How to build an all Carbon composite airframe on an aluminum mandrel

Supplies

The carbon fabric used here is a common plain weave, 3K, 195 gsm fabric. A plain weave works fine for body tubes; a satin or twill weave will work better for compound contour lay-ups such as nose cones. The "3K" designation means that there are 3,000 fibers in each tow than is woven together. The "195 gsm" refers to 295 grams per square meter of fabric, equal to 5.75 oz. per square yd.. Heavier or lighter fabrics may affect the number of layers used on your project. Don't worry to much about the fabric specifications, just about any carbon fabric will easily outperform E glass or S glass fabric. Some fabrics are blended with Kevlar. These are OK, but have a strong tendency to have fuzzy edges when the finished airframe is cut.

Prices vary considerably, but here are some reference points. Wicks Aircraft Supply http://www.wicksaircraft.com/ sells 5.8 oz./sq. yd. carbon fabric, 50 inches wide, for $18.55/yd (equal to $13.36/sq. yd.). By comparison, they sell 5.4 oz./yd. S2 glass (superior to the common E glass) for $9.60/sq. yd. The carbon cloth shown above was obtained for $7.57 to $8.78 per square yard on Ebay auction. Remember that a higher price per square yard may be a better deal if the roll width works better for your project and reduces scrap.

The epoxy used here is West System 105 resin and the 206 (slow) hardener.

The miscellaneous supplies include mixing cups, stir sticks, gloves, paint brush, paint roller.

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