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Rebuild classics in composite material

For a long time now I have had the idea that it might be fun to try to rebuild some old balsa planes I have had in composite versions. I would be curious to see how much stronger/lighter I can make the design by going to new materials but maintaining the same basic design. I still have the plans of several old planes that I have enjoyed to build from. Some of these are former gas powered designs that I might like to convert to electric so weight is key.

The basic idea is to replace any wooden dowel with a same diameter piece of carbon fiber tube. Replace any 1/8" balsa sheet with a piece of glass or carbon laminated 1/8" foam. etc.

Is this crazy or pointless?

If not, what would be the best way to create the carbon/foam/carbon laminate? I am thinking about maybe just using some of the carbon fiber laminate sold by ACP and using it to laminate the appropriate thickness foam using a very thin coat of epoxy to bond them into a panel under a bit of weight.

Reply to
Tracy R Reed
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The composite materials have a very different sort of strength from wood. I suspect that if you chose to replace sticks with sticks you'd either end up with something very heavy, or something that would shatter on the first hard landing.

I see people using carbon fiber, or carbon fiber, kevlar and fiberglass mixes over foam with great success. I think that's what you'd have to do

-- but then you'd get something that looks like CF over foam, not like balsa sticks covered by fabric.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

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