Q: Is it possible to make a completely hollow fibreglass plane

[PONDS]

Hi Everyone,

From my research , i realise there are planes which are completely hollow (fibreglass),
but im curious to find out if there are reinforcements...if so,
what kind of reinforcements do they give e.g longerons etc

what cloth weight would you recommend for a plane of like e.g 1-2m in length?

I may lack of research, so this is one of my attempts. The RC world has too many methods for a beginner. So, this post may help me with my direction of approach.


Regards,
ponds

[joe yap]

Ponds,

There are already many hollow moulded plane kits in the market since decades ago. There are no black art involved and although they are mass produced in factories, that doesn't mean that you can't make your own moulded models. My made my own pylon racer and glider fuselages from advanced composites like fibreglass and carbon fibre, at home.

If the model is not subjected to high stresses, just fibreglass cloth and resin is enough for the job. The strength and stiffness of the moulding will depend mainly on the number of laminates and cloth orientations. If the model is subjected to high stresses, carbon fibre reinforcements may be required.

Although I have not tried moulding hollow composite wings, it is still possible to do so.