Composite construction

[Elwyn Aud]

I'm trying to get this all straight in my head. What materials would be included when talking about composite construction? Carbon Fiber, plastic, fiber-glass, foam, others? What would non composite include? Wood, metal, various coverings like silkspan, etc.

[Mark Scarborough]

Actually, by definition, a balsa silkspan wing is a composite structure, as is a foam core sheeted wing.
however, typically people are refering to composite construction as either molded or vacuum bagged components,,either epoxy and glass, or epoxy and CF

[David M Johnson]

What Mark said!
David Johnson

[Elwyn Aud]

Thanks much.

[Steve Helmick]

Dang. This thread died way too young. Basically, I'd say that "composite" means the combination of two or more materials into a sammich (sic) to optimize the structure. Such as, for example, "laminated dog crap", or just one layer with an epoxy binder.   Steve

[Mark Scarborough]

Steve, come on now, we all know you just posted so you could quote the "laminated dog crap" line,, sheesh

basically the definition for a composite structure is the combination of two dissimilar materials used to create a matrix which takes advantage of the best of each materials properties,,
or according to Wiki-know-it all,,
composite materials are,,,, engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or microscopic scale within the finished structure.


oddly enough no mention of laminated dog crap or even multilayered dog crap,, was listed,, there was not even any mention of dog crap in a paper bag on the porch lit on fire,, perhaps you should do your civic duty in your retirement time, and update the wikipedia definition to more accuretly define this?

[Mark Scarborough]

Steve O ,,
in case you want to update the listed definition,,( or incase you normal folks should want to look at it yourself) here is a hotlink to the site,,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_material
It is fairly comprehensive in talking about quite a few different applications. Interesting reading for sure,,

[Tim Wescott]

oddly enough no mention of laminated dog crap or even multilayered dog crap,, was listed,,

Mark, you weren't persistent enough.  Just one click away is the page for perhaps the oldest composite material known to man, Wattle and daub: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattle_and_daub. 

Wattle and daub (or wattle-and-daub) is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw.

[RandySmith]

Dang. This thread died way too young. Basically, I'd say that "composite" means the combination of two or more materials into a sammich (sic) to optimize the structure. Such as, for example, "laminated dog crap", or just one layer with an epoxy binder.   Steve

Now Steve  it seems that to be a real composite..the laminated dog crap would need another substance in the matrix of the composite...maybe with bounty towels...
birch ply....saran wrap....or such.. :-)

Randy

[Mark Scarborough]

Mark, you weren't persistent enough.  Just one click away is the page for perhaps the oldest composite material known to man, Wattle and daub: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattle_and_daub. 

Wattle and daub (or wattle-and-daub) is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw.

Tim
again well played,, I missed that, however I did see the reference within the host article regarding wattle and daub, however I am not so sure that it qualifies as actual LAMINATED dog crap,, its more a semi homogonious mixture  rather than a strict lamination. As you know, laminations are represented by striations of material, Whereas Wattle and Daub is not a lamination but rather matrix similar to an epoxy and resin matrix,,

[Tim Wescott]

True.  But if you used two layers of wattle, with daub (made, of course, from dog dung), then it would be "laminated dog crap" in the same way that we might talk about "laminated epoxy composite".

[john e. holliday]

No wonder you guys are not ready to fly yet.   Spring will be here before we know it and I will still be working on a canopy.  Have went thru two bottles already and am going to try a smaller bottle.

[Mike Griffin]

Hey Derek !!!  They are using your quote again about the dog crap......better jump in here.....

Mike

[Geoff Goodworth]

May I be permitted to return to Elwyn's question for a moment?

If you apply Mark's definition strictly, applying glass or carbon fibre to the nose of a model is composite construction.

Similarly, I regard Dee Rice's very clever moulded balsa skin wings that were written up in Flying Models a couple of years ago as composite construction as well.

[Mark Scarborough]

Geoff, technically, silkspan over balsa with dope is a composite construction method..

[Geoff Goodworth]

Agree, Mark. 

[Steve Helmick]

Exactly.