Steve you have to think about what you just wrote there. Not much difference
between foam and ply except for density and weight. If the skin is properly
laid up per manufacturers spec the resulting structure will be the same.
Mahogany ply is widely available around the world and has been used for
years in aircraft construction the same as spruce. Reinforcing these woods
with glass, whether E, S (my preference due to it's low cost and higher
resistance to heat), Kevlar or Carbon will only make the resulting structure
stronger. None of this is engineering but only logic as both wood and foam
absorb resin during the lay-up process. Edwardo's idea allows a much easier
fuselage construction in my humble opinion as the wood formers definitely
take the guesswork out of sanding the foam to shape and assure that both
sides are identical. It also allows an infinite choice of shapes as
witnessed by the War Replica designs that follow the KR type box boat with
wooden formers added to allow the builder to replicate what ever design
he/she has chosen.
Doug Rupert
Simcoe Ontario
