Smaller Wheel, Different Tail

another version with tractor engine

We said that the layout was definitive, well, no. We're still checking out alternate layouts.

simplified structure using rigid struts

A simpler fuselage using thick, rigid struts to take the principal flight loads in positive and negative G. The fairing is the same, it's just not shown in these images

straight line fuselage

The fuselage has been modified. It's still a 60 mm wide box section but it's all made out of straight lines. The material is carbon reinforced wood and we had two reasons to migrate to a straight line shape, one is simplicity of construction (each straight segment can be a rectangle of 1mm plywood, overlapped with the next)  and also ease of reinforcement by straight carbon fiber rods included inside the structure seams. In this layout, the pilot is also lying down a bit more, to reduce frontal area and interference with the wing.

Project Rendering

Leading Edge D-Structure: 2.3 kg

3 meter long leading edge D structure, carries all flight loads for +6 -3 g. 2.3 kilograms including the fiberglass on the web faces. Will go up to 2.5 or 2.7 kilos when I include the metal fittings, and there will be about 100-200 g of glue. But it's still pretty light. Notice in the spar, the balsa wood, which is 120 kg/m3, is replaced by 28 kg/m3 foam on the outer 110 cm of the wing.

Detailed Wing Structure

I'm working on the detailed wing structural model, starting with the front D-Section.
Ribs - 20 mm extruded polystyrene 28 kg/m3
Spar is 100 x 10 x 3000 mm dimension
Spar Caps - unidirectional carbon
Spar Web - Vertical Grain Light Balsa, 120 kg/m3
Spar Faces - 45 deg. fiberglass 0.2-0.5 mm thick to be determined
D-Section shell: 0.8 mm aicraft plywood
Strut attachment is not yet in place in these pictures (it will be at 50% span)