New Vector 40 build question

[Phil Coopy]

I'm building a new Vector 40 and shooting for minimum weight.  Question is: Do you think it is really necessary to use 1/4" sheet for the fuselage bottom block? 1/8" would cut the weight of that part in half and since the stress is longitudinal, I think the lighter sheeting would be just as strong.

Jump in there.....anybody....Randy...


Phil

[Mike Scholtes]

I used 1/8 on mine and it has held up just fine. I applied it cross-grain rather than grain parallel to the nose-tail line. It will presumably be covered with silkspan or carbon veil and doped so it will be plenty strong. If you are planning plastic film I still think it will be strong enough. This is a fairly small model.

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I am carbon veiling mine so I used the 1/4" but then gouged it out to less than 1/8th".  That way I still have the nice rounded bottom....ok that sounds a little weird, but you know what I mean!

[Wynn Robins]

you can go as light as 1/16th if you use C -grain

I usually put a warren truss type structure top and bottom of the aft fuse on my vectors and use 1/16th - the only thing that does not "look" as good is where the gear mounts as it sits proud of the 16th sheeting..........but no big deal

you cant always say that half the thickness balsa will be half the weight either - it all depends on the density

[RandySmith]

I'm building a new Vector 40 and shooting for minimum weight.  Question is: Do you think it is really necessary to use 1/4" sheet for the fuselage bottom block? 1/8" would cut the weight of that part in half and since the stress is longitudinal, I think the lighter sheeting would be just as strong.

Jump in there.....anybody....Randy...


Phil

Hi Phil  Keep the plane the same size, and use the 1/4 , once you carve and sand the bottom round, you can hollow the inside some if you want to be super light. The bottom block should not weigh that much anyway

Randy