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  1. raymondbird

    diffuser design info

    Wasn't sure of going with such a trumpet shaped diffuser design until seeing this. Accurate info yes/no? Great stuff on MCR wing as well in the downloads section of this site. http://contrails.free.fr/tunnel_en.php
  2. raymondbird

    Plug and play fuel injection ECU for LS engine

    LS engines being so common now, any thoughts on if it might be easier (cheaper) to copy somebodies exact engine recipe, ECU and tune setup? If you could find somebody who would share that is. Just thinking that with my short stack headers as you can see, there will be no way to use an O2 sensor...
  3. raymondbird

    Bolts subject to rotation

    Bolting my ailerons on today and thinking these nuts (item 34) should be castle nuts with cotter pins? The bolt doesn't actually rotate once the nut is snugged up so is that why a normal fiber lock nut is ok? Cheers
  4. raymondbird

    air to water intercooler rad as engine cooler

    Anyone out there know if an intercooler rad will work as engine rad ok? Can find them in the perfect size I need (long and low profile to fit in a wing) and can be had for very reasonable price. Otherwise I have to go custom -very expensive. Thanks
  5. raymondbird

    Me 109F boundary layer bypass

    Any ideas if this boundary layer bypass could be worth the trouble? Maybe a small reduction in drag but would it cool any better? The Germans gave up on it quickly in exchange for a taller radiator, or so I've read, but they must have found it did something to go to so much trouble in the first...
  6. raymondbird

    Gluing wood ribs to composite spar?

    Anyone know the lightest/strongest way to glue wood ribs to composite spar? The plan(mine) was just to use wood corner blocks but looking at it now, maybe tabbing with flox and fiberglass tapes would be stronger and/or lighter . . . ? Any comments much appreciated.
  7. raymondbird

    ash vs spruce spar cap strips

    Two spars of the same construction, dimensions and weight. Ash strips to be thinned down vertically a lot to equal the weight of spruce of course, but being much denser, more of it would be further from the neutral point. Therefore, could the ash capped spar be equal in stiffness/strength? Or...
  8. raymondbird

    "low vac" method from Cozy Girls

    Am going to experiment with this method as per Cozy Girls and just wondering if anybody else has and what their thoughts might be. Sure sounds easier and cheaper and less worries about sucking too much resin out . . . ? Thanks
  9. raymondbird

    3-pass radiators

    Trying to decide on the best radiator for my LS2 powered replica and just puzzled by these 3-pass radiators. Obviously working for people (better by all accounts . . . ?) but is it not a bit like putting 3 small rads in series instead of parallel? Doesn't that go against thermodynamic laws of...
  10. raymondbird

    three piece wing attachment design

    Almost at the point of bolting/pinning my overlapping carbon rod outer wing spars to the center section but have a few questions of you gifted guys if I may: Two bolts or one for the outer connection is the basic question? From what I can see of Billski's bird, it looks like two, and the Rutan...
  11. raymondbird

    cooling fans

    Anyone think a ~4000 CFM puller fan and matching large radiator could cool a 6L LS engine ok? With no intake scoop I mean, just cockpit air with open canopy and exiting through louvers in the belly behind the wing. I'm building a scale replica and don't want to spoil the outline with a ventral...
  12. raymondbird

    rear spar bending load

    Hello. Just hoping I could get some of your expert opinions on why some planes (KR2, Glasair, Billski's bird even I think, etc) which are stressed skin and cantilever designs, yet have a rear spar that's not pinned longitudinally. Looks like it's assisting the main spar in the bending strength...
  13. raymondbird

    American birch plywood

    Anyone have some thoughts/advice on American birch plywood as sold by ACS? how it compares to Finish in particular. Say 1/8' thickness. I know it's only 3 ply (finish can be 5 which is better I think) and has a poplar core which makes it lighter I suppose. Is that why it costs so much more . . ...
  14. raymondbird

    rectangular spar shear web

    Have another question I'd to get some expert opinions on if I can: How important do you think it is to have all (or how many?) laminations of the shear web wrap around the spar caps in a rectangular spar? Caps are very narrow and shallow so that is the issue I think. Spar caps are are pultruded...
  15. raymondbird

    Polyurethane foam for Rutan style solid core wing

    Just thinking I might like to use PU foam for my Rutan style solid core wings. I've read some negative things about PU here, even from Orion but still seems to me it would work and be cheaper. The KR's aren't falling out of the skies and it has worked ok for thousands of surf boards. Can't be...
  16. raymondbird

    aileron controls in solid core wing?

    Thinking of building a Rutan style outer wing for my replica fighter but can't use his torque tube method of aileron actuation. Anyone have any ideas on the best way to install a bell crank/push rod setup in such a solid foam core wing? Thanks
  17. raymondbird

    KR2 style foam wing

    Just hoping to get any opinions on improving this KR style of glass only on one side of foam construction method. Not being either a sandwich or solid core, it's giving up a tremendous amount of strength and stiffness as per the smartest member on this forum and a few others. I get it that the...
  18. raymondbird

    engineer help wanted

    Looking for help with three piece wing spar(8' center section) design using pultruded carbon rods. Will gladly pay any reasonable fee. Thanks,
  19. raymondbird

    Chin scoop and rad vs ventral

    Could any of you great fellas please comment/critique the cooling system of Ray Watson's Bull Moose here in the video? Seems to be cooling great for him but would it be just a little, or a lot more drag than a good ventral installation like rv6ejguy's fantastic example of. Installing an LS2...
  20. raymondbird

    Sandable foam . . . ?

    Been studying the Mark Langford method of making wing skins(seems like the easiest method to me) but before taking the plunge, could anybody advise me if there is a better choice of foam? I understand PVC has far superior properties but from my experience, would be very hard to sand down to...
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