfee]

You could still incorporate alignment pegs in the parting board, but you'd need to be very careful how you placed them. Basically, I think it is false economy for a fuselage.

-David

[raptor22]

I see; I wasn't thinking and now it is *duh* about the horizontal symmetry thing, and I agree with everyone about the false economy. Man, I'm glad I asked before I did something stupid and came up with two right mold halves :D.

Thanks!

--Alex