More Cardboard planes

[Designer2010FT]

There is a Flite Test store and it sells foamboard. That is fine for those who want to use that.
However, as a complementary product, for those who want to use it, why not build and show cardboard planes?

The Pizza box flyer is one example, but a rare one.

These are the advantages:

1. Cheaper, meaning more experimentation, more models, more flying
2. Bio degradable
3. Waste material is bio degradable
4. Easily available in addition to low cost, sometimes free.

Not everyone will go cardboard, but as an alternative material, a complementary one, I might add, this is a worthwhile addition.

All to the same scale also, please, and painted, and waterproofed.

Some cardboard plane examples follow.

F-117 Nighthawk cardboard 70mm EDF Jet.

Wingspan: 28" (711 mm) Length: 38" (965 mm) Weight: 850g (no battery) with Admiral RX600 6-Channel DSMX receiver; ZTW Mantis 45A ESC; Hobby Eagle A3 PRO Gyro; (2) 9g Freewing servos; Brushless X-Fly 12 Blades 2840-KV3200 (4S) outrunner motor; Freewing hinges, clevises, hooks. Material: 3/16"...

forum.flitetest.com

Then there is Chuck Felton

Chuck's Cardboard Model Aircraft

http://www.feltondesignanddata.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webm5.jpg

http://www.feltondesignanddata.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webm10.jpg

 

[leaded50]

cardboard planes shouldnt be any problem! Perhaps a little stronger one way than the other (depending on type, and thickness)
If using that type of building materiale fits you... why not. Keep building!

 

[bisco]

i wonder if standard cardboard box cardboard is lighter or heavier than adams foam board

 

[Designer2010FT]

cardboard planes shouldnt be any problem! Perhaps a little stronger one way than the other (depending on type, and thickness)
If using that type of building materiale fits you... why not. Keep building!

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.

I am fascinated by unusual models, and saw your collection. See your profile thread.

 

[Designer2010FT]

Ok, so the corrugated cardboard is approximately 2 to 3 times heavier than 3mm foam board. However, it is a nice engineering challenge. For smaller planes it is a difficult challenge to build light, but over 50 cm span models, I can save weight by putting in a lighter battery and lighter non load bearing structures. That is the plan, anyway. The cardboard models posted on YouTube seem to fly very well, in any case.

It is not a problem of availability, I have some sheets of foam-board with me now, and even built a model with (did not fly well)

 

[Piotrsko]

Back in the day, 40 years ago....... cardboard assembly was a short term fad done because it was fast cheap and available. unlike foamboard, cardboard is dimensionally stronger 90 degrees to the corrugations, with very little following the corrugations. Makes super strong wings, meh tail feathers. You can massively increase the strength by inserting a more or less 1/16 (1.6mm for the rest of the world) diameter music wire into the corrugation. I use this method for spars or wing joining. If you bend the wire, it gives you a diehederal spar.

 

[Designer2010FT]

You can massively increase the strength by inserting a more or less 1/16 (1.6mm for the rest of the world) diameter music wire into the corrugation

I must try that idea, I have used bamboo skewers and toothpicks in some instances.

 

[Designer2010FT]

Here is a micro "1:50" scale model of an original design, that flies well (at least it flew well until I added 8 grammes of paint.
The series 1 C-17 motors are fine for this model, with 28 g of thrust total. The electronics were taken from a C-17 model purchased from Ali Express.

 

[Merv]

I must try that idea, I have used bamboo skewers and toothpicks in some instances.

I'm a big fan of bamboo skewers, they are easy to insert into carboard. Add a little polyurethane glue (gorilla glue) & you have a very strong spar. I use them in fb also. In fb you need to dig a grove in the foam.

 

[quorneng]

Yes you can use cardboard to make a plane but as a material cardboard is heavier than foam so it does need some careful design to arrive at a similar strength to weight ratio.
Making an entire plane just out of cardboard will not make the best use of the material. Better to use the material best suited to the load it has to carry or in other words exactly the sort of techniques used in full size!
A 40" wing made from cereal box cardboard on my "test" fuselage

It uses 5mm thick foam (underfloor insulation) wing ribs to support the skin.

A little heavier than the all foam original but aerodynamically just as efficient and about as strong.

.

 

[Piotrsko]

I believe the cardboard desired was intended to be corrugated box material. Typical Americanism but thanks for the short lesson of alternative construction