what material is best

[bjratchf]

what material does one use for building the cockpit shell... I see many of these real designs, which end up looking much like the original aircraft... are they woodcuts? Do you need carpentry tools/skills?


Brendan Ratchford
Private Pilot
Worcester KORH and Danbury KDXR Airports

[MikePowell]

Brendan,

Fiberglass sees use in commercial shells. High end commercial units tend toward metal. Most of the hobby cockpits/flightdecks seem to make use of wood or wood products. One of the more imaginative set ups I have seen placed a wood simulator enclosure under a bed frame. This raised the bed up to second tier bunkbed level. (Somehow I don't think that would be acceptable to my wife, but I think it was a wonderful solution from a teen with limited space.)

Wood has a lot going for it. You can make simple curves from thin plywood over curved ribs essentially like real aircraft construction. More complex curves on tighter radii can be handled by overlaying wood with urethane foam (floral foam is cheap) and shaping the foam. The foam can be covered with any number of things: fiberglass, paper and varnish, paper mache.


Mike
www.mikesflightdeck.com
Info for simpit builders

[dutch]

Hallo

I´ve build my cockpit-shell using thin MDF platematerial.

Just have a look at www.dutch-mountains.com for further information.

regards, daniel