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aluminum fuselage

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jack264

Active Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
32
Does anyone know if it would be feasible to build the fuselage out of aluminum? I just like working with aluminum rather than the steel tube and fabric
 
Welding with aluminum will require an A/C TIG setup. Don't know the feasibility of making this work for a rag and tube aircraft vs something like a stressed monocoupe fuselage.
 
thanks for your input Danial. I was thinking more of a riveting verses aluminum welding. I have built a Hummelbird with this method
 
Oh, and I should ad one important point besides just liking to work with aluminum....I want to stick with the Soneri because I like the wing folding system. It would be great if anyone is or knows of someone that is knowledgeable in aircraft design
 
Last edited:
My Sonerai II with the Jabiru 2200 engine weighed 529 lbs. Therefore the useful load (1150-529) was greater than the empty weight. That's one of the things that's unique about the Sonerai Design. But if you built the fuselage as a stressed aluminum skin fabrication, your empty weight advantage is is completely lost. It might weigh 100 lbs more perhaps 150 lbs more. I doubt that you'd be able to carry a passenger or full fuel. BillE
 
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