These carbon handles have been flight tested with .60 sized electric ships with no issues. Have a few people out there we have given handles to conduct more flight testing and I will report as I hear more. Kind of cold in many areas of the country now, so not expecting many flight reports until the weather turns nicer for flying.
I know the specific question is "What was the test to destruction poundage?".
I have already contacted the manufacturer to order the kit version since we have gotten a great response so far. While I was at it, I asked if they had a data sheet on the material and what was the test to destruction poundage?. Here was their response:
"As for your customers’ requests, we do not have any specifications on this sheet. Every application is different and when you cut a shape out of carbon, it seriously impacts the specifications as this material isn’t isotropic like a metal is (meaning not the same everywhere). Unfortunately, they would have to crush the handle themselves to find out! We don’t have a test facility set aside at our facility."Apparently cutting carbon plate into a shape impacts the specifications of the plate. We don't plan on going to the expense of conducting independent crush tests as it seems the cost would just become prohibitive. If we have a volunteer out there willing to conduct such a test on this specific shape, we would certainly consider giving them a handle to test crush.
These handles already have hundreds of hours of flight testing on them, we have been using them since last years Nats. They have flown in high winds and been pull tested many times. I have every confidence they are very safe or I would not be using them on my ships. In fact, Mike Haverly has been flying his 1/16" carbon plate handle for years without issue. We went with 3/32" carbon plate for an added measure of safety. Your handle is not your only concern. I watched my nephew Sam trash a brand new Tracer because the electric motor cut off and then cut back on. The net result was the Tracer flying knife edge at a high rate of speed across the semi-circle. When Sam and the plane going in opposite directions finally reached the end of the lines, Sam went down like a pancake and the plane went to pieces impacting the ground. Upon inspection, we did not see the bell crank mount, connectors or handle fail, we saw that the control lines had snapped at both ends on both lines behind the wire wraps at both the handle and aircraft connectors.
Sorry I could not get the exact specification you would like, but sounds like each shape would have to be tested independently. I do appreciate the validity of the question, but it hardly seems worthwhile to get a definitive answer. I don't know what it costs to have a crush test done, but it does't sound inexpensive. Thanks for asking, it would be nice to know the answer
For those interested, you can visit the carbon plate manufacturer at their web site:
https://dragonplate.comHere are some general product questions about the carbon plate:
Product Questions
Is the material flexible enough to be rolled?
Dragonplate veneer can be rolled into a cylinder 1" in diameter. DragonPlate .025" thick CF Laminate can be rolled into a cylinder 12” in diameter. Most laminate thicknesses larger than this are engineered for stiffness, and do not readily bend.
How is DragonPlate laminate bonded to other surfaces? What preparation is necessary before bonding? And what adhesive do you recommend?
Our textured surface is designed specifically for bonding. Scuffing the surface with sandpaper is still recommended. If you wish to bond to the gloss or matte surface, scuffing with sandpaper is necessary. For bonding, any structural adhesive will work, provided the properties meet your desired specifications. Our recommendation is Scotch-weld 2216 epoxy adhesive.
How strong are DragonPlate carbon fiber laminates?
Carbon fiber is substantially stiffer and stronger than aluminum or steel. Although the stiffness to weight and strength to weight ratios of carbon fiber are high, the true benefit of composites is realized when specialized core materials are placed between layers of carbon fiber. Further discussion on carbon fiber strength is given on the Technical page. An explanation of sandwich structure mechanics is given in the carbon fiber Birch Core summary.
What is the largest size of DragonPlate carbon fiber laminate that I can purchase? Are custom sizes of DragonPlate CF Laminate available?
The largest standard size is 48" x 96" (4’ x 8’) in veneer, .025 laminate and EconomyPlate. Quasi-isotropic carbon sheets, birch plywood core, Balsa core, and foam core are available standard up to (24” x 48). Honeycomb core sheets are available up to 24” x 36”. For many of the flat sheet laminates, larger sizes are available on special order. Angles are available up to 4’, and tubes up to either 4’ or 8’, depending on the geometry.
What does the finish look like?
DragonPlate sheets come in a variety of finishes. See each product for options. We have created a comparison of DragonPlate Finishes that can viewed on the website.
How do you recommend cutting DragonPlate carbon fiber laminates? Is there any safety gear that I should use?
DragonPlate carbon fiber laminates are pre-cut to the specified sizes or slightly oversized. The sheets are easily cut to final shape using a bandsaw, coping saw, drill, or dremel tool. Recommended precautions include wearing safety glasses, a dust respirator, and protective clothing when cutting, sanding or drilling, to limit exposure to the dust, which is an irritant.
Why do you use core materials?
Sandwich core laminates are significantly stiffer than solid sheets of equal weight. Alternatively, one can produce a much lighter part with core materials than if solid carbon fiber materials are used. There are pros and cons to each type of core material, as well as applications which demand the use of solid carbon fiber without the addition of cores. Dragonplate offers each of these options to cover the widest possible range of applications.
Are there temperature limitations for DragonPlate carbon fiber?
Dragonplate is intended as a structural material, and not for high-temperature applications, such as mufflers or engine parts. Carbon fiber itself is highly resistant to heat. A good example is the protective heat shield on the bottom of the U.S. Space Shuttle, which is comprised of specialized carbon tiles. However, the glass-transition temperature of the epoxies used in the manufacture of standard Dragonplate is too low for these applications. The operational temperature for our epoxy is -75 to 140 degrees fahrenheit.
Is DragonPlate UV resistant?
Most of our products are created using UV resistant epoxies. Please contact us about the material you are interested in for more details.
What are the possible uses for DragonPlate carbon fiber materials?
Please see the Applications page for summaries of some recent projects that used Dragonplate carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is an excellent material for applications where high stiffness, high strength, but low weight are critical.
Can I form DragonPlate laminate by heating it, such as done with plexiglass?
No. Epoxy is not a thermo-formable.
What does quasi-isotropic mean?
Quasi-isotropic refers to a layup of individual carbon fiber laminates such that the final composite material has approximately equal stiffness and strength properties in all directions. If only 0 and 90 degree carbon fiber layers are used, the laminate is cheaper to manufacture, but weak along the 45 degree diagonal. Dragonplate utilizes 45-degree diagonal laminate layers to improve quasi-isotropy. For the majority of typical applications, quasi-isotropic carbon fiber has superior performance. For further discussion of this topic, please see the Carbon Fiber Sheets page.