Majestic boom

[balsaaddict]

One of the recommendations to improve performance of the Majestic is to use a lighter boom. I happened upon a graphite golf shaft on Ebay. The shaft weighs on 2 grams less than the original Majestic boom. However, I still need to cut around 8" off the golf shaft. Also the shaft is "opimized for long drive". Which I understand to be very stiff longitudinally and torsionally. It seems stiffer than the original boom. The only problem I see with using it is that it is significantly smaller in diameter. It is only 5/8" D at the larger send and about 5/32" D at the other. I am planning on drilling for carbon rods to hold the V tail on. Will the small end hold? The wall is very thick there at about 1/8". I plan on cutting the larger end off to get down the right length because of the wall thickness on the tail end. Or should I cut the thicker wall down to reduce the tail wgt and increase (very slightly) the diameter?
Also, I plan to use the original formers at the boom attachment points in the fuselage, but I will sandwich them with 1/8" light ply with the correct diameter for the new boom. I think this will make alignment much easier and I will all microballons and epoxy in the void formed in the originally former and the new ones?
What do you think? Is the new boom useable? I have the various directions on rolling your own, but have never worked much with laminates.

[SaltyOne]

I've been looking for a Supra tailboom for many months. I'm tempted to try something like you're doing with a golf club shaft or maybe a broken fishing rod from a tackle shop. I'm sure that who ever comes out with a commercailly available Supra tailboom first will have many orders.

George

[Bob J]

Golf club shafts are designed to flex, both longitudinally and torsionally. The tailboom on your Majestic should have minimal flex. Therefore, I don't believe that using a golf club shaft would be advisable for a tailboom. Since fishing rods also flex, I don't think using one of those would be advisable either. Hopefully someday in the near future tailbooms.com will once again be making tailbooms for the Majestic and the Supra.

Regards,
Bob Johnson

[Jose E Bruzual]

SaltyOne,

Rick Walba at www.tailboom.com came out with the first commercially available Supra boom, a lucky few own them, Last I heard he was out of them but you should contact him directly or Denny Maze from PoleCat (www.polecataero.com) he might be able to help you too.

As for the Majestic I think Rick Walba has a tapered boom for it. But I agree with Bob, using a fishing rod or golf club for a boom is a bad idea.

Jose

[Eberwein]

Yup, a golf club shaft is probably a BAD idea. The golf clubs I have with graphite shafts are way to flexible for use on the Majestic.

CF booms for the Majestic are, unfortunately, in very short supply right now. That's the main reason the Majestic doesn't have them in the kit right now.

There is good new though ...

I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by not switching to Geico!

Seriously though, BD booms are being tooled up by someone else right now, and I will be carrying them as soon as I can get my grubby little hands on them. I wish I could tell you when, but that's unknown right now.

Brian

[balsaaddict]

Brian,
What about a 1/64 rolled ply boom formed over the fiberglass boom. Sort of reversed technology? Back to basics ala Sailaire? Wood you same wgt? I don't fly contests (yet) so maybe this would be a good wgt saving method that would fly well for the sport pilot. What do you think?

[Eberwein]

Nope, not a good idea. Interesting thought though. The boom is already heavy and that mould make you add a BUNCH more nose weight, which is a VERY bad idea on this plane. I'd say that if you want to get it built up soon, stick with the stock boom. If you don't do 200+ ft. vertical dives, you'll be fine.

Brian

Brian,
What about a 1/64 rolled ply boom formed over the fiberglass boom. Sort of reversed technology? Back to basics ala Sailaire? Wood you same wgt? I don't fly contests (yet) so maybe this would be a good wgt saving method that would fly well for the sport pilot. What do you think?

[balsaaddict]

All of my 200 foot vertical dives have been terminated by an immovable object, aka, the ground. :p You are right, probably not worth worrying about my use as a sport flyer. Its the syndrome where you forget that "the perfect is the enemy of the good enough". Great looking kit as is and I will build and fly it soon! Thanks.

[Pumper34x]

QUOTE "I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by not switching to Geico!"

Wheres the "puke" smiley LOL

I'm reading the posts with utmost concern and looking for knowlegde :rolleyes: :D

LOL nice one