smoore
Well-Known Member
So, my brother and I are probably going to build a boat this winter for our families to mess around with. I think I've settled on the Goat Island Skiff because it's pretty, the right size and inexpensive.
What's that got to do with airplanes?
Well, the method of construction is that of "Stitch and Glue". You cut the plywood pieces to shape and then stitch them together with wire. Then you glue it together with marine epoxy, remove the stitches and cover with fiberglass.
The resulting structure looks like the plywood it's constructed from but is actually a composite. It's very light. The same designer designed a canoe out of balsa that weighs 12lbs. (!) For comparison an aluminum or fiberglass canoe of the same size can weigh nearly 100lbs.
Anyone ever heard of doing such a thing in aircraft?
What's that got to do with airplanes?
Well, the method of construction is that of "Stitch and Glue". You cut the plywood pieces to shape and then stitch them together with wire. Then you glue it together with marine epoxy, remove the stitches and cover with fiberglass.
The resulting structure looks like the plywood it's constructed from but is actually a composite. It's very light. The same designer designed a canoe out of balsa that weighs 12lbs. (!) For comparison an aluminum or fiberglass canoe of the same size can weigh nearly 100lbs.
Anyone ever heard of doing such a thing in aircraft?
