On 13 Mar 2007 14:47:13 -0700, "dirigible designer"
wrote:

I'm making an eight-foot study model of a personal lifting body
dirigible design of mine. I believe the ribs will be made of
fiberglass and widely-spaced for lightness. I want the skin to be
aluminum sheet.
It would be desirable to avoid installing a rib for every seam
between sheets of aluminum. So, I would like some advice on what is
the state of the art with infallible glue joints between hard aluminum
sheets.
I imagine there is no alternative to crimping the meeting edges as
is done when sewing two sheets of cloth together.
No way am I interested in rivets.

Several horse trailer manufacturers attach the outer skin with
adhesive and double sided tape.

--Andy Asberry--
------Texas-----