Thoughts on this plane

Skyrys62

Skyrys62

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Meet the Fokkers
My thought is, all Glasairs should be low wings. Seriously though, if I was forced to buy a high wing, it would be a Glastar...or an Extra 400 in my dreams.
 
Even the wing spars are not aluminum.
I guess I'm wondering if you happened to bust up a wing, would it be totaled? There's really no replacement parts as far as I can tell.
 
Skyrys62 said:
Even the wing spars are not aluminum.
I guess I'm wondering if you happened to bust up a wing, would it be totaled? There's really no replacement parts as far as I can tell.
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Not likely totaled, but it would require a whole new wing.
 
Depends on what “bust up a wing” entails. A damage to the surface or the entire wing? Composite repairs can be done without replacing the entire structure.
 
I'd want to see the stress analysis. When you change the materials like that, you're essentially designing a totally new airplane. The aerodynamics may be the same but the structure is all new.

I guess if you damaged a wing you'd have to build a new one same as the original builder did or go back to the stock aluminum wing.
 
Dana said:
I'd want to see the stress analysis. When you change the materials like that, you're essentially designing a totally new airplane. The aerodynamics may be the same but the structure is all new.

I guess if you damaged a wing you'd have to build a new one same as the original builder did or go back to the stock aluminum wing.
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The first part here really needs to be stressed. Carbon fiber has some great characteristics, but they are very different than aluminum. Was this designed properly, or were parts just copied in carbon fiber. Something like a spar has special designs requirements due to the directional nature of composites. If done properly though, sounds really damn cool.
 
PilotRPI said:
Carbon fiber has some great characteristics, but they are very different than aluminum. Was this designed properly, or were parts just copied in carbon fiber. Something like a spar has special designs requirements due to the directional nature of composites. If done properly though, sounds really damn cool.
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My thoughts pretty much exactly.
Carbon fiber in equality is about 10 times stronger.
If you read the article, he overlaid the mold with dual layer carbon fiber at cross pattern. You'd have to imagine it is very strong.
But, that's the rub.... imagining.
I'd want to feel certain to take my family up. But damn, it's intriguing.
 
In motorcycle applications, carbon fibre wheels have a finite life. Racers sell them off all the time to trackday guys.

When they blow, they're breathtaking. This one happened right in front of me. IMG_7833 copy.jpg
 
I don’t know, 19 years old and 665 hrs. I’d say he’s done his homework in building the thing. I’d image structural issues would’ve reared it’s head long ago.

Composites are pretty redundant and forgiving. I’ve seen fiberglass repairs on rotor blades that would have you shaking your head. The blades are under far more stress than an EAB and they hold up fine. With this being carbon and if he followed the same process that he used on his Glasairs, I’d bet it meets or exceeds aerobatic limits.
 
I have no concerns about it's structural solidity, what does concern me is the builders mental position for doing all this extra work!
 
Rgbeard said:
When they blow, they're breathtaking
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Ducati are sweet bikes... damn!

I was under the impression that composites, or at least carbon fiber, don't really fatigue... they just last and last and then suddenly explode.. so was that bike over stressed, or do they infact have a finite life. I know Cirrus are 12,000 hrs (?) and the Grummans have finite lives too.. but is that out of an abundance of caution, or?

Not entirely the same, but I've seen paper thin composite boats get abused for decades and continue to last. Fiberglass boast get soft from water damage, but that's different, right?
 
Tantalum said:
Ducati are sweet bikes... damn!

I was under the impression that composites, or at least carbon fiber, don't really fatigue... they just last and last and then suddenly explode.. so was that bike over stressed, or do they infact have a finite life. I know Cirrus are 12,000 hrs (?) and the Grummans have finite lives too.. but is that out of an abundance of caution, or?

Not entirely the same, but I've seen paper thin composite boats get abused for decades and continue to last. Fiberglass boast get soft from water damage, but that's different, right?
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A lot of composite rotor blades don’t have a life limit. I flown with cracks in them plenty of times. :eek:
 
Here's a couple more pics. Just in case someone wants to see.

I have no personal experience with parts such as these, but was chatting with a couple of the guy's riding buddies. Couldn't talk to the rider. He was a little busy. :D

He'd bought these wheels from a racing team +/- six months before this incident, and was out on Chuckwalla having fun at a no-sessions Trackday. He wasn't an incredibly fast rider, but not slow, either.

He was just picking up from a right-hand turn, and was progressively pouring on the power to WOT.

Watching this unfold in front of me was kinda interesting, and it's made me consider lifetime limitations of composites, and reminded me that I know nothing about anything.

IMG_7834 copy.JPGIMG_7831 copy.JPG
 
Rgbeard said:
Here's a couple more pics. Just in case someone wants to see.

I have no personal experience with parts such as these, but was chatting with a couple of the guy's riding buddies. Couldn't talk to the rider. He was a little busy. :D

He'd bought these wheels from a racing team +/- six months before this incident, and was out on Chuckwalla having fun at a no-sessions Trackday. He wasn't an incredibly fast rider, but not slow, either.

He was just picking up from a right-hand turn, and was progressively pouring on the power to WOT.

Watching this unfold in front of me was kinda interesting, and it's made me consider lifetime limitations of composites, and reminded me that I know nothing about anything.

View attachment 75466View attachment 75467
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I wonder if those had previous repaired damage or had a crack already forming from road debris hitting it.
 
Some of the thoughts on cracks, either hidden or overlooked, was a concern on the plane for me too. Although, wing spar corrosion wouldn't likely be a problem lol.

If one wanted to, or had to, sell the plane, it could be a very limited audience.
Just hard to be confident about it....although I like the plane a lot.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
I would think that replacement parts would be obtained the same way the original parts were obtained. Start by building a mold...
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I agree.
For an owner that would mean obtaining an original Glastar part, learning how to make a satisfactory mold, then learning to work with Carbon fiber and fiber glass, (if you didn't already know), cutting out damage, replacing, etc.
Not trying to dramatize it, just thinking realistically how long the plane could be down if there was an incursion.

I guess that's part of the E/AB wheelhouse if you want to be self sufficient though.
Also, the molds may come with the purchase of the plane.
 
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Velocity173 said:
I wonder if those had previous repaired damage or had a crack already forming from road debris hitting it.
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It could have exploded from road debris hitting it when it was perfectly healthy.
 
Velocity173 said:
Interesting comment from the last guy on carbon motorcycle failures. As described above, when they do fail, they fail violently.
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Many things do when pushed beyond limit loads and stresses - why that's assumed to be fatigue is beyond me.

Nauga,
tired
 
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