We're having a third day in a row of gorgeous weather!! It'll be about 70 degrees again today!

It's also snowing right now. Our fruitless apple/pear/cherry/whatchamacallit tree has blossomed. The bees are making quite a bit of noise, galavanting amongst the blooms, and the slightest hint of a breeze makes the white petals fall like snow. It's very pretty, but it's making a mess on the patio.

Originally Posted by kpeevyhouse

We're having a third day in a row of gorgeous weather!! It'll be about 70 degrees again today!

It's also snowing right now. Our fruitless apple/pear/cherry/whatchamacallit tree has blossomed. The bees are making quite a bit of noise, galavanting amongst the blooms, and the slightest hint of a breeze makes the white petals fall like snow. It's very pretty, but it's making a mess on the patio.

I've heard that referred to as a "petal storm."

Originally Posted by Lil Stinkpot

Owl, What's that gotta do with the GL?

Oops. When I think of you, Lil'.. I just think of your Gentle Lady. I plumb forgot it was the Radian being talked about!

The rocket booster would only be good for the initial climb. Sort of an epic hi-start. It's supposed to fall off after it reaches maximum height.

(Oh, by the way. . . I don't have a laser cutter. I found that picture online. )

Owl, forgiven, because of the laugh I got wih it.

It was somewheres in the 70s today. Absofreakinglutely gorgeous! I just spent the last few hours puttering around in the garden. It's getting brisk, time to go in and rebuild.

Mr. U.: darn! Well, still neat-o.
I decided finally to ditch the rocket booted idea. I'd have a tough time harnessing or at least negating the parachute blast, which left untamed would rip the motor mount off the plane. Any smaller rocket motor would t have enough oooomph to even launch the plane. IF I did anything, I'd make an EDF pod. Noisy, effective, cool looking. Draggy, though, unless retracted into a hidey-hole like some real sailplanes do.

Hmm... Monday not looking quite as good as I thought. I KNOW I've got pre-cut 1/2 x 1/8th inch trailing edge stock, but I'll be hornswoggled if I I can find it.

So, as of right now, I have a fuselage, that needs the boom hole(s) drilled larger, the boom cut to length, some tubing for push rods, a complete set of ribs cut, and dowel for the leading edge. Need to cut wing tips, tail planes (V-tail version), trailing edge, nose block. Guess I'm not going to glass the fuse right off, since that would take way longer than by tomorrow. Then I have to cover the wing and install all this .

Oh, yeah... I need to cut the carbon tubes for the spars. I have a 48-inch length 1/8th tube for it.

Originally Posted by Lil Stinkpot

. . . the parachute blast, which left untamed would rip the motor mount off the plane. . .

I'm not sure what a parachute blast is, but the motor is attached by a short pylon to keep it from damaging the plane. When the rocket deploys its recovery system, the recoil unhooks the booster pod and it falls away from the glider.

^ Or just use a plugged motor and it will not eject anything.

Originally Posted by TheNightowl

Hmm... Monday not looking quite as good as I thought. I KNOW I've got pre-cut 1/2 x 1/8th inch trailing edge stock, but I'll be hornswoggled if I I can find it.

So, as of right now, I have a fuselage, that needs the boom hole(s) drilled larger, the boom cut to length, some tubing for push rods, a complete set of ribs cut, and dowel for the leading edge. Need to cut wing tips, tail planes (V-tail version), trailing edge, nose block. Guess I'm not going to glass the fuse right off, since that would take way longer than by tomorrow. Then I have to cover the wing and install all this .

Oh, yeah... I need to cut the carbon tubes for the spars. I have a 48-inch length 1/8th tube for it.

Sounds like a good night to me!

I was going to spend the day building, but I went sloping instead. I'm glad that I did!
It's always good to get my flying fix.

Yo, peeps...

Who has a favorite adhesive for gluing the wing ribs to a carbon spar? I do not have any cyanoacrylate lying around, except tubes of plain old store-brand "crazy glue." Nothing specialized. And I really don't like using CA. But the ribs are going to be a very tight fit on the spar, and I don't know what other glue is even worth putting on it.

Thots?

I only use CA. Balsa + Carbon + CA = Not coming apart.
I guess you could use some thinned out epoxy. Hit the carbon with a quick pass or two of 220 grit, thin the epoxy 4:1 with denatured.. ???

Don't have any denatured alcohol to hand. Got some finishing resin epoxy that's pretty thin, made to wet out fiberglass, but that's about as thin as I'm going to have to hand any time soon.

The ribs are going to be glued to the LE and TE with carpenter's wood glue. The spar will be a tight fit. I don't "think" the ribs will be going anywhere, but I think it might be easy to twist the wing. *shrugs* Don't know. Haven't ever used a carbon tube for a spar before.

try it. can't hurt. better then wood glue

Why wouldn't the carpenters wood glue work on CF?

It isn't a huge plane btw.

If the "crazy glue" is the thin variety, not thick or gel, then it will work just fine. If in doubt, test it on a scrap cut-off piece of carbon tube and some scrap balsa.