> Vacuum bagging is no problem, we do it on almost every part we make.
> I don't think i'm too worried about fire personally. The general layout
> is important.
> The spacers need to be inserted prior to thermal cure. The mold would
> need to have
> the sides needed for a motor mount built in. This part might be best
> done male-molded.
> The vacuum bagging would give a super finish anyway.
> Bill
>
> Good idea on the built in motor mount. We considered this
> a long time ago sand cast in aluminum but the heavy weight was
> discouraging.
>
> Carbon fiber would be another matter entirely.
> Here are a few old dwgs. It would have to be redesigned
> for carbon fiber. I'll work on it.
>
> -- Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
>
> Paul,
> The motor mounts need not be actually made from the mold. The flat
> sides George did for the aluminum BH would work too. That said if the
> shape could be kept somewhat simple it would be lightest to mold them
> in. A thin rib is difficult to set up in the mold of course. A fluted
> shape is better while still being removable.
> Bill
This is an opportunity to separate the bell housing and motor mounts.
As the design stands right now, you would have to pull the engine to
service the drive. Not too slick in my opinion. Jerry
I see what you are saying Jerry but it is not entirely necessary.
One could use a bunch of 1/4 inch nut plates and remove
the long 1/4 inches bolts when one wanted to inspect or service
the drive.
I think I have come up with a way of reducing the cost at the
expenses of a little extra weight. Back to some sort of
sandwich. 13 layers of pure carbon would cost about $600.
If you could cut that down to about 4 layers the cost would
be about $180 for carbon. Wood is not the most fireproof
material but it is probably no worse than epoxy resin.
Flat sheets of 1/8 inch thick aircraft plywood
could act as the core in all flat surfaces as there
are several in this design. Narrow strips of this ply wood
side by side could be used in the curved surfaces. In the radii
several more layers of scrap carbon could be used. The labor would
be higher but several hundred dollars may be taken out of
the cost.
Tony why don't you run this idea by Dave and see what he says.
I also thought of using 1/8 inch aluminum as the core but the weight
savings would probably not be justified by the increased
cost of the carbon/aluminum bell housing. A high pressure die
casting is already as little as 1/8 inch thick in some areas.
Yogi's idea of sand cast magnesium is also a pretty good idea.
I think the Mistral bell housing is cast in magnesium.
Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
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