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« Last post by thseng on April 28, 2025, 10:45:58 AM »
It has occurred to me that a lot of time is spent fixturing the fuselage so that the tubes can be hand-coped to fit. If the tubes were already precisely coped, it might be possible for the fuselage to largely self-fixture.
If I remember correctly, a kit with everything except the three longerons could be shipped UPS non-oversize.
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Trust me. you'll forget all about it by the time you are flying. Oh, and you'll probably need something stronger than blue tape for the engine mount. 
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« Last post by Dan_ on April 26, 2025, 08:45:33 PM »
Keep us posted... 
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« Last post by Brock on April 26, 2025, 07:30:18 PM »
Finally standing on it's own two....wheels.
The cabine was easy to make and more fun, for sure, than the gear legs. One lesson I learned which I wish I had thought of earlier. Clamp the cabine plates in place but don't weld until the shock-struts are cut and in place. This way the angle of the plates can be tweaked before welding. As it turned out, one shock-strut lined up nicely with the axle but the other one was a bit forward. A little heating and bending put it in place but if you know where to look you'll always see that little imperfect tube. I'll aways see it.
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Chuck, thanks for this info. they certainly have a wide assortment of offerings. DA
Yeah, I used their stuff for the filler necks of the fuel and oil tanks and bought a 6" diameter X 12 piece to make the oil tank. The end caps were too heavy, though, so I made the caps out of 1/16". Good stuff.
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« Last post by rv7charlie on April 26, 2025, 04:55:51 PM »
I do appreciate you trying to help, but as I said, not my 1st experience with hand fitting tubes. In addition to two hangar doors (tube & gusset for them), I did the fit up for a custom/modified motor mount on an RV7 project (alternative engine), welded up by my much more experienced neighbor because I had zero welding experience at the time.
If CNC'd tubing isn't available or available at a reasonable price, then it isn't and I'll move forward with 'traditional' methods.
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« Last post by Dan_ on April 26, 2025, 02:13:46 PM »
Send them some home spun cad files or send them them the plans they will make them and put that on the tab.
There are EAA videos on coping the tubes with tin snips and a rat tail file... The main goal is not so much a perfect fit but that both ends have the coping aligned with the adjacent cluster. This requires a center line drawn on the tube to clock the cope with. As long as the gap is not much more than the filler rod and not all the way around you won't have any problems with it.
The printed pattern method allows you to do both ends just suchlike all-the-while allowing you to use paper sheets that you have wrapped around the tube and taped so that you can slip the tube out and slide on the end patterns. This is all taped in place for the exact perfect fit for perfect cope, perfect clocking of the cope and perfect length...
It took me longer to write this than it would have to mock up the paper tube to slide over a real tube and mark it out.
I dare say if they already had the cad file and you ordered the kit you could have a complete air frame tacked up before they got the kit to you and you would be thousands ahead.
Just an opinion... and perhaps a data point...
Use the search button on the main menu not the search box in the upper right. There is a YT video on here that shows the method by someone making up an engine mount.
Blue Skies
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« Last post by rv7charlie on April 26, 2025, 08:46:58 AM »
Unfortunately, only the LE & LE XL are listed.
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« Last post by Dan_ on April 26, 2025, 08:22:17 AM »
Let us know what their quote is... I know it will be too rich for my blood.https://vr3.ca/industries/aviation/
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« Last post by rv7charlie on April 26, 2025, 06:41:01 AM »
Well, I have no frame of reference on CNC'd tubing cost, except that for flat parts, CNC can be very cost effective for the time saved. I've done the paper pattern thing on aluminum (hangar door from 6" irrigation tubing). While it's not hard (if everything's right-angles), it certainly isn't fast and accuracy is highly dependent on the 'operator'. My perspective was that a properly CNC-cut tubing kit could yield a 'snap together' straight fuselage at a price point somewhere between total scratch build and the pre-welded fuselage from the guys in AR.
I'm aware of the Carlson & D&E extrusions, and that there are fabric covered aluminum (and aluminum skinned) wings for many other a/c. I was just hoping that someone had already mapped out a path to do it with the Double/Cabin Eagle. Simple personal preference for grading material based on alloy number instead of grain count/slope checking, and for dimensional stability/wet climate survivability.
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