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dustman

Well Known Member
Just thoght I would throw this one out. I was watching aone of those educational programs not long ago. The program was describing the process they go thru in building peter built trucks. In the construction process they litteraly glue some of the major components together to form the cab and chassi. As i was watching the program I could only think how much easier and quicker it might be if a person could do this with a plane. I was just wondering what other folks thought about actually gluing an RV together and then getting in it and flying it.
 
Glues in aircraft construction go back all the way to the beginning. Wooden parts needed to fit exactly, however, and nails were used in addition because the early glues were far less tolerant of less than perfect workmanship.
Nowadays, there is a glue for everything, and if used properly, can yield outstanding results.

I am currently building a wooden wing biplane. T-88 epoxy is used exclusively on the wings and I used just a small number of nails. Most were used to temp hold parts together until the glue cured, then were removed. T-88 is STRONG and a properly made joint will fail anywhere but where the glue is.
I am sure you could bond together most of the RV parts with some sort of adhesive / metal bonding technique. It would probably be alot heavier but you wouldn't have those pesky rivet lines. For that matter, just go out and build a glass plane.

Riveted structures in aircraft construction are more and more being replaced by composite / bonded structures.
The press refers to the B787 as a plastic, glued together aircraft. Yes, there are still lots of special fasteners used to help hold it together but far less than before.
 
Bonding aluminum is a very tricky process. The surfaces must be etched and cleaned perfectly or else corrosion starts and rapily weakens the bond. I helped a friend build a Moni motorglider that had bonded skins. It would have been quicker to rivet it. After a couple of years John Monett told everyone to take the wings apart and rivet them together after some structural failures. The aircraft manufacturers bond aluminum in a very carefully controlled environment. Don
 
Grummans

My Grumman Tiger is a bonded together (glued) structure. It does make the wings look like they are flush riveted... much smoother than the C or P brand planes...:)

But it's not a DIY process, with large autoclaves being involved and precise control of the temperature and pressure required.

Repair techniques involve the use of ProSeal and small head 3/32 rivets...

gil A
 
dustman said:
In the construction process they litteraly glue some of the major components together... I could only think how much easier and quicker it might be if a person could do this with a plane. I was just wondering what other folks thought about actually gluing an RV together and then getting in it and flying it.
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Careful... the next thing you know you might be talking about building a PLASTIC AIRPLANE!!!! Oh no!!!!! :eek:

Regards,

Mark Sletten
Lancair Legacy FG (still building, er gluing, er BONDING, that's it!) ;)
 
So what you guys are telling me is the Gorilla Glue I used on the main spar not a good idea?
 
Gorilla glue on the spar. Hmmm, I wonder, that's a vinyl glue that sets fairly brittle and would concern me some. Epoxy would also concern me some because it tends set fairly ridged, although, no more so than any of the urea formaldehyde glues used in the old days. If I were building with wood I might be tempted to use some of the water resistant aliphatic resin glues out on the market. Aliphatic resin glues tend to have a strong somewhat flexible hold on wooden parts. A point of interest, guitar bridges are held onto the front of the instrument with no better glue than Elmer's White glue and nothing else. I know this from having built a few. A properly done joint, kept in the proper environment, with white glue will not fail in the glue line. In fact I know of no glues other than C.A. glues that will fail in the glue line when the joint is properly prepared.
 
dustman said:
Just thoght I would throw this one out. I was watching aone of those educational programs not long ago. The program was describing the process they go thru in building peter built trucks. In the construction process they litteraly glue some of the major components together to form the cab and chassi. As i was watching the program I could only think how much easier and quicker it might be if a person could do this with a plane. I was just wondering what other folks thought about actually gluing an RV together and then getting in it and flying it.
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Some of us builders have used glue for the trailing surfaces. Although, this isn't permanent, an adhesive was used.

I don't know that I would ever trust an aircraft built with glues, adhesives or epoxies if there was a seam involved. If the seam was covered with fiberglass and epoxied - maybe.

.....that's just me.....
 
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