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Archive for January, 2013
Posted by Jim.Thompson | Jan 05, 2013 @ 02:39 AM | 18,755 Views
I layed up one fuselage yesterday and there is another in the mould today.
I have 25 psi pressure in the bladder and the excess resin is audibly being pushed out.
I had success with the orange coloured Bunnings drop sheet plastic for the bladder. I found out my accident that it does not even require the wing fillet silicone plugs in place to suppor the bladder. It is sufficiently stretchy enough.
This plastic welded very easily using an 80 watt iron with the tip shaped into a sharp cone. I can move along the seam quite quickly and where required, I will go over a stretch if there is some doubt about the seam integrity. I know I have it right when it tears freely from the waste edges.

This fuse is layed up as follows:

1 layer of 100 gsm plain weave glass fabric @ 0/90 orientation.
1 layer of 100 gsm plaind weave glass fabric @ 45/45 orientation.
1 layer of 200 gsm uni-directional glass @ 0 orientation.
1 layer of 76 gsm kevlar back to about half the fuse length.
Extra pieces of glass to face the wing fillets etc.
Extra Uni-glass @ 90 in the fin for stiffness.
Carbon tow in the wing root arris's.

Finished weight for the first one: 200 grams.
I mixed approx 100 grams of resin.

This fuselage is nice and stiff and quite light for the service it will be put too. Given that planks land hard and fast, I need them strong!

I'm pleased. I'll try another layup after this second one is out of the mould. Maybe with a layer of 165gsm crowfoot glass, one layer of the 100 on the bias, and a part layer of the uni.

Jim.