Dunno aboput that, Barry.
My new plane cost me about $6k US.
But then I made most all of the parts rather than
buying parts. Makes a difference.

Richard

Barry Palmer wrote:

It should be recognized that compared to boat builders, the airplane crowd
really throws money at a project. (Yeah, I know it is hard to believe there is
an easier way to dispose of excess funds than boating.) The cost of epoxy
over polyester is really not a major factor.

While a Sevtec surface effect vehicle (or sev) may cost the builder about $4000
minus for a 4 place, 30mph over water 25hp garden tractor engined machine, the
airplane builders spend maybe $40,000 and way up, more than half of that
sometimes just on the engine.

Also, skins on aircraft are very light, you cannot walk on them. Boats must
have a much more substantial build, due to this and vastly higher point and
overall loading, so the quantity of resin is far more significant. (Sevtec
does use vinyl ester resin on a manufactured craft, though, primarily as it is
claimed (though maybe not proven) that moisture penetration is less than
cheaper resins. Of course, boats use epoxy for the same reason, maybe a single
coat near at and below the waterline.

Subject: Polyester or Epoxy?
From: Richard Lamb
Date: Sat, Jan 17, 2004 11:10 AM
Message-id:

Ron Thornton wrote:

Hey Richard, just out of curiosity for the polyester crowd, how many
aircraft builders, hobby and commercial do you know of that ust
polyester?

regards, Ron

I don't recieve e-mail at this address because of spam. E-mail me
at crtsrATmsnDOTcom.

Not a single one anymore...

Even most of the kit manufacturers have changed over to epoxy.

OTOH, there is a growing use of vinyl ester resin.
It is catalized and works a lot like polyester, but with better
chemical resistance and much better physical properties.

Richard

BRBR

Barry Palmer, for A
HREF="http://members.aol.com/sevtec/sev/skmr.html"Sevtec/A