Aerofoil construction

[Tainan]

Has anyone on here ever made an aluminium aerofoil (wing)? How's it done? I guess its quite difficult folding the aluminium smoothly over the formers.

[ascarracinguk]

depends on how thick the ally you are using is and what diameter you want the leading edge....secret is to make a really strong frame inside, with the cross section of the wing several times across the span ive built one with a 20mm leading edge with 0.5mm ally before and could just bend the ally around the form by hand, then rivit it into place..usually help if youve got 2 preople though, one do rivit and one to hold it in place..

[richard_sykes]

Try fibreglass?

Im going to make a carbon fibre diffuser in the next month!

Will post pictures of how, what etc etc!

Richard

[Tainan]

r_s: Can't use fibreglass - it has to be aluminium.
ascar: I was thinking along the same lines - the thinner the sheet, the easier it is to bend, but I guess its easy to crease too. All the same I think I'll give it a go - once I've got round to making the formers of course! I'm hoping to keep the frame as light as possible and fill it with foam - that's what's been done with my original. Good to hear you've done it that way - it gives me some hope!

[Bob Pearson]

We use grade NS4 Al/alloy 0.75mm thick. The choice of sheet grade and thickness depends , in part, on how much of the loads and any effects from shaking are being born by the surface of the wing. We found tha we could use SC1 ( which is almost pure aluminium) for the front wings with no structural failures, but if used on the rear wings would result in cracks

[Tainan]

Good point, particularly as mine's centre post mounted.