John PA

LOL!!!!!! Thanks a bundle. That was great! Thanks again to everyone. I am feeling very confident about glass. If I had to use metal to get a good aircraft, I probably would not build. I have a set of Sonex plans here at the house (borrowed), and while it looks like a perfectly good airplane, building it does not look like much fun. John

I've also heard that there are forward visibility issues with the verieze during taxi.

Sounds great to me! I would go for a varieze over a long-ez. I just want something fast, small, and cheap.

Jon Macho I'm still looking on the net for that video of Rutan jumping on a wing. Gotta see that! Thanks for the foam info. Argoldman Solid points on the extensive use of composites in GA aircraft. mac790 Thanks for the long ez POH tip. Seems like delaminations are perfectly repairable. And I will be very careful about the allergy issue. I remember hearing that before. Has anyone here had to scrap a glass plane, or know anyone who has had to scrap a glass plane because it was delaminating, or cracking? How about massive damage due to heat or sun? Experiences?

Bummer!! I just learned of roughriver this week. Oh well. Thanks for the tips. I'll look into them all. John

It really sounds like there are just a lot of valid arguments for all types of construction. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I have been reading extensively on the net about types of foam PVC, polyurethane, polystyrene, and different glasses and epoxies. I'm fairly decided that I want to try my hand at a composite plane. In honesty, I really hate aluminum construction. I've been helping on a friends Sonex. It's just not me. Too confined. Too rigid. Glass is more "open" or "free". Now on to deciding what airplane to build. Thanks everyone for your input. You have been very helpful. John

macleodm3 & bearair, thanks for the tips! Does anyone have info on the foam changes made since the early varieze that Jon mentioned earlier. I'm interested to know how this has improved sine the early days.

I'm considering my options in building a plane and a long-ez or a varieze are on my list. However I have never had the opportunity to ride in one of these, so I have no idea what they are really like. I'm not asking to pilot your aircraft, just to go for a short ride. I'll buy the gas and take you to lunch. Anyone in Redding CA? Or anywhere in northern CA? Thanks. John

I'm now finding more stuff on the internet regarding this issue. Good stuff! But if you have anything to add or links to share, please do. Thanks, John

Yes, even my Sonex friend who has extensive experience at metal building, is very supportive of my glass desires. While he has encouraged me in the metal direction, he has been very clear that he will support me on a glass project.

Thank you all for your responses. Some very good arguments. Jon I am curious about the changes in in glass construction techniques since the 70's. It sounds like we can now build better glass airplanes. Is there anywhere I can read up on these changes? Did a google search with little success. Another argument I've heard in favor of metal is that with a glass design, you loose your resale value as compared to metal. I guess buyers shy away from glass. At this point, in order to sway me away from glass, I will need to hear from a former glass builder who says "been there, done that. It was a bad idea." I am still on the fence here. I need to do some reading. Any articles or studies that I can be pointed to would be very helpful. Thanks!

I love the concept of glass/foam construction. But it is my understanding that it does not have the longevity of aluminum and you must hangar a glass aircraft to avoid sun and heat damage. I'm sure this is an age old argument. But I am trying to decide between the two. A friend of mine building a Sonex offered me some pretty convincing arguments in favor of a metal aircraft. Some thoughts please? Thanks!

I have a large scale cnc router system. Lately I've been pondering using it to create hot wire templates. I have not started on it yet. What do you do in cnc?

Newbee here. I live in California and I am a wood flooring contractor. I also own a company manufacturing ventilation registers for laminate floors. I work a lot of hours, and if that changes any time soon I hope to start building.