Firewall

I'm building a Barracuda-!/4in. plywood firewall. What is the best material for
the fire barrier? .16 stainless or .16 2024 T-3 with a layer of 1/8in.
fiberfrax sandwiched between the aluminum & the plywood? I'd like to go with
the aluminum because of weight if it & the fiberfrax are an appropriate
combination. Are there any other materials I should be considering?
Thanks!
David

A gasoline fed fire can reach a temperature of over 2000 degrees.
Aluminum will melt at 1100 degrees. The answer should be obvious.
I would use 0.016 stainless which weighs one tenth of the 0.16.


On 15 Feb 2004 03:51:29 GMT, (Flyhighdave) wrote:

I'm building a Barracuda-!/4in. plywood firewall. What is the best material for
the fire barrier? .16 stainless or .16 2024 T-3 with a layer of 1/8in.
fiberfrax sandwiched between the aluminum & the plywood? I'd like to go with
the aluminum because of weight if it & the fiberfrax are an appropriate
combination. Are there any other materials I should be considering?
Thanks!
David

My mistake! I meant to say 0.016 not 0.16. That would be a hefty chunk of
metal!
Tony Bengilis in "Firewall Forward" talks about the 2024-T3/Fiberfrax
combination as being a consideration for a firewall. The fiberfrax is what
provides the fire barrier as it withstands tremendous heat.
Anyway I'm looking to do the best thing, not the cheapest or necessarily the
lightest, although light would be nice.
Any more advice?
Thanks!
David

The aluminum over the fiberfrax is not intended to be a fire barrier. The
fiberfrax is the fire barrier and prevents the plywood behind from even
charring. The aluminum is a mechanical protection to prevent solvent and
mechanical damage to the fire protecting fiberfrax. If you have a fire
severe enough to melt the aluminum, then entire engine compartment will have
to be redone anyway.

--
Cy Galley
Editor, EAA Safety Programs
or


"Flyhighdave" wrote in message
...
My mistake! I meant to say 0.016 not 0.16. That would be a hefty chunk of
metal!
Tony Bengilis in "Firewall Forward" talks about the 2024-T3/Fiberfrax
combination as being a consideration for a firewall. The fiberfrax is what
provides the fire barrier as it withstands tremendous heat.
Anyway I'm looking to do the best thing, not the cheapest or necessarily
the
lightest, although light would be nice.
Any more advice?
Thanks!
David

(Flyhighdave) wrote:

My mistake! I meant to say 0.016 not 0.16. That would be a hefty chunk of
metal!
Tony Bengilis in "Firewall Forward" talks about the 2024-T3/Fiberfrax
combination as being a consideration for a firewall. The fiberfrax is what
provides the fire barrier as it withstands tremendous heat.
Anyway I'm looking to do the best thing, not the cheapest or necessarily the
lightest, although light would be nice.
Any more advice?
Thanks!
David

The original Vari-eze and Long-EZ plans called for a
stainless/asbestos/plywood firewall. In 1980 the Rutan Aircraft
Factory approved an aluminum/Fiberfrax/plywood substitution. The RAF
newsletter said, "Fiberfrax is as good a fire barrier as stainless
steel." Most builders switched to the aluminum/Fiberfrax/plywood
firewall.

As for in-flight fires, the NTSB database (1982 to present) has 46
homebuilt aircraft accidents with an occurrence code of "fire" or
"fire/explosion". Half of those were in-flight fires while most of
the others were fires after impact.

"Highest Injury" breakdown for the in-flight fire accidents:

None: 8
Minor: 2
Serious: 5
Fatal: 8

David O -- http://www.AirplaneZone.com

On 15 Feb 2004 03:51:29 GMT, (Flyhighdave) wrote:

:I'm building a Barracuda-!/4in. plywood firewall. What is the best material for
:the fire barrier? .16 stainless or .16 2024 T-3 with a layer of 1/8in.
:fiberfrax sandwiched between the aluminum & the plywood? I'd like to go with
:the aluminum because of weight if it & the fiberfrax are an appropriate
:combination. Are there any other materials I should be considering?
:Thanks!
avid

Best of all worlds - .012 titanium and 1/8 fiberfrax. Hard to find,
but it's out there. Any alloy will do. Ti will burn, but it takes
something like 5000 degrees to light it, and you're not going to get
that in an engine fire. Commercially pure is the easiest to work
with. Try www.tigermetals.net, their prices are good, if they have a
piece big enough for you.

In Richard Riley wrote:

Best of all worlds - .012 titanium and 1/8 fiberfrax. Hard to find,
but it's out there. Any alloy will do. Ti will burn, but it takes
something like 5000 degrees to light it, and you're not going to get
that in an engine fire.

My father in law once set a piece of titanium on fire that he was
machining in a lathe.

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email.
Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/

"Del Rawlins" wrote in message
...
In Richard Riley wrote:

Best of all worlds - .012 titanium and 1/8 fiberfrax. Hard to find,
but it's out there. Any alloy will do. Ti will burn, but it takes
something like 5000 degrees to light it, and you're not going to get
that in an engine fire.

My father in law once set a piece of titanium on fire that he was
machining in a lathe.

An entire B-one A burned to the ground here on the desert.

"Del Rawlins" wrote in message
...

My father in law once set a piece of titanium on fire that he was
machining in a lathe.

Sure it wasn't Magnesium? Titanium would be a real chore to turn in a
reg'lar lathe, for sure.

Rich S.

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:33:30 -0800, "Rich S."
wrote:

"Del Rawlins" wrote in message
...

My father in law once set a piece of titanium on fire that he was
machining in a lathe.

Sure it wasn't Magnesium? Titanium would be a real chore to turn in a
reg'lar lathe, for sure.

Rich S.


Oh, it should be easy to turn.... now, if you want to cut
it??

John