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Composite Shell Attachment to Chromoly Tube

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rdj

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
387
Location
Northern California
I've been having a hard time finding much detailed information on the tips, tricks and techniques of attaching composite shells to steel tube 4130 structures; construction similar to the Glastar. The composite books talk composites, the steel tube books talk steel tube, Google is coming up empty, and the EAA Archives (and Bingelis) don't mention this design approach. I know other homebuilt designs have also used this composite-shell over steel-tube-spaceframe approach. There are some threads on this forum discussing the potential for coefficient of expansion differences between the two materials and hence warping of the shell. I wonder what attachment techniques mitigate that effect. Has this design approach ever gotten much research from the AIAA, NASA, Universities, the industry, whatever, or are designers pretty much solving (and discovering) all the issues from scratch on each new design?

One of these days I guess I'd better go find a Glastar and take a good look inside...
 
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