Originally Posted by
Agile
like the position lights, like the bearings, and the big one: The Engine.
The cabri G2 has two sections in carbon the cabin and the tail boom joined by a traditional tubular sub section
smarter in many ways:
- modules are small enough to fit in lower cost autoclave (no infusion)
- high stress attachment points (engine / transmission) are diffused away by the metal frame.
- another specialized company does it
FEA for composite materials is a very immature science, easy to model homogeneous materials like metal, quite another thing to predict behaviour of multi materials, especially with the variability of the infusion process.
I especially worry about those lifting rod attachement points in the picture below, if they go bad, the fuselage is a write off.
I suspect that Boeing, Airbus, the F1 industry, marine industry, wind farm blade industry and many others might disagree.
According to my (Aerospace Phd) son, things have moved on in the last few years...