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Sheet aluminum over fiberglass?

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piepermd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
82
Hello, all!
I am endeavoring to make my 3/4 scale P-51 replica’s interior as faithful to the original as possible. Previously there were just some leather and fabric panels screwed into thread inserts in the fiberglass cockpit walls. I would like to attach thin aluminum panels instead using epoxy Click Bond studs, and rivet these to faux longerons and fuselage frames. Then I would have a framework on which to attach items such as the control pedestal and the switch and fuse panels. I have just completed a 3-D scan of the cockpit interior and now have it surface modeled in SolidWorks. My concern is the gaps created between the fiberglass and the new aluminum inner cockpit skin. I imagine this is an area that could retain significant moisture. Is there a material that could be sandwiched between the gaps? I am also wondering what thickness of aluminum to use such that there would be minimal deformation of the panels and yet add as little weight as possible. I’d certainly appreciate ANY input about this idea! Here is a couple of photos of the stripped cockpit to give you an idea.
BC46F44C-56F8-495E-BD05-CB8DFC59F435.jpeg7FAC654C-999E-491E-8D9C-794F2BA8D8B6.jpeg
 
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