composite structures

[willib]

a little epoxy on styrofoam with a matrix of carbon fiber anchored at both ends

anything around a couple of pounds that you want to see it hold up?

[dinges]

Willib,

In my younger years I used to build model aircraft. The wings were made out of styrofoam, covered by balsawood. This sandwich structure was VERY strong! A 2cm thick wing (strengthened in the middle, where the two wing-sections joined, with a bit of glassfiber and epoxy) could easily carry my weight (say, 50-60kg at the time). Impressive eh?

Don't see myself making a prop in the same way we used to make wings, but will surely follow your experiments with interest.

Peter.

[willib]

hi Peter

this is the structure holding up a 32 fluid oz 946ml of resin

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/IM002078.JPG 71kb

the weight is 12.5N or 3.8lbs or 1.27kg

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/IM002079.JPG 67kb

[pickerol]

Hi Wilib

Nice piece of work. If you apply fibre as a skin that attaches to the carbon and foam you'll have a piece as strong as hard wood. I used wooden spars for my blades and I can hardly believe the strength...and very light-weight...makes for easy balancing. With carbon I think you can end up with something super-strong. Did you make your matrix from folded carbon fibre? I really like the foam method. My 5' NACA double foam blade (with proper root!) drives my genny better than the old 6.5' triple PVC blade.

Tom

[willib]

" Did you make your matrix from folded carbon fibre?"

no , i just used two threads for the long ones , the threads are made up of a

ka-zillion strands

definition : a ka-zillion is way too many to possibly count