Recent Posts

71

Double Seaters / Re: First post, and sacrilege already

« Last post by rv7charlie on April 26, 2025, 08:46:58 AM »

Unfortunately, only the LE & LE XL are listed.

72

Double Seaters / Re: First post, and sacrilege already

« 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/

73

Double Seaters / Re: First post, and sacrilege already

« 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.

74

Double Seaters / Re: First post, and sacrilege already

« Last post by Dan_ on April 26, 2025, 05:25:20 AM »

Being somewhat lazy and interested in a quicker-build (but still affordable) fuselage, I'm wondering if any of the CNC shops that can do tubing are set up to supply a pre-cut kit of 4130 parts, especially tubing.

Living in the Humidity Capital of the World (Mississippi), where it rains *inside* hangars during temperature swings, I'll sleep better with 6061 under the skin.
(Flame suit on...)

Pre-notched kits are the most useless expenditure of cash ever devised to build an airplane.  It is so easy to do.  It adds thousands of dollars to the project...  There are simple paper patterns to print out for the notches and videos on this forum...

The Ercoupe wing is a beautiful metal design and fabric covered... 

Also there used to be an outfit in Florida that sold (metal spars and ribs) Piper Cub wing kits. 

Also there are extruded spars sold on the internet by the same lady that sells the aluminum streamline lift struts.

Also Ed Fisher designed simple bent sheet aluminum ribs that can be used with regular beam type spars or tube spars, ala Raceair or Zipster ultralights...

75

XL / Re: metal fuel tank

« Last post by at7000ft on April 25, 2025, 04:02:54 PM »

I used these guys..
https://spunaluminumgastanks.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoosqTVW9_idjkCUJx2gBUuaqWJEUb7W8LcYMSifrFAIQIU1DW7l

One of those is thin enough to fit in the LE wing?

76

XL / Re: metal fuel tank

« Last post by DA Miller on April 25, 2025, 03:44:41 PM »

Chuck, thanks for this info.  they certainly have a wide assortment of offerings.  DA

77

Brock's bits - LEXLV3 / Re: Wheels and Landing gear

« Last post by Chuck in Indiana on April 25, 2025, 08:20:52 AM »

Like many things when building an airplane, by the time you are done you are much better at various tasks than when you started.  The FAA lets us do this for "Education and Recreation." It's an education all right.
Although I'm a fairly decent gas welder, I made myself *learn* the TIG that I have owned for years but really didn't know how to use it when building Bullet. Oh, I could do heavy around the farm welding, but .035 tubing and aluminum completely baffled me. Hours and hours of watching videos, and 2 tanks of Argon later I was ready to start tacking. Some of the first welds were..uh.. ok, but by the time I finished I was beginning to get the hang of it and welded the aluminum oil tank without issue. I could do a better job on the next one, and so could you. 
 
Yes, you are afraid of burning through and not using enough pedal to start. Heat build up is caused by *time* on the weld.

78

XL / Re: metal fuel tank

« Last post by Chuck in Indiana on April 25, 2025, 08:03:51 AM »

I used these guys..
https://spunaluminumgastanks.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoosqTVW9_idjkCUJx2gBUuaqWJEUb7W8LcYMSifrFAIQIU1DW7l

79

Double Seaters / Re: First post, and sacrilege already

« Last post by Chuck in Indiana on April 25, 2025, 07:52:52 AM »

^^^^ Yeah a water jet shop can cut out all the flat pieces if you give them a .dxf file cheaply, accurately, and easily. Be aware if you use a laser you will be buying carbide reamers because it will cause localized hardening around the cut edge. Don't ask me how I know this..
Hacksaw and file? Just say no.. 
That said, a well designed aluminum wing will be lighter than an equivalent strength wooden wing. Metal wings suck, though.. they don't ride rough air nearly as well. JMHO.

80

Builders logs / Re: Pappy's LEXL Build in Texas

« Last post by DA Miller on April 24, 2025, 03:29:00 PM »

Chris, I'm also interested in what quick disconnect you are using and where you got it. tks  DA