argoldman

The real question is does the wire heat up.

PAf, The above figure, I believe is for the plane and engine. A good way to determine the value of a project is to look at the cost of the materials that have gone into it (cost available from ACS by chapter) and go up or down from there. If you are interested in buying a project, or aircraft, for that matter, find someone really familiar with the CO, LONG, Veri--EZs so that a proper prebuy inspection can be done.

It really depends on what your mission is. If you fly alone, either one would suffice. If you fly with another, how does he/she like the view of the back of your head. Perhaps not being able to share the visual aspect of communication is a plus, in some relationships. The Q bird is a side by side plane. It has, with both seats occupied, little room for baggage. If you consider this bird, also consider a dragonfly. Similar, a little more cheek room (face not butt) in that the canopy shape is more square. It is slower but is lands slower. The V-E, being tandem may get tedious for a frequent back seat flyer, I personally get pleasure seeing the reactions of my passengers as I fly. I don't know if baggage pods can be put on the V-E. Depends on what you like (and how much elbow room you need)

No repair to a glass aircraft is specifically terribly difficult, assuming you know how it was originally built and good glass repair techniques. Glass, fiber orientation and margin coverage are all vital. One difference between the Q birds and the dragonfly wings is that the Q wings are permanently glassed into the airframe. The dragonfly wings are attached much the way of our canards in cozy land, ie tabs and bolts. What would be involved is cutting the old wing off and grafting a new one on in its place. Recommended tools would be a Fein Multimaster and a Rotozip (dremmel on steroids.) Get a set of plans so that you know the fiber layup schedule and fiber type and direction.

Almost right, My Mann, The idea is to keep the wing and it's ailerons flying and acting properly in all conditions and never achieve the angle of attack at which it would stall. As was mentioned before it is the angle of attack, not the airspeed that controls stall. The canard is scheduled to stall at a lesser angle of attack than does it's attached wing. In the typical canard "stall" there is really not much of an airspeed increase, if any, however the canard, when reaching its stall angle of attack will stall, the plane, rotating around the C/L of the still flying wing will decrease the angle of the canard, to the air stream (relative wind) bringing it back to the realm of the flying.

Swing wing cozy, anybody????

Right hand sticks are good as long as you are left handed or never plan to write down a clearance or anything else for that matter. When this becomes a necessity, you, unless you are ambidextrous will have to grab the stick cross chest (dicy at best), keep the plane under control, and copy the clearance, draw your lines on the chart or readjust yourself. If you consider a store built aircraft, stick or yoke, you normally fly the plane with your left hand for this reason. Southpaws need not apply Rich

Talk about slim pickins------- I look forward to hearing from you

My project is at Kenosha Wi (ENW) just north of the IL/WI border

Welcome to the fold, fellow Illinoisian. I am in the Chicago area (Up north to you-- sans Miegs field) If you are ever in the area, give me an e-. I look forward to meeting you at OSH.

It seems like we are making a wing out of a canardhill here. While there is no problem purchasing the cores,(which I highly recommend), hot wiring is quite simple, and quite rewarding. The thimble (bobbin) thechnique seems great, however with that little chunk of metal there, it will be difficult to accurately tell the wire position on the template. Positional relationships are important, and critical on corners, such as spar cutouts. Additionally, the inner flange of the bobbin must ride between the template and the foam tending to either crush the foam there, inadvertently ride high or move the template away from the foam. Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time (yet). It seems as if, with the exception of no-one being available to handle the other side of the saw (On my dragonfly, I used my 11 yr old son), the problem you(s) are having is with the selection of the template material, and the finish on the edges. Whether it be masonite, metal or even formica, the edges must be smooth and polished with no nicks. If the edges are not smooth or benicked you will have problems. If you are going into production, by all means use a thick wire as wear does have it's say, however with the relatively small amount of hot sawing you will do on your wings and canard, it is really unnecessary. Get to know the process. It is not as daunting as it seems. Thousands upon thousands of wings, etc have been made successfully by it's technique. For my dragonfly, I used thick safety wire. I made little handles (1"dowells center drilled), which I placed on the wire and orentated them just outboard of the templates during the cutting. I suspended the saw from a counterweighted pulley affair from the ceiling to make it almost weithtless and guided the cut using these little handles. It's fun and when you see the shaped chunk of foam you produced, with so little effort, it gives you a real shot in the wing.

So Ken, What is really holding you up??????

It is with the 285, don't know about the 335. I don't know where I read it, possibly the data sheets from MSG, but I remember not to do it, even though I hadn't planned on it. Sorry I can't be more specific. A call to the MGS distributor will probably clear up that questioin

Yes,Phil there is an epoxy pumpaclaus. you can adjust the ratios using a pump by the following method. Keep a small amount of your desired "hardener" mixture in the reservoir of the pump. As you get more experience with the pump, you will know the amount to keep there. When you want to change the ratios just add more "hardener" in the ratio that you want using slightly more of one or the other to compensate for the small amount of improper ratio which still remains in the pump. Stir the new mixture with a chopstick or similar. You can fully load the clear resin (part A). In actuality, you will settle on a specific ratio that you find works well for you for most parts and only in specific incidences will you want to change it. Do not ever use only slow hardener. I understand this yields a more brittle cured epoxy

Joe, Your experience with the dragonfly will serve you well. In that case start anywhere you want to. One thing I would suggest is to do some of the bulkheads and get used to the handling properties of the MGS. You will love the way it wets out. HOWEVER, because you have the ability to control the setting speed by adjusting the ratios of the hardeners, best to learn the ratios that you need to do various types of layups. I use only a fifty-fifty mix (of fast to slow hardener), and it has served me well (after a short learning curve). I have to admit that I chickened out and had Dennis Oelmann build my wings. I want to be young enough to fly the beast when I finish it. However the 50/50 mix would set way to quickly for that procedure. From my memory, the aeropoxy has a relatively long pot life. at 50/50 the pot life seems to be, in 70 degree temps, about 20 min (you must work fast) In higher temps, even less. Much of this has to do with the bulk of epoxy in the pot, as if you do layups on a table (with plastic, such as tapes, etc) once wet out, they can sit and be supple for an hour or so (again dependent on ambient temp.) There is one main difference between the Cozy wing and the Dragonfly wing and that is the spar caps. The d-fly caps used carbon tows, relatively easily wet out while the cozy uses what appear to be fiberglass ropes. Having used them in other applications on the plane, they are harder to wet out than were the carbon caps so factor that into your timing. I found that the ease of wet-out of the MGS to much more than compromise for the downside.

Joe, The skills needed to properly build a composite aircraft are not difficult in themselves. However, like any skill, they are not a natural part of our existence and must be learned. there are many things that you will learn by doing the glassing, many mistakes, many OH SHI*S (for those faint of ear). So much better to do them on the bulkheads, seat back and easily done lay ups which have a relatively low cost of redoing, or are not as critical with respect to excellent lay ups as are the wings, nor do you have any huge time investment in those individual pieces as you would have in the wing. In short, start with the simple bulkheads and work yourself up to the more complex structure. Ultimately, doing it this way, you will save yourself a great amount of time and $$. The plans are generally written to expand your skills as you go forward. Now, if you have a lot of glass aircraft building experience, start anywhere you want. Read the plans carefully to determine if a piece that you intend to build must be custom shaped to another piece before glassing. Good luck with your project.

Greetings Joe, It's good to be able to physically be able to work on a new project. The remains of the dragonfly are in the hanger next to the new thing sprouting wings. Now to epoxy. In my dragonfly I used a variety of epoxies starting with safe-t-poxy, and finishing up with Aeropoxy. I found aeropoxy to be a good product with the exception of its viscosity, which made the wetting out of the cloth more difficult (although I didn't see it as such since I had not used other easier to use products.) Because of it's viscosity, it was easy to incorporate tiny air bubbles into the mix, which, by the way, would disappear as it was being used. The color was great, and the smell acceptable (somewhat sweet, from what I remember.) I started using MGS 285 system because it "seemed like the thing to do" with the cozy crowd. The material is virtually orderless (unless you directly smell the "hardener") The material has very low viscosity, mixes well and is a dream to use. It wets out fabric very easily. I use a 50/50 mix of hard to slow "hardener" but you can adjust the cure time by adjusting the ratios. I really like the stuff. I went to the Arocanard factory to make my parts in their molds and we used EZ-poxy-- smelly, viscous, dark in color, and not nearly as easy to use as MGS. I couldn't wait to get back to my hanger and get back to MSG. When MSG became unavailable, I switched to Pro-set. This material was probably the best wetter-outer of the group but the setting time was longest, about 24 hours or slightly more. MSG as mixed above was ready to sand at 12 hrs. I finished my one gallon of Pro-set, was then able to get MSG and that's what I will finish my plane with. Being located in Canada, you will not have the kind of problems with shipping, etc., that we have. I like the stuff. I suggest you use a pump for dispensing.

I started with the same type of fan in my basement window, I found that it was inadequate (or at least my wife said so due to the smell). I replaced it with a window exhaust fan (can't remember the size although it was the biggest that would fit in the window. That was excellent. There was one problem, however, that didn't show it's face (or other part of it's anatomy) until the winter. When I lit the pilot for my heating system and cycled the furnace, flames shot out of the back of the unit. I quickly shut the heat off and the flames disappeared. Trying it again. I got the same result and surmised that something was wrong. we called a chimney person in, and he came to the conclusion that the chimney had a reverse draft and would have to be dismantled and rebuilt. We were not amused. It all of the sudden hit me that the window fan in the workshop was drawing air, not only from the house, but was drawing air down the chimney. Shutting it off cured the chimney back draft problem. Thereafter, I opened a basement window to replace the air being exhausted. Could you resend the email about the epoxy, things have been rather hectic here lately-- I fired my assistant/office manager and have been running things myself for the last couple of weeks and much has slipped away.

Richard, It is possible that your wing will fit out of your basement. I built my dragonfly wings in my basement, as a matter of fact, I built all of the fuselage parts in the basement and assembled most of them in the garage. HOWEVER............. Getting the parts out may be a problem based on how deep in the ground your windows are, their width. and available height plus the angle that the part has to be to get it out of the window. What I did was to build light mock-ups of the parts with which I had concern and successfully tried to get them out of the windows. Once success was suspected, I merrily went along my way to build the wings/ canard. When it came time to get them out of the basement, I hadn't considered the actual thickness of the wings and when trying to get them out of the windows, through the window wells, the angle necessary to clear caused the part of the wing that was in the basement to jam against the floor while the outside part jambed against the window well and the top of the window frame. Frustrated, I was just about to rent a jack hammer and make clearance when my 11 yr old son looked at the situation and said, "just dig some dirt away from the back of the window well, make two vertical cuts, bend the tab thus created down, and thus gain the vertical space necessary." After thinking, " go away, kid, you bother me." I reconsidered and indeed extricated the wings in that fashion. Make sure that you have adequate ventilation pumping air outside. That epoxy can be nasty stuff (mgs not withstanding)

Looks great. The first thing you have to do is get rid of that manual nose gear mechanism and replace it with an electric. From those pix, the workmanship seems to be good. The fuselage seems to be in the proper place in your house, in the living room! My Aerocanard SX kit is on its wheels, two years into construction with about 8 months left to go. If you need any clarification, give me a shout. Perhaps if somebody gives me some dual on posting pix on the web, I can get some posted.

Because there are two winglets, rigidly connected to each other and producing lift opposite "lift" toward each other, one explanation might be the same force vector that exists when you squeeze a watermelon seed. Slurp

Greetings Capt. Hook, The aerocanard disks are a record of Jeff building, what seems like, 3 different aerocanards from kits. Because the tapes are not shot in a linear fashion, following any single part (with few exceptions) is difficult--no, chaotic-almost schizophrenic, as the part may start its manufacture in disk 3 and finish in disk 7. The quality and audio is more than acceptable, although not professional. As things are being discussed, air compressors cycle, phones ring, rain pours on the hanger roof, and Jeff's cat even makes an appearance. These disks are a must for anybody considering the Kit, or any of the major kit components. As a matter of fact, many times the material on the disk is much clearer than the instructions, although you need both. For those building from plans, the disks will be beneficial, although no as much so as for the kit or with some prefab parts. Viewing the disk set, it is very easy to get lulled into seeing how easy it is to build these beasts, and how short a time it will take to accomplish a specific task. When Jeff does it, everything fits perfectly the first time. What takes him 10 minutes to do on disk, will take you, and probably him, off disk, 3 days. Additionally, the disks are not a complete record, Some non-major tasks are omitted I give the disks 3 1/2 canards up (out of 5).

......mike, I agree with trying to get the materials at the minimum cost. Years ago, when Burlington Mills tried to "horn" in on Hexel's grip on the rutan-type fiberglass market, large hues and cries went up by---Mr Rutan including the threat to ACS, I believe that if they carried the product, that He would withdraw his support for their supplying EZ material. I also believe the same letter was sent to Wicks. (this was about 20 years ago). I got the Burlington stuff for my dragonfly As you might know, the plans developers or rights holders got, and possibly still get a percentage of the sales from items ordered for a specific aircraft. (that's why they ask you what kind of aircraft you are building). This represents a good chunk of change worth protecting. In those days, the Burlington weave was sold by a company called Alpha plastics, I believe Ira Hale was the owner. He didn't pay off and passed the savings to his customers. War ensued but finally calmed down. Alpha plastics was bought by another company, and that company was bought by, I believe ACS. (interesting how these things go around) That being said, make sure that you know the supplier of the material that you are buying from. When a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is. Fiberglass is treated with a chemical coating which is the intermediary between the epoxy and the glass. (epoxy will not stick to the raw glass). This is a fairly fragile coat and can be destroyed by moisture. I'm not sure what the shelf life of the coating, if any, is. If you get your glass from a supplier that moves great quantities of the stuff, you will probably be OK, but if you get yours from a place that found a roll in the back and wants to unload it at a "sacrificial price" Beware. Epoxy doesn't seem to have a shelf-life, however the way it is stored might make a difference. Additionally, the suppliers usually get the stuff in large quantities and fill small containers for sale. Can you be certain that you are getting the exact material that you are ordering, or is it somehow "expanded" to maximize profit. The homebuilt world is full of many sharks, both in plans and material suppliers. Just be aware of from whom you are buying. Balance the potential savings (in % of total project cost) against the potential downside. Enjoy your build and education.

Has anybody thought about slipping a large hose clamp around the lower body of the filter to act as a wire-ty fixation point? The clamp can be reused, practically forever, on successive filters.

Greetings Big, If you have the saw that came with your unit and have ordered other blades, your blad stock will probably outlast the project. The plain steel ones seem to last forever themselves. The little triangular sanding pads are a different story. They are plastic velcro type material. One of the advantages of the unit is that it is a powerful sander, which you will see, however along with that comes creation of heat which, in the corners, if used heavily, melts the plastic and you then get less adhesion of the sandpaper and have to replace the pads ( I think I get 2 for about $13) If they have a metal pad with adhesive paper, that might be a better deal. Even though the cost is greater than I would like, The tool is so great that I am willing to put up with it.