Here's the single ribbed wing I did based on the style used in the PhlatFoil. Since I don't have a Phlatprinter yet, I haven't tested this yet, but I've added the corrections that Mark suggested when he cut one out. This wing isn't a plane in itself so I'm not sure if this is the right spot to put it. I designed it as a simple 'standard' wing I could put on different aircraft. It's made to have two 1/4" carbon tubes inserted through at least two ribs on one end or the other. Then you could slide the wing on some rods going through the airframe of whatever craft you put them on. Feel free to give me some feedback on this, I'll try correcting anything that's wrong with it. But until I get my MKII I won't know unless you tell me.

Attached files SelfRibbedWing.cnc (25.6 KB)Â SelfRibbedWing.skp (1023.6 KB)Â

 

This is a nice design, it's going to be surprisingly strong. The only suggestion I have is to make sure to account for the foam thickness, and also the fact that blue foam with skin on one side, depron, and possibly other foams hold their dimension on the skin opposite the grooved (routed) side of the foam. That means all your dimension on the inside of the wing will shrink. This isn't as big as a deal as it sounds, you'll see this effect when you cut and assemble your first wing, and then you can adjust anything that is off before you cut the second wing and assemble it. Here are some photos of similar foam wing build ups I did a while back on some of my plane designs:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MeisterTek/PrizmReconAircraft?authkey=Gv1sRgCMu0xYP128_BnAE#
http://picasaweb.google.com/MeisterTek/PrizmOne#

 

That's a nice design, and thanks for posting it!
Although I don't have the time for running my PP right now (too much work to do on my work-shed), I have taken advantage of the privilege of downloading it.

 

Mark cut a prototype of this wing out before he left and I used what he came up with to adjust everything for the foam thickness. It may need more adjustment, but it should be much closer now than it was.

I'm working on another project at the moment, but as soon as I get done with it I will make a full fuselage trainer stlye plane that uses a set of these wings.

 

I was going to start out with two different bodies for the wing, a trainer like high wing, then a mid or low wing style. I also wanted to do a bi-plane, but haven't really thought about any of the connections for that. The only real problem I see is getting dihedral in the wings. I was thinking of modding the wing slightly to make it a left or right by switching the place of the main carbon tube and the wing spar. that way the rods from the fuselage could cross each other and therefore be set at an angle. (reading that back to myself, I'm not sure I made any sense.. Nyquill talking)
I did figure out a fowler flap for it with a little extra work, And I think that I should add a marked place for a mini-servo in it. And just in the back of my head I put together a plane using 4 of these wing sections to make a 12ft wing span candy bomber, but I don't know if it would hold up to the stress, would look cool.

 

With the right spar, Gefahren, it will work fine with 12' span. Two 3/8" tubes and it will fly like a charm. I want some of those candies.

 

Folding the fuselage out of one piece or two like the wing does sound really interesting. It would limit the lenght of the fuselage to 42" for the blue foam. But I'm sure I could get a few more inches for the tail hangin off the back and the motor hanging on the front. I think I'd fold the formers in from the sides instead of from the bottom, doing them in left right pairs that fold opposite directions and hook into each others cutout, kinda forming a box shape. Hmm, if my head wasn't so stuffy I'd probably start on that now, but it's gonna have to wait untill I can think, and breath. I think I'll do it as a taildragger, that's easier since the firewall can be the mount for the landing gear too, think of those old timer planes with the wheels on either side of the prop. hmm, brain trying to work... I'll try posting a 'concept' picture tommorrow evening.

 

Well, it took me longer than expected to get anything together for a 'concept'. Alot going on here with everyone getting sick and my car breaking, Ahh well.. Anyways I think I decided against some of the old-timer style. They all look like boxes in cross section and curved airplanes should be fairly easy on the phlatprinter. So it's ended up looking more like a generic cessna. I am setting things up to either be a tail dragger or a tri-gear plane. Of course I had planned on ordering a MKII on tuesday the 18th (my birthday) but with the doctor bills for my wife and daughter(the things they bring home from daycare...) and now I have to have a new CV axle in my car it looks like I'm gonna have to wait another month At least this way my wife won't get jealous that my present to myself cost more than my present to her (her birthday is tuesday also).

Got some more work done while watching mark try to get the surferdude out of the tree. Attached files

 

Well, I'm in a little luck with my car. My brother is a Master Certified Nissan tech, who just became a Matco tool guy. Also the general manager where I work restores cars as a hobby. So I have access to all the advice I could hope for.

Yea, It will be about a 76" wingspan when it's done sorta close to one of those senior telemasters. I'm still workin on how to make the formers, or partial formers be cut from the 'shell' of the fuselage, but right now just the shell is one piece. Although to make it fit on a 42" piece of foam I'm gonna have to split it in two. Should be a relaxing slow flyer. I did come up with a way to make all the formers part of the fuselage before I started making it all rounded, I'll probably use that on an aerobatic plane at a later date.

 

Well, my brother helped all he could on my car, but the CV axel turned out to be in perfect condition, it was the transaxel that broke, I lost some teeth out of the differential. So instead of putting money into a 13 year old 4 cyl. 90 hp sub compact I had to bite the bullet. NOW, I have a Ford Expedition, V8, 300hp, ect.. ect.. Feels like I have all the room in the world, I can HAUL airplanes instead of just packing ONE in. I'm happy with the upgrade but I had to use my Phlatprinter money for the downpayment and tag, ect... So now I'll have to wait till Christmas.

As far as the one piece fuse, I trashed the sketchup file of what I had and am redoing it from scratch, I promise to post it by this weekend, I got distracted by a new computer game from my birthday and haven't done any work on it since then, but I've already beat the game now so back to work for me!