How would You Do this?

[freebeard]

Lots of info out there on using wood veneer: compound curved plywood

I just spent an hour trying to find a picture of a revere trike built in Czechoslovakia that used a sailplane canopy for the top. My .jpgs are in disarray.

Anyway, I showed this to aerohead in another thread and he sounded very knowledgeable about the *concrete* forms needed.

The Hughes Sportster

[ron]

hey I have an idea. now that you have pictured that row boat. how about using a kayak as the starting platform (rotational molded) old ones are cheep, aerodynamic and from 9-15ft long

[aerohead]

From Ohio it wouldn't be that far to Oshkosh,Wisconsin and the Experimental Aircraft Association's big annual AirVenture ,each summer.
They conduct free clinics which include English-wheeling and planishing of annealed aluminum sheet.
It would be another way to achieve very thin-walled skin for the trike.

[a8ksh4]

This guy makes moulding w/ fiberglass look really easy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXzR1...feature=g-hist

Whatever you do this time around, you can always hack on it and go crazy w/ body filler to produce your next rev and make it really light and smooth.

[namenerb]

Google Dick Kincheloe Raptor. I got to take a ride in it last year; he did a beautiful job on the body, etc. Lots of fiberglass with carbon fiber wings and joint strengthening. There is probably a link to contact him somewhere and I believe he has a web site up. He seemed very amiable to sharing info on his methods, etc. He had built aircraft previously with similar materials and methods.

[Xist]

Eighteen kilograms, that is forty pounds or less!

How much would it weigh with coroplast?

[matt_savage31]

Look into Airplane building techniques for fuselages they combine the same principles and shapes you are looking for. They have D.I.Y. Airplane plans online you could maybe look and get some ideas for material or shapes

[Smurf]

HydroJim, have you made any further plans or decisions or thoughts on this subject?

You could also do a "deep dish full belly pan", similar in design to those snow floormats for trucks with the 2" walls. Completely enclose the bottom, with a 4-6" lip around the vehicle, then you can jack it up under the vehicle to secure it. Put your "top body" overlapping the bottom lip so rain slides over. Smooth as a baby's bum.

[YeahPete]

If I were you I would make the mold out of foam. Make a scale model first so you can learn without spending too much $$. Measure twice cut once.

[justme1969]

looks like a upside down kayak. probblem solved and it would be thermoplastic more ridgid and lighter still.