.018" Phenolic sheet stock

roddie Wed Jun 25, 2014 5:08 pm

I have access to a lot of this scrap stock where I work. It occurred to me that it may be useful for my models. It has a rough side and a smooth side.. and is very strong, light and pliable. It seems comparable to 1/64" plywood.. which is .015" thick. I want to try to make a small air-foiled wing using it; by cutting a sheet and forming half chord-wise.. with a spar that doubles as a bellcrank mount. It can be formed into a very small radius without splitting or kinking. The airfoil would be established by the spar and fuse cut-out. The T/E could be secured with thin double-sided film-tape. Two internal ribs at the tips only; would provide for a lead-out arrangement for control-line.

Stay tuned... I will report on progress soon.

**Cribbs74** Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:28 pm

I am tuned in. Popcorn

roddie Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:24 am

Not really any progress yet.. but I wanted to show some pics of this material.. and share some more design thoughts.

.018" Phenolic sheet stock Dsc02015

It's quite flexible.. and should be strong enough "alone".. to form a leading edge.
.018" Phenolic sheet stock Dsc02016

We use this material at work to "skin" gondola frames for paint. It is .018" (.46mm) in thickness and one side is of paint-grade smoothness.

This experiment is in building a small (22" span-110 sq.) monocoque fully symmetrical constant-chord wing.. and I will begin with building a full-span spar, which will adhere to the phenolic sheet and establish the thickness of the airfoil. The spar will be slotted for a bell-crank and pivot pin and will utilize only 3 ribs; a "central" rib for support inside the profile-fuse wing cut-out.. and tip-ribs, with the inboard one containing an adjustable lead-out guide. The outboard end of the spar will have a plastic tube for a weight-box, secured to the backside of the spar and threaded internally at the exposed end for a shortened nylon screw/cap.

For an idea of the weight.. this rolled sheet measures 317 sq. in. (22.25 x 14.25)

.018" Phenolic sheet stock Matl_w10

That's 3.2 oz. and shows the "smooth" side of the sheet. Since it will require approx. 250 sq. in. to skin a 110 sq. in wing.. I'll have to design the spar as light as possible. It's only function(s) will be to provide a bell-crank mount, establish the thickness of the airfoil and provide an attachment point for the 3 ribs used. Once secured; the phenolic skin should provide all of the strength in this monocoque design. The trailing edge skins will extend 1/2" rearward of the ribs.. and be joined either with thin d/s tape or CA glue. A conventional slot for the pushrod will be cut in the skin.

I figure that if this experiment fails.. (excess weight.. warping.. problems with skin adhesion etc.) I'm not out a whole lot other than my time invested.

fredvon4 Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:10 am

I am interested in acquiring some of this material

Do you have enough to slip two or three sheets in large envelope to me

I use a lot of 1/64 ply for elevator doubler and other structural strength on combat planes

Of course I would compensate you appropriatly

roddie Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:05 pm

fredvon4 wrote:I am interested in acquiring some of this material

Do you have enough to slip two or three sheets in large envelope to me

I use a lot of 1/64 ply for elevator doubler and other structural strength on combat planes

Of course I would compensate you appropriatly

PM sent

Sponsored content

.018" Phenolic sheet stock

.018" Phenolic sheet stock

Re: .018" Phenolic sheet stock

Re: .018" Phenolic sheet stock

Re: .018" Phenolic sheet stock

Re: .018" Phenolic sheet stock

Re: .018" Phenolic sheet stock