1/3.3 Ventus 3

[French1]

After a sudden encounter with a tall tree two years ago, my 4.5m Discus went wingless....

Fuse is intact, so time for a winter project : 1/3.3 Ventus 3

Just because the wings are complex....

So Cutting of core happen first, and wings will be build very similar than my Janus (still in the work!)

Here is an idea of the built in dihedral per panels, I will vacuum the two inner panel together and then the two outer panels together. Junction between the two will be done but a Carbon wing joiner


Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

The panels are notched for the servo wire and are notched for the carbon fiber spar cap

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

One of the key of success, checking on how panels are joining BEFORE cutting !

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Outer panel

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Inner panel

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr


All together

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr






​​​​​​​

[ARUP]

Nice! You can see the wing already!

[gunny11]

Nice CNC cutting rig you have there.

[SMYK]

Stéphane

PM sent

Mike

[French1]

Getting ready to move on bagging..

First thing first, I cut some templates out of luan plywood in order to have the foam beds staying in place in the vacuum bag...

Moving slowly but surely

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

[French1]

I pre-cut the veneer and noticed some serious curling and when the veneer was laid down some wrinkles where present.

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Something had to be done, I looked on the veneer website and found a recipe to relax the grain of the wood,

4 parts of water, 2 parts of glycerin and one part of alcohol, mix vigorously and spray on wood grain to relax the fibers. Look at the difference between botom sheet that have been sprayed and the top one that are still dry

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

I put the veneer under some wood plank with some weight on it overnight and the result is pretty good, just need to evaporate the water, should take 48h before using for bagging

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Magic!

[lenb]

What alcohol did you use, Jack Daniels ?

[JimD]

Jacque Daniels

[Swiss1]

I'm sure the alcohol component was meant for self consumption while waiting for the water to evaporate!

[French1]

Next is prep work...

Trimming veneer, cutting fiberglass cloth, cutting peel ply for hinges

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr


One that is done,

Tracing the positioning of the hinges.

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

securing the peel ply on the bottom of the core to ensure perfect gluing of the lower skin,
Securing the core on the bottom bed for them not to move,

Then wait for the moment to bag in order to cut the carbon spar cap as they will fray quite easily... and bag!

[Swiss1]

Nice work as always Stephane!

[French1]

Thx Jeremy

[French1]

Here we go, in between two European trips lets bag the right tip

First lets cut the spar caps out of carbon fiber cloth

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Then lay up fiberglass on the veneer, ratio of epoxy to fiberglass is 1:1 by weight

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr


Then flip it on the cores and tape to avoid it to move in the bag

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

after closing the bag and pulling vacuum

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Finally Blanket for a sweet curing

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr


Bag opening tomorrow..

[ARUP]

Are you using an electric blanket to help with epoxy cure? Or is that just a regular blanket to retain heat as epoxy 'kicks'? Nice work!

[French1]

It is an electric blanket, work great to keep temperature where it needs to be to cure epoxy

[lenb]

Stephane,
Back in 2000-2005 I did a bunch of vacuum bagging when building a full scale, but I would apply release cloth, breather cloth, etc, before bagging the piece. In your photos, I don't see those sheets? Are you using a different process or had the technique changed and products evolved?
Nice work and thanks for sharing this build.

[French1]

Stephane,
Back in 2000-2005 I did a bunch of vacuum bagging when building a full scale, but I would apply release cloth, breather cloth, etc, before bagging the piece. In your photos, I don't see those sheets? Are you using a different process or had the technique changed and products evolved?
Nice work and thanks for sharing this build.

Yes Len it is a different process, the one you refer to is the one have used for hollow core wings. For foam core wings, no need of all of that as the epoxy need to migrate in th styrofoam to grip to it.

[lenb]

Than makes sense.

thanks for the explanation

[French1]

The cat is out of the bag!

Left and right panels upper surfaces completed

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

[ARUP]

Hello Kitty! Looks great!

[French1]

Right inner panel turn after my return from Europe

Same principle, two layers of carbon cloth (6oz) 2 in wide for the spar caps and two layers of FG (2.3Oz) for the veneer

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr


Flap 1 will be hinged from top, you can see this one pretty clear on this picture and Flap 1 will be hinged from the bottom to allow more deflection

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Vacuum

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Blanket

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

[ARUP]

If that wing is anything like me then it loves its 'lectrick blankey'! lol

[French1]

Left wing in the work... or in the bag should I say

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr

Sans titre by steffruelle, sur Flickr