"expresstechonsite" wrote

Ok... I'm sure most anyone that reads this will think I'm an idiot, but
I'm so curious...

Could I build an ultralight airframe from EMT (electrical conduit) from
the local hardware store?

And now for the REALLLY stupid question... what about using PVC tubing?

Nope, and nope.

Both are not suitable for a number of reasons. EMT steel has no quality
tracking. It has poor weight to strength; way too heavy. It also is
brittle after welding. You would have a very heavy airplane, if you
compared it to typical aircraft steel tube.

PVC pipe is also very weak, for the weight. Added to that, the only way to
join them is with fittings, which do not give you many angles to use, and
they are weak, and split. The glue bonds are unreliable. Also, most of the
larger sized PVC pipes are foam core, and that makes them very weak, also.

I think you can't see the forest for the trees. The structure of the
airframe is a small price of a finished aircraft; the wheels, engine,
instruments, hardware, covering, and all the small bits are going to cost
you much more than the structure, perhaps by 3 or 4 times. (just a quick
guess)
--
Jim in NC