- Posts: 123
- Thank you received: 0
I wouldn't use West Systems either I would use MGS, it has better viscosity and longer pot life and stays thin longer than any other. It's mechanical properties are better than Saf-T-Poxy. Or I might use ProSet (good enough for SpaceShip 1 good enough for me).
I probably wouldn't put a lot of stock in the "testing" that was done in the design of the Q1 back in the 70's. Have you seen their "wind tunnel"? There is a picture of it in the plans.
The load test was a bunch of guys standing on the wing. I don't recall reading, seeing or hearing about any destructive testing done either. Remember that composites were in their infancy at the time so everything was "experimental".
I would love to see Rutan's engineering notes on the Q1.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
I've seen some of the design sketches, but again those are a far cry from an engineering analysis. I'm not doubting his design ability in the slightest. What I am doubting is that anywhere near the analysis as what is done today was done in the mid 70's when the Q1 was designed. Testing is and was very expensive and Burt wasn't exactly rolling in the cash at that time. So a few tests of his fabrics were probably done and that data extrapolated into various designs. FEA was a long way off so computer modeling was out.
Without it the only real way to know the airframe capabilities at that time would have been destructive testing on a completed airframe. I just don't think that was ever done. And the car as a wind tunnel as far as I have read was done well after the kit was released into the wild and there were questions as to the performance hit of the canard with a rough/wet/dirty surface.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
The spreadsheet indicates there is an RAES and an RAEF resin, yet the plans indicate there is an RAE resin and you make it RAES (slow cure) and RAEF (fast cure) by adding either slow or fast hardener. I would guess the total amount of resin needed would be 8 gallons sum of the two different types on the spreadsheet, but that's just a guess. Then 7 quarts of fast hardener and 1 quart of slow. That last part seems backwards to me as after reading through the plans a couple of times the majority of the plane is both assembled and covered with slow cure.
Steve
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.