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inexpensive but good alternatives to graphlite carbon pultrusions?

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lr27

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
4,954
Location
Massachusetts
I'd capitalize it, but apparently everyone and his brother have used the name for completely different things. Like sneakers!

It appears the stuff is amazing, but the cost builds up if you want to make a long skinny wing. Has graphlite become a generic term? Are there cheaper ways to get it than from Marske?
http://www.marskeaircraft.com/carbon-rod.html

I am imagining a long piece of tow. A come-along is fastened to one tree, and a loop of rope and a ring are fastened to another one. The tow is wrapped around, tied off, and then the come-along is used to tug ferociously on the carbon. Now it gets wetted out and some kind of multi part mold is put over it to ensure the right shape. Probably way too much trouble!

I suppose that, realistically, graphlite wouldn't be tremendously expensive compared to the entire cost of the project, but I AM thinking about an ultralight motorglider. If it was to fly like a Carbon Dragon, it would have to be 50 feet or more. The Carbon Dragon is 43 feet, and I recall it grosses 300 lbs. An ultralight motor-glider would have to gross a lot more to carry me and an engine. Maybe 500 lbs. Hence a 50 foot wing, which still has a higher span squared loading. (0.16 vs 0.2) These are very low span loadings compared to most sailplanes, but microlift soaring, or at least the idea of it, appeals to me.
 
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