[time-nuts] "The GPS navigation is the weakest point,"

[gary]

Wait a second. Rolling a Bronco on your composite is not a tough enough 
test? !!!! You should get an award.

If the UAS is designed to maintain controlled flights while out of fuel, 
it could be in much better shape than if it was a lawn dart.

Hard to believe, but the chances of surviving a plane crash are about 
50%. Again, this is with a pilot attempting to maintain controlled flight.

There are mandrel schemes to make composites, much better than the foam 
core schemes we backyard types makes. Those relatively cheap COTS 
composite tubes are done with the mandrel technique, but apparently it 
can be used for shapes that are more complex.

I've got an older copy of Prof. Strong's book. Good reading if you are 
into this stuff.
> http://books.google.com/books/about/Fundamentals_of_composites_manufacturing.html?id=aCm9yvodiJcC

To keep this remotely on topic, S-2 glass is usually what they use in 
radomes. The dielectric constant is close to free air. C-glass is good 
also, but not as strong as S-2. They use S-2 in the AWACS dome.

> http://www.agy.com/markets/PDFs/NEW_AGY205AWACS.pdf


On 12/15/2011 5:32 PM, Chris Albertson wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 4:23 PM, gary<lists at lazygranch.com>  wrote:
>> It is composite, not metal.
>>
>> If you know what you are doing, composites are extremely tough. I don't know
>> if graphite is kosher on a stealth plane. I have to assume it is S-2 glass
>> or similar nonconductive composites. But if graphite were allowed, you would
>> be amazed at how much abuse it could take.
>
> I used to build white water kayaks.   We used some plain old e-glass
> and some kevlar, carbon and s-glass.   Yes it can be tough.  Once we
> rolled a Ford Bronco with boats tied to the roof rack.   Did OK but we
> where lucky to not have any of the lighter racing boats.
>
> But still, running out of fuel?  There would have been little bits of
> airplane all over a hundred feet or more.    I can't see how it could
> survive an impact with the ground so well.
>
> Chris Albertson
> Redondo Beach, California
>
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