Weight saving exercise.

I have to begin making a few decisions on how to drop a few pounds (off my
butt and my airplane!)
For one, I'm considering making the composite tank as outlined in Tony
Bengelis' book. This would be the foam/glass sandwich he describes. Questin
is, is it lighter than the aluminum tank specified in my plans? I'm sure
part of it is how much resin you lather on, but is it possible to save a
couple of pounds here? Leaving the wieght aside, it's an attractive looking
propostion. By the way, the tank is a removable wing tank, about 4'by 2' by
5".
Next, what's the lightest practical covering? Biplane, weighs about 1450
lbs, redlines at 150 mph. In other words, what's the lightest system for a
cub type machine?
Finally, Wheels and brakes. They need to be reasonably robust and the plans
call for cessna type axles, wheels and brakes, but can imake any
significant savings by subsitituting something else? I don't want to put
plastic wheelbarow whels on , by the way! I'm talking about maybe
substituting cub, luscombe,whatever might be suitable which will give me a
few pounds.
any suggestions aobut these or any other tricks anyone might know greatly
appreciated!

Hi,

I don't think you save weight by using glass/foam, maybe if you use the
Kevlar/glass combo fabric.

For wings use dacron 2,4 oz and not to much paint.

use a wood or composite prop not aluminum

for the rest of the body, use meat, fat, egg, fish, vegetable, fruit.
stay out of rice, potatoes, pasta, bread (Atkinson method)

Jan Carlsson
www.jcpropellerdesign.com


"Fortunat1" skrev i meddelandet
...
I have to begin making a few decisions on how to drop a few pounds (off my
butt and my airplane!)
For one, I'm considering making the composite tank as outlined in Tony
Bengelis' book. This would be the foam/glass sandwich he describes.
Questin
is, is it lighter than the aluminum tank specified in my plans? I'm sure
part of it is how much resin you lather on, but is it possible to save a
couple of pounds here? Leaving the wieght aside, it's an attractive
looking
propostion. By the way, the tank is a removable wing tank, about 4'by 2'
by
5".
Next, what's the lightest practical covering? Biplane, weighs about 1450
lbs, redlines at 150 mph. In other words, what's the lightest system for a
cub type machine?
Finally, Wheels and brakes. They need to be reasonably robust and the
plans
call for cessna type axles, wheels and brakes, but can imake any
significant savings by subsitituting something else? I don't want to put
plastic wheelbarow whels on , by the way! I'm talking about maybe
substituting cub, luscombe,whatever might be suitable which will give me a
few pounds.
any suggestions aobut these or any other tricks anyone might know greatly
appreciated!

"Jan Carlsson"
:

Hi,

I don't think you save weight by using glass/foam, maybe if you use
the Kevlar/glass combo fabric.

For wings use dacron 2,4 oz and not to much paint.

use a wood or composite prop not aluminum

for the rest of the body, use meat, fat, egg, fish, vegetable, fruit.
stay out of rice, potatoes, pasta, bread (Atkinson method)


He he, thanks,.

I've been poking around th eAircraft Spruce site trying to figure out how
much a bare composite tank is and it loks to be almost exactly the same as
an aluminum one. I might still do it because I don't realy want to build an
aluminum one and the composite loks easy. The prop's a done deal, though,
Fairly large Ham Standard ground adjustable! Very heavy. If I don't get the
performance out of it, I might try a wooden one though if this one doesn't
work out. The fabric and finish sound god though!

thanks

("Jan Carlsson" wrote)
use a wood or composite prop not aluminum

I went to your site. Why not aluminum?


for the rest of the body, use meat, fat, egg, fish, vegetable, fruit.
stay out of rice, potatoes, pasta, bread (Atkinson method)


Good Friday ....McDonald's $1.00 fish sandwich ...w/cheese


Montblack - raised Catholic

To save weight, if an alu prop weight 30 lb. a birch will be 7 lb., mahogany
5.5 lb.

for efficiency, use the aluminium!

Jan Carlsson
www.jcpropellerdesign.com


use a wood or composite prop not aluminum

I went to your site. Why not aluminum?


for the rest of the body, use meat, fat, egg, fish, vegetable, fruit.
stay out of rice, potatoes, pasta, bread (Atkinson method)


Good Friday ....McDonald's $1.00 fish sandwich ...w/cheese


Montblack - raised Catholic

To save weight, if an alu prop weight 30 lb. a birch will be 7 lb.,
mahogany
5.5 lb.

for efficiency, use the aluminium!

Jan Carlsson
www.jcpropellerdesign.com


Aluminum will weigh 5 x the mahogany? Wow.

At 100-110 mph how much (WAG) efficiency would the wooden prop lose, on say
an Ercoupe?

What's the cost difference between aluminum and wooden props?

Why do people buy birch instead of mahogany?

Cool, a prop person g


Montblack

"Montblack" wrote in message
...

Aluminum will weigh 5 x the mahogany? Wow.

Specific gravity of Aluminum = 2.7
Specific gravity of Mahogany = ~.5

What's the cost difference between aluminum and wooden props?

New Ed Sterba Birch prop ~ $600. New Sensenich Aluminum $2,000. These are
rough figures.

Why do people buy birch instead of mahogany?

Birch has a specific gravity ~ .7 and is a lot stronger per pound than
Mahogany when used for a prop.

Rich S.

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
To save weight, if an alu prop weight 30 lb. a birch will be 7 lb.,
mahogany
5.5 lb.

for efficiency, use the aluminium!

Jan Carlsson
www.jcpropellerdesign.com


Aluminum will weigh 5 x the mahogany? Wow.

At 100-110 mph how much (WAG) efficiency would the wooden prop lose, on
say an Ercoupe?

What's the cost difference between aluminum and wooden props?

Why do people buy birch instead of mahogany?

Cool, a prop person g


Montblack

The wood prop is probably 3 to 5 percent less efficient, especially in
climb.

A new sensenich wood prop is about $1500. A metal prop is twice that.

Birch is more readily available and stronger and cheaper. Aircraft mahogany
is real hard to come by any more. It has to be real mahogany, not "luan" or
some other tropical wood that looks sort of like mahogany.

Highflyer
Highflight Aviation Services
Pinckneyville Airport ( PJY )

"Jan Carlsson"
:

To save weight, if an alu prop weight 30 lb. a birch will be 7 lb.,
mahogany 5.5 lb.

for efficiency, use the aluminium!


Well, in this case the prop would be very efecient indeed. It's a 76 inch
ground adjustable Ham Standard with a very nice section. That menas, of
course, that I can screw around with the pitch to get the perforamnce I
need.

Wood or Metal is also a q of balance, if the plane tend to be tail heavy a
metal prop is better then adding weight, or the other way if...

The hollow steel prop that is/was on Stearman was/is noticeable more
efficient then the common replacement Sensenich wood.

Beach, Ash or Beech is very strong to weight, a mahogany with a lot of clear
coats is a perfect thing to make the other plane owners being jealous.

Jan Carlsson
www.jcpropellerdesign.com

"Fortunat1" skrev i meddelandet ...
"Jan Carlsson"
:

To save weight, if an alu prop weight 30 lb. a birch will be 7 lb.,
mahogany 5.5 lb.

for efficiency, use the aluminium!


Well, in this case the prop would be very efecient indeed. It's a 76 inch
ground adjustable Ham Standard with a very nice section. That menas, of
course, that I can screw around with the pitch to get the perforamnce I
need.