updated August 28, 2004
PICTURE!
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| Carbon Fiber Seat updated August 28, 2004 |
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| I started this project by taking black posterboard and creating a template for the shape of the seat (below left). Once the template was created, I went to work building a mold for the seat using crossmembers and a piece of interior door skin that would bow enough (it cracked a little, but did the job). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| I then covered the mold with duct tape (below left). The picture missing to the right is where I added full scale models of each spar attached to each side of the mold and covered them with duct tape as well. No the mold was complete, I cut strips of 3/4" urethane foam and fit them in the mold (again, missing picture). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| MISSING PICTURE! |
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| Once foam was fitted and sanded to shape, I covered the top with two layers of carbon fiber on the top of the seat (below left). The alum angle on each side forced the carbon to wrap around the spars. In the picture to the right, you can see the result. The top is done and the "lips" are developed clip the spars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| I took an idea from Scott Cable's turtle deck mold and I belt sanded 5 groves to form "hat" supports in the seat to add strength. I positioned one in the middle to allow for the elevator torque tube to pass under. In the phote to the right (below), I micro'd the foam and layed up one layer of 3" glass tape in each grove and one along each edge where it overlays the spars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Immediately after laying up the 3" tape, I layed a single layer of carbone fiber over the entire underside (below left). I then clamped it to the mold to ensure the height of the spars was precise. finally, I clamped boards covered with wax paper on each side to simulate the spar thickness. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Well, here is the final product (below left). I need to finsh sealing each end and around the stick holes once the exact size is determined, but that will be done later. It wieghed in at 3 lbs 15 ozs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Here is the seat installed (below left). It requires no supports between the spars and is made entirely of foam, glass, and carbon fiber. I plan to make the back out of the same material and hinge it to the seat so that the whole assembly can be removed. I got this idea from Bill Clapp. The picture on the right shows just how low it gets your butt to the bottom of the fuselage. It may be slightly heavier than the the stock sling seat, but makes up for it in head room!! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Return to Dean Cooper's KR2 Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||