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Schleicher ASH31 4m

Let us all watch your new project progress.
MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

To give me nice hard skin, the plug is covered in 200gsm glass, as well as 50gsm (for a smoother finish).
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Jolly Roger
Posts: 573
Joined: 30 May 2015, 20:35
Location: Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by Jolly Roger »

Looking good Martin!
Not sure how you will pull your canopy around that plug, but if you’re using a vacforming machine you will probably need at least 3 layers of 200gsm glass. Even that wasn’t enough to stop my canopy plug being crushed (although it was my first attempt with a vacforming machine so maybe I was clumsy).

In the end I just heated the plastic with a heat gun and pulled it down over the plug by hand. By the 3rd attempt I got a pretty good result.

Rog
MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

Rog, i was planning on doing it by hand; oven heat the PETG and with a vacuum box (just a vacuum cleaner).

I'll take your advice though, as an extra couple of layers are easy enough to add, and won't change the plug size significantly.

Here is the plug after overnight cure and trimming.
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Barry_Cole

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by Barry_Cole »

Martin,
What foam did you use??

BC
MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

Barry,

I used XPS foam (different colours but same density).
Jolly Roger
Posts: 573
Joined: 30 May 2015, 20:35
Location: Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by Jolly Roger »

MartinE wrote: 15 Feb 2022, 09:12 Rog, i was planning on doing it by hand; oven heat the PETG and with a vacuum box (just a vacuum cleaner).

I'll take your advice though, as an extra couple of layers are easy enough to add, and won't change the plug size significantly.

Here is the plug after overnight cure and trimming.
That all sounds good Martin. Are you planning to extend the plug beyond the eventual cut-line, so you can cut off the distorted plastic where it has stretched around the edges of the plug? I made my plug in a similar way to you then added 15mm at the front and back, then extended the sides down to a flat base. Sorry if you already know all this!

Rog
MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

Yes indeed, that was the plan once I'm happy with the finished plug surface/shape (relative to the fuselage).
MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

2 more layers of 200gsm glass and some filler added to the plug, sanded smooth.

Now the extensions are being added, rough cut from foam.
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MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

The tailfin has been filled in & sanded smooth.

The fake tailwheel (made from 3mm ply, hollow in the middle) was bonded on.
A strip of Kevlar applied to the circumference, then covered in glass.
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MartinE
Posts: 126
Joined: 28 Oct 2021, 14:36
Location: Essex

Re: Schleicher ASH31 4m

Post by MartinE »

Tailwheel now blended in with lightweight filler.
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