Source for carbon fiber rods?

What's a good source for carbon fiber rods? I need something to reinforce a wing. It's on a mini-sized plane but the design is calling for a small spar, so what diameter might you recommend? They're pretty much just round, right?
Thanks!
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
I can’t find them for a reasonable price either.
I’ve had great success using bamboo skewers. I use 4 on the top & 4 on the bottom, makes a very strong wing. To stress test, a 40 inch wing supported at 30 inches, will hold 20+ pounds.
 
I can’t find them for a reasonable price either.
I’ve had great success using bamboo skewers. I use 4 on the top & 4 on the bottom, makes a very strong wing. To stress test, a 40 inch wing supported at 30 inches, will hold 20+ pounds.
Oh yeah that's right! Where's my head? Two of those will be more than enough. Thanks Merv.
 

USCATX

Member
Wind Catcher RC has the best prices I’ve seen on carbon and EPP foam. Carbon is certainly more elegant even if skewers get the job done.
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
I can’t find them for a reasonable price either.
I’ve had great success using bamboo skewers. I use 4 on the top & 4 on the bottom, makes a very strong wing. To stress test, a 40 inch wing supported at 30 inches, will hold 20+ pounds.
Do you have a Picture showing how you configure it @Merv?
 

Aireal Anarchist

Elite member
Im using 30" carbon fiber arrows, I cant say that they are all threaded the same but, I unscrewed the tips and got 8-32 threaded rod from ace hardware to screw two arrows together cut off the knocks and you have a 60" spar, I then found another piece of fiberglass tubing to bridge my joint for added reinforcement

Outer diameter 0.309”, Inner diameter 0.244”, SPINE: 500, GRAIN: 13 GPI & WEIGHT: 35 grams
hope this helps
 
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Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
Do you have a Picture showing how you configure it @Merv?
Here is a drawing of the spar layout for a swept wing. I use this layout on both the top and bottom of the wing layers. I dig out the foam to form a groove for the bamboo. I use a foam spar between the top and bottom bamboo. The idea is to form an I beam. The center spars are inserted when the wing halves are glued together. I use gorilla glue for the center spars (more working time) and hot glue for the wing skins. I have folded the standard FT wing and a wing with one bamboo across the center.

I have not been able to fold this wing …. yet, I'll keep trying. My Versa can do a square circle.
 

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joelspangler

Active member
Throwing out another option that I've found to be great. I've found that the flat carbon spars - 1x5mm or 1x6mm with lengths of 750mm or 1meter are excellent combined with foamboard. They are only stable in one direction unlike the round/square options, but in wings, you only really need stability in up/down axis. They are extremely easy to just put inside of c-fold foam spars - I glue them directly inside of the c-foldss and it really stiffen things up. I've also used them inside the paper on the leading edge of wings to make them much more durable when hitting trees or in combat. I bought mine at hobby king and they are labeled "Carbon Strip", but they are unfortunately back-ordered there now. Model Plane Foam calls them "Carbon Flats", but you'd have to buy them as part of an order with a box of foam. You almost surely could find something on ebay or aliexpress too. The Flitetest store even has some, although in weird decimal point inch measurements that aren't registering in my brain.