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  1. Docskyhawk

    Canard CG

    I know that this subject has been talked about a lot but I can't find the one answer I want. If the CG is located in the diagram, how would the aircraft react in a full nose high stall? In level flight I can see the canard stalling first causing the nose to drop and pulling out of the stall...
  2. Docskyhawk

    Methanol

    I know that this is a bit off topic of airplanes but I am looking for a resin that can stand up to methanol. I would like to build a composite tank that can be used to mix sodium methoxide. Thoughts?
  3. Docskyhawk

    Commercial use of experimental aircraft

    To my knowledge, you cannot use experimental aircraft in a commercial purpose such as rentals or with paid passengers so how do companies such as Scaled Composites/Virgin get away with SS2/WK2? Are they getting a type certification on the aircraft?
  4. Docskyhawk

    Design Layout Input

    Here is a layout I am working with and wanted to get some input on the design. It is a roomy tandem two seater and I am planning on using either a LS1 or inline 4 depending on the cruise speed I decide to go with. The CG is about 2 feet in front of the leading edge of the main wing. The...
  5. Docskyhawk

    Overlap of HS and wing.

    I wanted to get some thoughts on the horizontal stabilizer from the design above. The CG is close to the midpoint of the two middle black dots. The front canard is fixed but I am thinking about having it electrically adjustable to allow for a wider CG limit range. My main concern is the...
  6. Docskyhawk

    Tandem CG

    I have switched back to doing a tandem wing design and I’m having an issue laying out the major sections to get the CG where I want it. Right now it is a pusher with the engine mounted aft of the rear wing(think single engine Scaled Proteus). This project will be a two seater with the cabin...
  7. Docskyhawk

    Twin Tails

    What does everyone think about the twin tail setup of spaceship two? I was thinking about a similar two seat setup(low altitude) but with a wing span closer to 24' and a much shorter fuselage. Would there be an issue with the VSs at the wing tips in terms of roll or any structural concerns?
  8. Docskyhawk

    Factory Built Experimental

    Under what rules/regs does factory built experimental fall under? I have seen a few around and wonder how they get sold. Are they allowed to build their own and sell them as non-certified EA?
  9. Docskyhawk

    New design mistakes

    I have read some postings on single mistakes or concerns but I was wondering what are the most common mistakes that amateur designers make when trying a new design? I will say that structural strength failures such as the spars has to be on the list but what others have you seen/heard of?
  10. Docskyhawk

    Epoxing a part

    How well does two parts epoxied together hold just using it on two flat surfaces? Can it be trusted to support something like a wing rib to the spar?
  11. Docskyhawk

    Fiberglass PSI

    I have done some initial calculations on an example aircraft I am dreaming up and I am getting a maximum bending stress of 55,000 PSI rounded on the wing spar. I'm finding different values for fiberglass but I have been working with 45k PSI for fiberglass' tensile strength. If I need to meet...
  12. Docskyhawk

    Fiberglass/Carbon

    Is there a major loss in strength if multiple pieces of fiberglass or carbon is used in wing skins/spars compared to a single long run of cloth?
  13. Docskyhawk

    Control surface forces

    How are control surface forces calculated in the design phase? I have done some standard lift calculations but does the airfoil in front of a surface affect the lift? Example: Elevator lift when the control surface is only half of the total HS?
  14. Docskyhawk

    Wing Spar

    I have been reading a lot on here and other sites and I am finding some good info but I can't seem to find a straight forward answer to one question. How strong does a wing spar need to be? Some state that it only needs to be as strong as the moment of inertia at any given point but what about...
  15. Docskyhawk

    Wing Lift Numbers

    When calculating wing lift using L = 1/2 * Cl * p * V2 * A, what units do I use for each value if I am using sqft for wing area, and mph for V? I'll take a stab at it and see if I am getting this right so far. Cl = .75 example airfoil at 4 deg AOA .00237 slug/ft3 110 mph 150 sqft area L =...
  16. Docskyhawk

    Swept Wing Lift

    How does sweeping a wing aft affect lift? Example: "Hershey" bar wing of 200sqft compared to the same sqft 45 degree swept wing?
  17. Docskyhawk

    Calculating Weight

    When calculating the weight forward of the CL, where do you take the weight from? Example: I know that there is 700 lbs forward of the CL but would I use the furthest point forward as the arm or in the center of the entire length forward of the CL?
  18. Docskyhawk

    Horizontal Stabilizer

    I understand the reasoning behind this but I wanted to get other inputs about what I am working on. Why do some aircraft use an inverted airfoil for the HS to balance the CG that is forward of the COL? Wouldn't this add more drag? Why wouldn't you want to place the COG closer to the COL and...
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