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Old 11-15-2011, 07:18 PM   #11 (permalink)
Rokeby
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As to how the prototype chassis was to be skinned, apparently just like most
of the aircraft of the time, 1923. Extracted from the link in the OP:

"Intended to be skinned with fabric, the single prototype (with its
visible workings) was offered to car manufacturers but ultimately refused
due to R&D cost."


FWIW, from Wiki:

Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by
using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss
that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork. The term is
also used to indicate a form of vehicle construction in which the body and
chassis form a single unit. The word monocoque comes from the Greek for
single (mono) and French for shell (coque). The technique may also be called
structural skin, stressed skin, unit body, unibody, unitary construction, or
Body Frame Integral. Pure monocoques lack internal longitudinal stiffening
but are heavier as a result.[citation needed] A semi-monocoque differs in
having longerons and stringers.[2] Structures built up from hollow tube
frames, such as bicycles are not usually monococques as the primary
stresses are not applied to the surface of the tube, but rather to the ends.

Monocoque construction was pioneered in boats, such as with the Viking
Longship and the Amerindian Canoe where it offered the low structural weight
neccessary in vessels that were frequently expected to be beached or carried
or portaged overland.

Modern use of moncocoque structures in other applications began in aviation
where pioneers used their experience in boatbuilding to provide the
necessary structures. Early designs appeared in 1912 such as the
Deperdussin Monocoque, and had found widespread use by the late 1930s
when it was applied to metal structures such as on the Douglas DC-3.
Automobiles used monocoque designs as early as 1923 but widespread
adoption did not begin until the second half of the 20th century.

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