Koptokaff

The plane is not for sale, but if you are interested I can give you advice on how to make your own version (meterials etc.), and sell you a fuselage
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Koptokaff is a plane I designed in the autumn 2002. We started making the fuse plug and the wings in the spring 2003 and the wings went underway quite well though they are not yet finished. We had a lot of trouble with the fuse plug because the wood wasn't dry and the plug twisted along time. We finally got it sorted and finished and suddenly came the flying season of 2003. The molds for the fuselage are finally made and we faced another problem. There were a few faults in the mold which we tried to repair (sandpaper) when we suddenly came to the point where the shiny surface was gone in the repaired places. After asking a few people we realised that we had used a mold epoxy that couldn't be polished. DOO! The mold epoxy we used was blue. Please ASK your supplier if the mold epoxy you are going to by is polishable / repaiable.

Now - spring 2005 - the fuselage molds are finished and we have made 5 fuselages. The first 2 were learning objects and we now have the recipie for a glasfibre fuselage with inner fuselage and nose cone. The wings will be finshed in 2 weeks and then the rest is up to each of us when and how to finish it.

My guestimate on the weight is 2500 grams

The pictures show the making of the first mold side.

Koptokaff data:

Span 3300mm

Area 74 sqdm

Airfoil Hd 48 modified (camber 2,8% / thickness 8,5%)

koptokoff positive in splitter plate.jpg (71452 byte) The fuselage in the splitter plate.

koptokoff fuse mold and cotton.jpg (80870 byte) The mold epoxy is in place and a mixture of cotton and epoxy is layed onto it. From left to right it is Micheal, Martin, Erik and Half of Niels Kristian (Krunder).

koptokoff fuse mold epoxy and leca.jpg (69023 byte) On the epoxy/cotton is placed a layer of 100 grams glass cloth and a layer of 600 grams"formenbaustyling" (Mold cloth). Then the box is filled with a mixture of epoxy and an insulation material called LECA (in Denmark).

koptokoff fuse mold glas over leca.jpg (63193 byte) Then another layer of the 600 grams cloth is put on top to close the box.

koptokoff fuse mold finished 2.jpg (63911 byte) The first side is finished

koptokoff fuse mold finished 1.jpg (71443 byte) The sides and the splitter plate is removed and the plug is in the mold. Soerens expression says it all: "How do we get it out of there without braking or ruining it?"

koptokoff fuse mold finish beeing ruined.jpg (85846 byte) Well we did, and only the side that was in the mold last some paint which we easilly got out on this mold side. When we made the other mold side we had more trouble and we made a few scratches which were those we wanted to repair. See above.