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Frequently Asked
Questions
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I get started?
2. What kind of skills/background do I need?
3. Is there serious engineering behind the designs?
2. What kind of skills/background do I need?
3. Is there serious engineering behind the designs?
1. How do I get started?
Decide if you want two seats or one. Do you have more time or money? Like Lycomings, or the
Russian alternatives?
Figure these answers out, and contact us via e-mail. We'll set you up with a quick delivery of
the correct plans, parts, kits, manuals, or whatever. We are going to offer the full continuum for
you to go forward and also change your mind as your circumstances change. Nobody wants to
see another kit go unfinished!
Decide if you want two seats or one. Do you have more time or money? Like Lycomings, or the
Russian alternatives?
Figure these answers out, and contact us via e-mail. We'll set you up with a quick delivery of
the correct plans, parts, kits, manuals, or whatever. We are going to offer the full continuum for
you to go forward and also change your mind as your circumstances change. Nobody wants to
see another kit go unfinished!
2. What kind of skills/background do I need?
If you have built any homebuilt airplane already, you can do this. If you have hands-on hobbies
like cars, models, woodworking, etc., you can do this. If you can't weld, we'll sell you welded
assemblies. If you don't like sawdust, the wing kits are for you. If you don't want to buy the tools
we already own, let us make the parts for you. If you look closely at the trusses for Peaches
and the DR-109, you'll see how easy they are compared to a lot of other trusses out there. A
couple simple bends in the longerons, a lot of easy-to-reach cluster welds, and a lot of easy
notches you can do with a fancy notcher or a dressed grinding wheel. Peaches is actually set
up with all triangles and trapezoids, and it's the simplest truss we've seen yet (not to mention
one that can take Unlimited loads and more). Simple truss layout aside, we're really impressed
with Cartesian Tube's truss kits, and we are the exclusive dealer for the DR-109 (and soon
Peaches) pre-notched truss kit from those guys. Hit the links page for more on their great kits.
But, if you were to build it all completely alone (ya nut), be ready to do this...
Welding-preferably TIG, or Oxy-Acetylene
Woodworking-simple butt/lap joints, epoxy laminating and gluing
Sheet metal-layout, cutting, riveting, fastener install, bending, simple forming
Composites-wet lay-up, simple foam forms and molds
Electrical-simple wiring, crimping, soldering, and checkout with 12VDC
Plumbing-hoses, fittings, routing and clamping
Engine-install, hook-up, adjustment, etc.
There's more, but you can do this if you're mechanical at all, and if not we are ready to
help.
If you have built any homebuilt airplane already, you can do this. If you have hands-on hobbies
like cars, models, woodworking, etc., you can do this. If you can't weld, we'll sell you welded
assemblies. If you don't like sawdust, the wing kits are for you. If you don't want to buy the tools
we already own, let us make the parts for you. If you look closely at the trusses for Peaches
and the DR-109, you'll see how easy they are compared to a lot of other trusses out there. A
couple simple bends in the longerons, a lot of easy-to-reach cluster welds, and a lot of easy
notches you can do with a fancy notcher or a dressed grinding wheel. Peaches is actually set
up with all triangles and trapezoids, and it's the simplest truss we've seen yet (not to mention
one that can take Unlimited loads and more). Simple truss layout aside, we're really impressed
with Cartesian Tube's truss kits, and we are the exclusive dealer for the DR-109 (and soon
Peaches) pre-notched truss kit from those guys. Hit the links page for more on their great kits.
But, if you were to build it all completely alone (ya nut), be ready to do this...
Welding-preferably TIG, or Oxy-Acetylene
Woodworking-simple butt/lap joints, epoxy laminating and gluing
Sheet metal-layout, cutting, riveting, fastener install, bending, simple forming
Composites-wet lay-up, simple foam forms and molds
Electrical-simple wiring, crimping, soldering, and checkout with 12VDC
Plumbing-hoses, fittings, routing and clamping
Engine-install, hook-up, adjustment, etc.
There's more, but you can do this if you're mechanical at all, and if not we are ready to
help.
3. Is there serious engineering behind the designs?
Speaking about the DR-109, the truss was put through a full stress analysis using a version of
the Finite Elements Analysis tool NASTRAN, to find the stresses in each tube. These stresses
were reviewed against the failure strengths of the elements, using Von Mise's criterion and
other appropriate methods. The spar was sized using discretized sections applied to the
customary cantilever beam theory.
As for Peaches, the truss was first laid out using simple CAD tools. A finite elements analysis
was performed at the akro weight and the stresses (Von Mise's, etc) in each element were
again compared to the ultimate strengths in compression, tension, and Euler Buckling values.
The hybrid wing spar and the entire wing assembly was preliminarily sized using a method
which assigns representative areas to each sub-component based on material strength and
moment of inertia. The spar as well as entire wing was also modeled using FEA for determining
the tip deflection under load (a simple way to watch risk of fatigue) and the stresses throughout.
A shorter test spar was built to determine the exact failure mechanism and to validate the
computer (and pencil) analyses. The results of this spar test are still to be found, as the test is
to begin by the second week of August. The resulting failure footage from a high speed camera
and load/deflection measurements will be used to adjust the analyses and perform a redesign if
needed, before a complete spar is built. Because we're intent on this spar being as light and
strong as possible, we're tooled up to built the spar caps super-straight and clean in our facility
and make the final spar glue-up a no-brainer for you.
All these big words aside, for a large part of the parts we're using in our designs, you can look
at similar aircraft and tell that the whole community owes its roots to a choice few. The Smith
Mini-Plane, Pitts S-1, and more are examples of the "it's worked for decades-don't change it..."
school of designing for the function of the part. We at AAW aren't going to redesign the wheel
(or at least not all of them at once!) Look at the wire-braced tails on our designs. You can't get
much simpler to fab it right. We've been working with Bill Scheunemann at Precision
Aero-Marine since the early 1990's, and we rely on his experience just as much as the books,
pencils, and code.
So short answer? You bet there's serious engineering, and it's backed up by the
experience and know-how you don't get from the degree, too.
Speaking about the DR-109, the truss was put through a full stress analysis using a version of
the Finite Elements Analysis tool NASTRAN, to find the stresses in each tube. These stresses
were reviewed against the failure strengths of the elements, using Von Mise's criterion and
other appropriate methods. The spar was sized using discretized sections applied to the
customary cantilever beam theory.
As for Peaches, the truss was first laid out using simple CAD tools. A finite elements analysis
was performed at the akro weight and the stresses (Von Mise's, etc) in each element were
again compared to the ultimate strengths in compression, tension, and Euler Buckling values.
The hybrid wing spar and the entire wing assembly was preliminarily sized using a method
which assigns representative areas to each sub-component based on material strength and
moment of inertia. The spar as well as entire wing was also modeled using FEA for determining
the tip deflection under load (a simple way to watch risk of fatigue) and the stresses throughout.
A shorter test spar was built to determine the exact failure mechanism and to validate the
computer (and pencil) analyses. The results of this spar test are still to be found, as the test is
to begin by the second week of August. The resulting failure footage from a high speed camera
and load/deflection measurements will be used to adjust the analyses and perform a redesign if
needed, before a complete spar is built. Because we're intent on this spar being as light and
strong as possible, we're tooled up to built the spar caps super-straight and clean in our facility
and make the final spar glue-up a no-brainer for you.
All these big words aside, for a large part of the parts we're using in our designs, you can look
at similar aircraft and tell that the whole community owes its roots to a choice few. The Smith
Mini-Plane, Pitts S-1, and more are examples of the "it's worked for decades-don't change it..."
school of designing for the function of the part. We at AAW aren't going to redesign the wheel
(or at least not all of them at once!) Look at the wire-braced tails on our designs. You can't get
much simpler to fab it right. We've been working with Bill Scheunemann at Precision
Aero-Marine since the early 1990's, and we rely on his experience just as much as the books,
pencils, and code.
So short answer? You bet there's serious engineering, and it's backed up by the
experience and know-how you don't get from the degree, too.