aero shape
 

The attached photo shows a piece of aluminum I bent and clamped together with a vise grip. It got me thinking about an aero envelope that would work similarly to a convertible top, where the ribs could fold together like the piece in the photo or be separated to create the foundation for an aero envelope when the aluminum strips acted like battens in a sail.

The individual aluminum strips could be connected at the front and rear, where slight differences in length would allow them to befolded together or unfolded into a very light aero shell.

The material is old road signs which are fairly plentiful at the metal recycling place I frequent. Cut into 1 to 2 inch strips they could be riveted or welded together to make almost any size.


regards
mech

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...8&d=1429757090

I think several people in the forum have used lattice type structures to at least get their form study started. Plastic, wood and aluminum are favorite materials.

Thin fan-fold sheet foam or fabric I supposed could form an outer skin.

EDIT:
The foam would of course have fiberglass and resin over it.

I only recently learned the elevator and rudder on a P47 (WW2 400 mph fighter) are fabric covered. Do a geodesic pattern like the WW2 era Vickers Wellingtons.

I still want to build a wing to replace the sail on my Naples Sabot, but probably just wishfull thinking.

regards
mech

aero shape
 

My neighbor,the late Bob Parsons,constructed the rotor and all control surfaces of his gyrocopter this way.
He pulled aluminum skin around a tubular spar (drilled/cleco'd/riveted) and then bonded and riveted the trailing edge.
Very light.He never completed it.His wife gave me the remains of the project,which I whittle away at over time.

A lot of WWII aircraft had fabric-covered control surfaces. I helped my grandfather rebuild the ones from the B-17 "Shoo Shoo Baby" that is currently at the Air Force Museum.

Note that these are not simple "sticks and rags". The fabric is "doped"--painted with a material that dries into a very hard and stiff piece. It does not fold easily or gracefully, but it does not flap in the wind either. I think that using un-doped fabric would lead to the material flapping, which wouldn't be so good for aero.

-soD

Pop flew a B17, 30 missions over Europe 12/24/43 to 6/6/44 (d-day). Even WW1 planes were capable of 6 g turns. A 47 in a dive coud probably exceed 600 mph.

Covering would be dependant on whether the structure was foldable or rigid. One thing that comes into mind is boat wrap for a rigid structure. For a floding structure some form of canvas or convertible top material.

regards
mech

[IMG][http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/shooky56/media/Rib%20problem%205_zpshwa0irj8.png.html][/IMG]
May need some help showing the link

This is the shape of a rib generated for a body for a recumbent.
Note that the top is wide at the shoulders and tapers toward the feet to minimize frontal area.

If you want to make hoops then make some wooden templates, get a good dead blow hammer or rubber mallet, and have at it. It will take a little practice to get used to the spring back of each material. Sheet metal workers use development drawings for ductwork which is similar to making a paper model or aircraft skin.

Like this?

http://photos.imageevent.com/motorbi...unRed-rear.jpg
http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/solar-powered-motorcycle.htm