First Practice Layup completed

[BelfryExpress]

I bought the kit from Aircraft Spruce and did the flat plate.

 

After the cut and weighing, 10.9 ounces. Top surface is a bit blotchy from the parchment paper I used to keep the dust from the garage off the layup, but other than that, nice, green and translucent.

 

 

This is all for building an Open EZ-ish plane. Going with a renisis engine with custom designed belly scoop so we can accomodate a properly sized radiator and full retract gear. Have no idea what to call it, but I'll figure it out

 

will defintiely take suggestions.

[TMann]

Are they still shipping that practice kit with West epoxy?

If so, don't forget it is not an approved epoxy for our aircraft.

[BelfryExpress]

Yeah, its still got the west system. I was never planning on using it

 

I was going to use the MGS 285 because of the higher post-cure glass transition temperature.

 

 

I am generally not all that impressed with the practice kit

 

the foam that came with the kit was 1 12"X12" square of the green urathane foam and 2 12X12" squares of the blue polystyrene

 

I'm trying to figure out how to cut a strip of foam 1.5" wide X 14" long out of a 12X12 inch piece of foam.

 

I actually figured it out, but I really didnt want to have to take a diagonal cut out of it

[Jason Heath]

I am generally not all that impressed with the practice kit

For what its worth, I noticed that the Chapter 3 practice kit on the ACS Cozy page Item# 01-00588 was $172.05, that didn't exist when I started my project (mumble) years ago but this did http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/practicekit.php and is half the price. Just curious as to what was included in the more expensive kit as the cheaper of the two has/had eveything needed to do the practice parts?

[Wayne Hicks]

West 105 Resin and 209 Hardener are approved, approved, approved for structural layups on our airplanes.

[TMann]

West 105 Resin and 209 Hardener are approved

Yes.....the problem is ACS ships 206 with the kit we are talking about. Because you get the RAF manual, the correct foam & fabric (all approved materials) it is easy to assume that they are giving you approved epoxy & hardener. Not the case.

[BelfryExpress]

For what its worth, I noticed that the Chapter 3 practice kit on the ACS Cozy page Item# 01-00588 was $172.05, that didn't exist when I started my project (mumble) years ago but this did http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/practicekit.php and is half the price. Just curious as to what was included in the more expensive kit as the cheaper of the two has/had eveything needed to do the practice parts?

 

Thats the thing, I didnt spend 170 on my kit, I spent about 85. It came with a large section of BID (unknown size, all folded up in a plastic bag), a large section of UNI (unknown size, again folded up in a large plastic bag), the west 206 system (looks to be the 1 qt size, maybe 1.75 qt), some stirring sticks, some wire, some 1/2in peel ply, a couple sets of rubber gloves, a large bag of flocked cotton, a large bag of micro baloons, 2 12X12X1" blocks of blue styrofoam and 1 12X12X1" block of green urethane foam

 

cutting the 1.5X14X1" block of foam for the confidence layup is gonna be fun.

[macleodm3]

Chapter 3 practice kit on the ACS Cozy page Item# 01-00588 was $172.05, that didn't exist when I started my project

Geesh! Thats getting very expensive for what amounts to some leftover scraps and some small cans of resin and hardener. Maybe somebody here could market a better paractice kit, for a better price. ALSO, you don't need the practice book if you've already got the plans to build (or the Aerocanard download plans Chapter 3).

[Jason Heath]

Geesh! Thats getting very expensive for what amounts to some leftover scraps and some small cans of resin and hardener. Maybe somebody here could market a better paractice kit, for a better price. ALSO, you don't need the practice book if you've already got the plans to build (or the Aerocanard download plans Chapter 3).

I don't know if you checked the link I gave, but the price of the practice kit is $79 and you can buy it without the book for $69 but if you haven't spent the $500 for the plans, then the book is invaluable, well, a $10 value :-) It was $49.95 when I bought it so yeah, it's gone up, but what hasn't? I was just curious if the $172 kit had some gold coins or a secret decoder ring that I needed to know about.

 

Actually I was trying to warn anyone that is paying attention, that there is a cheaper kit.