X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 

Bill Freeman wrote:

snip

As to partially built composite aircraft (not premolded)
offered for sale.

I would personally *NEVER* buy a completely user-built
(i.e Rutan moldless composite type construction) composite
 homebuilt project with two exceptions ---   ONE - Before any
serious primary structure is completed, i.e. canard , center section
spar, wings, winglet attach.   or TWO - After 200 hrs of
flight.

It is essentially impossible to adequately inspect moldless
composite construction for the ply existence,  proper location,

snip>

As a high time EZ pilot and structural engineer, you have to
**TRUST** the person that built your structure, since you
essentially cannot inspect most of it effectively after it is completed.
There are few people I trust that much. Photos can help, but I am
too big a chicken to buy into this sort of a pig in a poke.

Your butt, your choice; you now know what I would do.

Sorry if this hurts somebody's feelings, but I think it needs to
be said.

Bill

Walter Williams wrote:

bill freeman  forgot  one other possibility .  take the airframe or the
pieces and jig them and sandbag load them before you pay your hard earned
money.  doesnt take long and then you know.  your fannie is not hanging out
now.  walt williams

Sadly, Bill's right, & Walt's idea won't guarantee that all is ok.

While a student pilot, I bought a Dragonfly which the owner told me had
had the canard broken & repaired. I loaded the canard to over 4 Gs, used
microphones on the surface to listen for cracking sounds, etc before
assembling the plane. On it's 2nd flight after reassembly the test pilot
(my instructor) let it bounce slightly on landing. The canard collapsed.
Inspection of the structure at the brake revealed aerosol insulation
foam used to fill voids in the foam core.
Charlie and Tupper England

Opps that kind of foam is a no no!

Landing gears need to be better than 4 G's I would say.
Six G's minimum and ten for hard landings.
That makes that kind of end-of-the-canard landing gear
too heavy. Nice try Burt but no cigar on that one :-)

Paul Lamar

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