I find even after designing and building for going on 50 years, I still find every project a collage course. And hope they remain so for another decade or more.
One interesting point I am at, working on numerous parts going in the back of the plane. Just what is the balance to how heavy or call it reserve strength is designed in or how technical and light should the part be.
I would hate to spend time and money to build beautiful carbon fiber parts just to add lead ballast right next to them once the job is done. So much is not known when you pioneer a design.
The vertical shaft for my trim system will have a delrin guide bearing running inside a milled out ¾ Sq 304 stl tube. This one foot tube being .065 wall will be close to 2lbs on it's own.
An option to make it from either 4130 tube with an .035 wall or form it from 304 sheet will both be about a pound lighter.
The 4130 would either need an anti corrosive coating maintained for life and the formed sheet metal is time consuming and finicky to get just right.
I would hate to keep going in the tail to maintain this part because I built it real light just to also check the block of lead sitting next to it.
Kind of goes with the rudder & brake pedal assemblies. These are designed to be built in either Ti or steel. Is the Ti worth it?
One interesting point I am at, working on numerous parts going in the back of the plane. Just what is the balance to how heavy or call it reserve strength is designed in or how technical and light should the part be.
I would hate to spend time and money to build beautiful carbon fiber parts just to add lead ballast right next to them once the job is done. So much is not known when you pioneer a design.
The vertical shaft for my trim system will have a delrin guide bearing running inside a milled out ¾ Sq 304 stl tube. This one foot tube being .065 wall will be close to 2lbs on it's own.
An option to make it from either 4130 tube with an .035 wall or form it from 304 sheet will both be about a pound lighter.
The 4130 would either need an anti corrosive coating maintained for life and the formed sheet metal is time consuming and finicky to get just right.
I would hate to keep going in the tail to maintain this part because I built it real light just to also check the block of lead sitting next to it.
Kind of goes with the rudder & brake pedal assemblies. These are designed to be built in either Ti or steel. Is the Ti worth it?