Here we go again! We have a couple of threads going on discussing quick and dirty composite construction techniques so I am going to turn that around to talk about a specific mission.
Lets say we want to build a safe, affordable, easy to build, easy to fly plane inspired by the Evans Volksplane VP-2 but we want to make it out of composite materials. We also want to make it more attractive to modern pilots so we'll give it a roomier, enclosed (cabin or canopy) cockpit, a cantilever wing, and tricycle gear. Otherwise the weight, power, etc. should all be comparable to the Evans VP-2, say 500 kg/1100 lb gross weight and a 76 hp 2180cc VW conversion.
Setting aside the design details for the moment, what construction methods would our composite gurus suggest for this project? Do keep in mind that, in the Volksplane spirit, ease and speed of building are the most important criteria, so the focus is on minimizing labor, tooling, time, and cost as much as possible.
Lets say we want to build a safe, affordable, easy to build, easy to fly plane inspired by the Evans Volksplane VP-2 but we want to make it out of composite materials. We also want to make it more attractive to modern pilots so we'll give it a roomier, enclosed (cabin or canopy) cockpit, a cantilever wing, and tricycle gear. Otherwise the weight, power, etc. should all be comparable to the Evans VP-2, say 500 kg/1100 lb gross weight and a 76 hp 2180cc VW conversion.
Setting aside the design details for the moment, what construction methods would our composite gurus suggest for this project? Do keep in mind that, in the Volksplane spirit, ease and speed of building are the most important criteria, so the focus is on minimizing labor, tooling, time, and cost as much as possible.
