Netters
Search the archives and I am sure you will find a comment from one of the more
learned builders cautioning against randomly adding your own "reinforcements"
to assemblies with out first testing the results. The WAFS have never failed
when properly built, and I fly behind them and trust them fully. The wrappings
of carbon fiber I believe is a BAD idea. Many metals gain their strength in
their ability to flex with loads, not remain rigid. If you stiffen the WAFs
with carbon fiber, the mixing of the two materials may lead to the initial
loads being taken by the CF and then when it breaks, abruptly load the WAFs
instead of a gradual load causing them to be stressed by a snapping shearing
force instead of a tensile gradually applied load. This sudden load may exceed
the strength of the WAF when normally it would not due to the sudden
application of force. Also future inspection becomes impossible and it is
possible to then have what is now a BAD problem with Long Eze and Vari Eze
aircraft where the wing attach hardware is being found to have corroded and
allow the wing to fall off if not replaced. You would not be able to see the
corrosion buildup, until during pre-flight you noticed excessive movement of
the wing. What the builder did who built mine is he extended the wood through
the front WAFs so that the bolts travel through the WAF AND the wood in order
to connect the wings, making for as close to solid wings as you can get with
them still removable. Other areas of the aircraft are going to give you
problems way before the WAFs do, focus on those areas, and don't try to
re-invent the wheel. That part aint broke, so don't try to "fix it".
FLY SAFE!
Colin & Bev Rainey
KR2(td) N96TA
Sanford, FL
crain...@cfl.rr.com
http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html
