Wooden plane outside storage

[Soleair]

I hope this doesn't revisit a past thread, but I would value informed comment.

 

I want to build a wood & fabric plane (Super Koala or MiniMax), but am concerned about hangarage costs.

 

Is it possible to store a wooden structured plane outside all year without damage from sun & rain?

 

I'm wondering if some form of insulated cover would work. Has anyone tried this successfully?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I looked @ a VP1 that had been left out in the weather. not pretty. you will need to seal the frame to stop moisture getting into it.

 

 

[facthunter]

Woodn't try it with wood. Wooden be pretty. Sun for the fabric and heat and moisture change for the wood. No good. Nev

 

 

[geoffreywh]

really simple answer, no

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Im building a Pietenpol Air Camper with a 3 piece wing. I can trailer it and store in my garage if needed.

 

Scotty

 

 

[dazza 38]

I hope this doesn't revisit a past thread, but I would value informed comment.I want to build a wood & fabric plane (Super Koala or MiniMax), but am concerned about hangarage costs.

Is it possible to store a wooden structured plane outside all year without damage from sun & rain?

 

I'm wondering if some form of insulated cover would work. Has anyone tried this successfully?

no

 

 

[Gforce]

100% NO !

 

 

[Soleair]

I'm getting the impression it's not a good idea, then. . .

 

Thanks, guys. Worth an ask.

 

 

[rdarby]

What about just buying one? You can get a Koala for pretty cheap, probably cheaper than building. There was one on this site for $10k or less I remember. That could leave enough money left for a hangar?

 

 

[Admin]

How would one of those cheap temp igloo style fabric hangars go for a wooden aircraft?

 

 

[ayavner]

You'd also have to consider moisture evaporating up from the ground...

 

 

[geoffreywh]

I would think that the igloo type is probably ok. My hangar has a dirt floor I dont see much evidence of condensation. Although a concrete floor is preferable. You pay your money and take your choice...

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

If going to the extent of a concrete floor then one with a plastic moisture barrier (ala Orange plastic) for a few more dollars is the go I reckon

 

Andy

 

 

[Deskpilot]

getting back to the plane itself, why not build it all of wood and then seal it with a Wests System f/glass and high gloss glaze. Imagine a good selection of wood colour and grain, no need to paint, and have all metal parts that are on show, gold/anodised. A bit nautical like but hey, it'd be a standout in a crowd.

 

Brown or gold perspex screens would look nice but not sure what it'd be like from the inside. Brass instrument surrounds maybe?

 

I'll get my coat............

 

 

[metalman]

My plane is in an igloo type hangar , seems pretty good although if it blowing the dog off the chain it gets wet. The biggest thing I feel is regular use, every machine suffers if its just left for long periods, my plane gets used probably twice a week so I'm always blowing the mould spoors and the spiders out,

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I thought the hot cold daily cycle and dew was what destroyed wooden. That and mold.

 

 

[facthunter]

Changes of humidity and mould are bad for them Any coating you add thickly makes them heavy. I like wood (Nature's composite) but I wouldn't want an old wooden plane, that hadn't been kept out of the elements. All planes should be hangared. They are pretty delicate things . You wouldn't leave a lawnmower out in the rain for a year and expect it to go. Nev

 

 

[Soleair]

Igloo sounds good, but I'm not sure the airfield would be overjoyed. Particularly if I laid a concrete slab

 

It's true wood comes up beautifully when coated with clear West epoxy. I did that on a dinghy I built once, & it looked superb. But I wouldn't do it on a plane because of the weight. Wood is excellent for strength to weight, but coated in epoxy & fibreglass it would lose much of it's advantage over ally or composites. That's prolly why plans call for varnish, where most of the solvent evaporates.

 

So it's back to researching wooden planes with genuinely deriggable wings. I gather the MiniMax is a pain to derig on a regular basis, & I'm not that keen on disconnecting control systems every flight.

 

Oh well. If it was cheap & easy, everybody would do it, then we'd be regulated out of the sky instead.

 

 

[Soleair]

On another topic, if you're interested in homebuilding & in particular engines, see my VW rant in the Firewall Forward forum.

 

 

[Methusala]

Only wooden aircraft that I've ever seen in natural finish was a Messerschmidt ( I think it may have been a racer) in the Deutsches Museum in Munich. It looked fantastic, built in the early 30's I reckon. Don't know of any others. Don

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Just buy a tensioned fabric structure - very effective at stopping sun and rain and dirt cheap (especially with a dirt floor). Alternatively I did an el-cheapo raised wooden floor in mine with sheets of particleboard sitting on timber pallets. As long as you don't get creatures living underneath or thieves paying a visit it's all good.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Just an image or 2 of graceful, wooden planes.

 

 

 

 

[Soleair]

Wow! Those planes are just so beautiful. Bet they wouldn't need much power to push them along, either. Why aren't SLMG more popular?

 

 

[DGL Fox]

You could go to any of the cheap shops or camping stores and get some of those interlocking rubber mats, lay down some thick black plastic and then lay the mats on top of that, it would make a pretty nice floor that would be cheap and impervious to water coming up out of the ground and would probably keep the airfield owners happy, a win win...

 

David

 

 

[fly_tornado]

or just get some old carpet. its cheap and plentiful