soaring into the future

There are many well known ways to reduce the manufacturing costs of
composite structures. It just takes sophisticated tooling. The problem
with gliders is that no one design has ever been made in sufficient numbers
to justify the up-front costs of that tooling. The result is hand made, low
production rate gliders and high unit costs.

The big advantage of a "one-design" is not so much in leveling the playing
field in contests, it's the hope that the design can be made in large enough
numbers for a manufacturer to justify the costs of advanced manufacturing
methods.

The wingspan or whether a glider has flaps or retractable gear doesn't
matter very much if the numbers are there. The solution doesn't lie in
designing a small, simple glider, it lies in a design that satisfies a large
number of buyers. Find that design, build it in large numbers and the unit
costs can be very low.

For example, how many buyers are there for a brand new LS-4 selling for
$25,000 - quite a few I expect.

So, how do you get it started? Don't start a new competition class,
re-jigger an old one. For example, take the sports/club class and provide a
handicap advantage for the "one-design". Any pilot can still fly whatever
but the new design will have an advantage built into its handicap. Over
time, the population of the new design will increase until a real
"one-design" class emerges.

If the design is popular enough and the rules guarantee the handicap
advantage is permanent, the manufacturer may commit to the tooling and
processes that drive down the cost. Of course, you have to have a
commitment from the manufacturer that the price will follow costs down.
Maybe the handicap advantage is only available to gliders whose price is
less than a set figure.


Bill Daniels


"Shawn" wrote in message
. ..
Brad wrote:
Hi Shawn,

snip

I suspect the prepreg technique used in the Sparrowhawk is in the right
direction.

Here is disagree. Greg is fortunate to have use of the huge autoclave
at the Lancair/Columbia factory, I think.
Although Out of Autoclave could be done with the right tooling and
materials. But I think wet layup and vacuum bagging would be cheaper.

Agreed, I'm thinking to make a big dent in glider price (I'm in the
depressed Dollar US, and I *won't* buy a Chinese glider) the method of
manufacturing will have to be very different.
More composite manufacturers making aircraft and wind turbine parts might
make more autoclave space available. Heated molds are a possibility (read
about it on a wind turbine site). I suspect new composite technology is
coming along all the time (not my field). A fuselage formed by winding
carbon fiber tape around a male mold seems pretty straightforward, spars
too. I don't know if a wing could be made with a precise enough profile
in this way, interesting thought though. I know there are specialty
companies applying all sorts of new composite technology. Farming out
rather than investing in house might make a lot of sense in the small
numbers world of sailplane manufacturing. Save on tooling, benefit from
the sub's economy of scale. Certainly not business as usual in the glider
industry.

snip

P.S. Sorry that this is so disjointed, dinner's ready :-)

mines on hold.......had to take a dog to the vets......

Hope the pup's OK. Had to do this three weeks and four stitches to the
leg ago.


Shawn