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Old 16th Jul 2013, 13:05
  #356 (permalink)  
blakmax
 
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A word of caution

Composite gliders are around since the mid 50s and composite repair to primary structure are common business since the 60s. There are companies around that repair CFRP wings completely broken in several pieces for 25 years, and there is up to now no airframe loss attributed to a faulty repair. Did it myself, and the first time you do aerobatics in a glider where once the wing was in pueces is a bit on an interesting moment. Composite repair technology is known and field proven for decades.
There is a significant difference between glider (and surfboard) repairs involving fibre-glass materials and that is the elastic modulus of carbon is much higher. Because of the higher stiffness, load transfer through adhesive bonds is much more demanding. For low modulus fibre glass, load transfer is much more gradual and so reliance on just the repair resin system is appropriate. In carbon fibre repairs, the demands of the high stiffness caused by the higher modulus are such that the brittle nature of resin systems virtually demands that the joint is formed by a more ductile system such as an adhesive.

So it does not necessarily mean that "sufboard" repair technology is as appropriate for carbon structures.

Be careful in assuming that just because it is a fibre composite that old technology repairs can provide the same level of structural integrity.
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