Seat plate question regarding thickness....

[KDOG]

I bought a 2'x2' sheet of 16th in. aluminum to make the pedal webs and the seat plates from. I have the 2 pcs cut for the pilot side of the seat. But now I seem to have a good amount left. Ya think I could simply use 2 pcs of the 1/16th for each of the 1/8th plates needed? I have a good bit of 3/16th left but I don't want to keep adding weight.

If it comes about that I don't have enough of the 16th for the airframe-side seat plates, I then wonder if I could simply "double up" on the tailwheel plates. Ok, let 'er rip!!!

[banaari]

I bought a 2'x2' sheet of 16th in. aluminum to make the pedal webs and the seat plates from. I have the 2 pcs cut for the pilot side of the seat. But now I seem to have a good amount left. Ya think I could simply use 2 pcs of the 1/16th for each of the 1/8th plates needed? I have a good bit of 3/16th left but I don't want to keep adding weight.

If it comes about that I don't have enough of the 16th for the airframe-side seat plates, I then wonder if I could simply "double up" on the tailwheel plates. Ok, let 'er rip!!!

Ummm... my (uninformed) gut instinct says use a single 1/8" sheet.
Am interested in other views, though.

[KDOG]

Probably right. Just thought I'd ask.

I saw your tailwheel on your website. NEATO! Is that hard to do? my airframe is painted and assembled so I'm not inclined to take her back apart, but if that is easy I just might do that!

[martylunsford@h]

:eek: Two sixteenth inch sheets of aluminum do not have the same strength at one eighth inch sheet. Think of it this way: a phone book is made up of hundreds of thin sheets of paper, but it is still very weak, you can bend it easily. However, if the sheets of paper were bonded together as one solid piece of paper three inches thick, it would take hundreds, or even thousands of pounds of pressure to bend it. The two thin layers of aluminum would act the same way as the unbonded pages of the phone book. They would slip past each other under load. If you could bond the two pieces together somehow it would work, but this is your life we're talking about. Spend the extra $40 for the eighth inch aluminum.

[Brian Jackson]

If it comes about that I don't have enough of the 16th for the airframe-side seat plates, I then wonder if I could simply "double up" on the tailwheel plates. Ok, let 'er rip!!!
NO! No how no way, absolutely not, no way in hell, and probably not. In addition, not likely. Nope, Nada and uh-uh.

There's no bond between separated sheets. The equivalent thickness of a solid material means there's strength in molecular bonds. Taken to the opposite extreme, how much strength is there in a hundred layers of tin foil?

[KDOG]

Hmmm I get the impression that it would not be good to do that. Oh well. Just a thought. I guess I'll be ordering the 1/8th inch stuff - but I do still have all that 3/16ths' sitting there. Too much of a weight increase?

[banaari]

Probably right. Just thought I'd ask.

I saw your tailwheel on your website. NEATO! Is that hard to do? my airframe is painted and assembled so I'm not inclined to take her back apart, but if that is easy I just might do that!

No work at all - that's how the tailboom came from StarBee! :D
Seriously though - all you'd have to do is cut the slot in the underside, and drill the hole for the bolt.

[KDOG]

Cool. Where did you get the wheel from? Did you have to put washers between the tailboom wall and the wheel? Looks like it will save a little weight too?

[banaari]

The wheel came from StarBee too. Yes, there are two 1/16" washers on either side of the wheel against the walls, and a section of 3/8" aluminium tubing, drilled out to 1/4" running through the wheel itself, and riding on the bolt.

[banaari]

Here's a couple of photos which might help... complete with genuine water droplets, some mud and some artistic blur on the second shot.
cheers,
John

[KDOG]

NICE. I may just have to do that. How big a slot is cut? About 3 inches?.