I was talking to my brother on the phone this evening... I've built my car, he's building an aeroplane. It's going to be a rather fast all-metal job - cruising around 200mph or so.

So I was chatting about Locosts, and why people buy air-powered riveters 'cos fixing an ali floor with 3 or 4 hundred pop-rivets is a PITA.

He then told me how many rivets he will be using on his plane - 12,500! And they're all proper ali rivets, set either with a press (where it will reach) or an air hammer. Phew!

A few years ago a load of microlights and a guy with a plane he had built himself had a bit of a meet up in a farmers field at the back of my house. Went and had a chat "As you do". The guy who built the plane had used 23,000. I was amazed.

not sure i'd fancy building my own plane!
but then perhaps he knows more about building planes than i know about cars

2600 in our 750mc locost

Can you imagine the paperwork.... Jesus....

(and yes, the CAA are officially worse than the DVLA/VOSA!!)

It's being inspected at regular intervals by the Popular Flying Association inspectors - who are sticklers for details.

He does know what he's doing - he's an ex-RAF officer who used to be in charge of aircraft maintenance, and he's a PFA inspector himself (but not for his own plane!).

He also told me the thickness of aluminium he's using - 32 thou for the main skin, slightly thicker for the more stressed areas. That's damn thin, when you pick up a set of feeler gauges as a comparison (as I did).

[Edited on 3/12/08 by David Jenkins]

If he's using that many rivets, il bet the plane will cost him more than £250

Sounds as if they are making a whole bunch of rivets held together by aluminium.
(Older readers will recognise that as a non-original comment - but what was it used to describe?)
Cheers, Pewe

Steve, get your thinking but not quite close enough.....

[Edited on 4/12/08 by pewe]

quote:

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Originally posted by pewe
Sounds as if they are making a whole bunch of rivets held together by aluminium.
(Older readers will recognise that as a non-original comment - but what was it used to describe?)
Cheers, Pewe

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