Best homebuilt for ~700 nm commute

Jay Maynard wrote:
On 2008-07-07, wrote:
Re the Tango (composite) and RV (metal) an article in July Sport
Aviation (pg 54) addresses Drag Coefficient as a function of
construction process. The multiplier for the Drag Coefficient for
composite is 1.0-1.05 and for flush rivet metal is 1.10. Composite
can reduce drag then by 5 - 10% over a metal constructed aircraft.
Food for thought.

The flip side: what happens when it collects hangar rash? Repairing aluminum
is well known; repairing composites is not.


Exactly, which along with the health related issues associated with
building a composite aircraft is why any of us still work with aluminum.

On Jul 7, 5:29�pm, Gig 601Xl Builder
wrote:
Jay Maynard wrote:

The flip side: what happens when it collects hangar rash? Repairing aluminum
is well known; repairing composites is not.

Exactly, which along with the health related issues associated with
building a composite aircraft is why any of us still work with aluminum.

On Jul 7, 5:29�pm, Gig 601Xl Builder
wrote:
Jay Maynard wrote:


The flip side: what happens when it collects hangar rash? Repairing aluminum
is well known; repairing composites is not.

Exactly, which along with the health related issues associated with
building a composite aircraft is why any of us still work with aluminum.

I can't speak for other composite airplanes, but in building a
Tango 2 or Foxtrot 4, the whole construction process teaches you to
repair any hanger rash or major damage. In one case we had an
airplane damged that the insurance adjuster said to repair. He said
he would have scrapped it if it had it been aluminum. What does this
prove? Not much. One could throw corrosion into the discussion. If
one material was universally better than the other, the other would
disappear. Health issues? We haven't seen any.

Denny

"Gig 601Xl Builder" wrote in message
m...

Exactly, which along with the health related issues associated with
building a composite aircraft is why any of us still work with aluminum.

Aluminum is not necessarily good for your health either. The guy who used to
rebuild Piper Cherokee fuel tanks (Sky-something in NH) could not lift his
right arm over his head. He had spent too much time with a rivet gun.