In a message dated 2/29/2004 10:08:28 PM Central Standard Time,
Newlan2dl@aol.com writes:
All your points are valid. There is a very large tolerance for
structures in these aircraft due to the "knucklehead factor". I suspect
most planes we've seen are pretty well done structurally, whether the sticky
stuff is kept beyond the recommended shelf life or not. For REALLY
CRITICAL things, I get new resin and I don't mind spending a few extra
bucks. But in reality, when Martin did the structural analysis, I think
he had to design to the level of village idiot. Well, maybe a step above
that. But a reasonable designer would figure that not everyone is
equally talented and some excess tolerance should be given to those who's
skills are somewaht deficient.
Do I think I will keep this plane forever? No I don't. I'll
probably need to sell it at some point for the next one to be flying. So
I will plan on doing a very professional job and documenting it.
Remember, as soon as someone makes something idot proof, they build a
better idiot!
Dan,
Righto. I have used old epoxy for non-structural doodads (a technical
term) while I have taken care to use epoxy within its shelf life date stamp for
the important stuff. Remember, some of us actually built the wings onto
the spars before those new-fangled fast-build kits emerged from the primordal
flox swamp. Some of us long for the aroma of Saf-T-Poxy II, patiently
waiting for the cure whilst new builders watch their 1/4 cup of Jeffco boil off
because they thoughtfully lingered over some 2-inch-square pretty-boy cosmetic
1-bid patch (I think of Dennis Miller spouting that out at a mile a
minute).
I think the phrase you were looking for is:
There is no such thing as a foolproof device since fools are so
ingenious.
Scott Krueger
AKA Grayhawk
Sky2high@aol.com
II-P N92EX IO320 Aurora, IL
(KARR)
"...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know
we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are
some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we
don't know we don't know." D. Rumsfeld