True enough. Have you ever seen a rocket or sub munition penetrate reinforced concrete, e.g. runway busters?
For the most part, glassing is just a heavy method of finishing, but fiberglass, and other composite materials, can also be used to reduce airframe mass, by replacing more massive material.
Alan
That's quite a leap ? from discussing fiberglassing kraft cardboard tubes to buying fiberglass tubes. No one was talking fiberglass tubes.
Some people like to. I suppose it's like that other unnecessary step: painting.
"Chris Eilbeck" wrote > I've seriously thought about getting some of those chainmail gloves
Try kevlar gloves from Screwfix
Well if you paint it before you fly it, it's gonna spack. We see it regularly over here.
Chris
Sorry, I just associate Giant Leap with their tubing.
Chris
"Chris Eilbeck" wrote> Well if you paint it before you fly it, it's gonna spack.
I view bright paint as just as important as a screamer for recovery, if you cant find the rocket...
H10 points!
PML Quantum tube holds up very well. Most - maybe all PoleCat Aerospace kits come with glassed airframes.
Phil
No the spiral is supposed to be there. It's a design feature.
Phil
I like the quantum tubes and they do hold up pretty good to general abuse.
I've only had 2 failures with quantum tube but under those circumstances I doubt if even carbon fiber could've survived. One was a G80 cato in my PML IO and the other happened last July when a H180 decided to eject right after burnout in my Calistro.
The zipper on the Calistro is most impressive; went all the way down to the MM and stripped the chute but the rocket still came down in one piece :)
Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75
I know we're getting way off the OP's topic, but I'm not a fan of QT. I've built one rocket out of it and that was enough. I found it to be affected too much by the ambient temperature and in the summer all the phenolic couplers are too loose, conversely, in winter they're all too tight!
'Orrible stuff...
Cheers,
When you do away with the piston then QT is wonderful stuff :)
Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75
I love the stuff almost as much as fw fiberglass. Just to give the whiners a little something to talk about - I also like pistons - after I fit them correctly by sanding and I glass the inside of them.
Phil.
Bob did say "coupler" not "piston". :-)
Be that as it may, I'm surprised PML doesn't supply QT couplers (and pistons). Dissimilar materials in a close-tolerance fit is a terrible idea.
Is the nose cone fit in QT also subject to temperature? (I have no experience with QT.)
I never use pistons, I've never liked that idea. I won a PML Endeavour in a raffle earlier in the year. The OT and piston are getting chucked.
Cheers,
Each to their own Phil...
Cheers,
... then your radio tracker is broken.
Chris
Filament wound and convolute wound FG are two different things. One is s*it, the other isn't. Which is cheap and easily available?
Chris
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