Most people can’t appreciate just how much work goes into all of this. From concept, to modeling, to a steady hand making the final cut. It’s Insane. You guys have inadvertently taught me so much about the engineering process and the nuance of manufacturing involved. Not sure wether to thank you or ask for a bill. Keep it going!!! Can’t wait to see this thing fly!!
Awesome. I love your videos, as well as Mike Patey's .You all have some things in common (besides an obvious love for aviation) attention to detail, the ability to foresee problems before they happen, and the unwillingness to accept any work which is not perfect (or at least as good as you can possibly get it). Even if someone is not all that into aviation, anyone can appreciate and learn a lot from the conscientious way that you guys go about your projects.
You guys are airplane Mozarts, unbelievable! 👌🏻 What a huge leap in progress! Please don't wait too long with the follow up video. I'd love to see her sitting on her wheels! 😀
I like it. It is a very good start. When you come up with same quality and performance for 4 and 6 place single engine, then I be investing in your kit.
Merry Christmas to you three. You've killed it in 2021 while sharing the knowledge to attained along the way. So amazing to see the opensource knowledge base expanding especially in such an industry. Be blessed. Can't wait to see your wins in 2022 when it finally goes wheels up!
Amazing work. My 2 brothers and I rarely see or speak to each other, warming to see the three of you being able to work so closely together. Happy Holidays!
Hey just want to compliment you guys on your PPE usage, it's hard to maintain and it's thankless, and you'll probably still get weirdos that think you're not doing enough, but having worked in aerospace you're executing that compliment better than some of the pros. Great job!
From Blériot XI to Webb space telescope then Darkaero 1, I admire intelligent peaceful inquiries solving flight engineering challenges. Make good on your homegrown sucess.
Much of the progress this year has felt slow because on any given day there was limited visual progress. All of the work in this video felt like a lot was happening quickly so it was satisfying and exciting to accomplish!
Riley, River and Keegan - It has been a great year for the three of you. You have made incredible progress, and all of us here on the Web are eagerly awaiting each new installment of your saga. Of course, the one we want to see the most is that of First Flight!... at least it continues to get closer. Keep up the great work, but make sure to take some time off for yourselves. Merry Christmas!
Sitting an airplane on the gear for the first time is traditionally a major celebrated event in aerospace... I hope you have something fin planned. It's been fun watching the journey.
I’m just obsessed with this plane! Can’t wait to see the day it stands all completed and in it’s full glory. I find myself getting distracted during the day just thinking about this plane and imagining what it’d look like finally. I pray you succeed guys, and I hope to be able to walk into your hangar and shake your hand and order one someday… a sleek 4-seater, fully decked out version of this one though! 😉😉
Ive been watching your videos for a long time, I do see the dedication in your team effort, be proud gentleman , can't wait for the finished product :)
Merry Christmas! This was the perfect Christmas present (and a bit of a tease too!) was hoping to see the D.A1 on all threes, even if not completed. Can’t also wait to to see how the interior will finally look like and if possible what kind of flight instrument panels you’re going to use. Can’t wait! Wishing you guys greater strides in the coming year!
it's incredible how the carbon/honeycomb sandwich looks so flimsy, attached by only the edge, yet that thing probably can take me and 3 other friends standing on it, man composites are crazy
Merry Christmas, guys. Thanks for the Xometry add-in to Fusion - nice to have. It has been an incredible year, in so many ways (good and bad), and following your venture and learning along the way has been a great experience. Here is to a great and prosperous New Year for you and your family. I can't wait to see her fly ......
It is kinda trippy finally seeing things come into reality after visualizing them in our minds and in the computer for so long. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
wow a ton of progress in that video. and I also realized Ryley, you and the brothers are NEAT freaks. Meant in a good way. wish I was that neat. Merry Christmas.
As always, love watching you guys create and build this cool little aircraft. It’s a fascinating project! Keep it up and wishing you a great and successful new year
When cutting holes through structural members, it's helpful to slightly overdrill the diameter and glue a solid collar in the hole. The collar helps distribute stress, thereby avoiding point stress common to many modes of failure. For your honeycomb sandwiched between carbon-fiber layers, it may be helpful to user two collars, each with a narrow flange. This creates a U-channel covering the exposed edges of the honeycomb matrix.
How strong is the joint when they use adhesive to the honey comb (the thin edge of cf is negligible). Assuming the adhesive is unbreakable, would not the honey comb just disintegrate when stressed, Would it not be a good idea to over lap a layer carbon fiber over the join area (after gluing together) to take the load off the honey comb and back onto the carbon fiber surfaces.
I know I should care about how good an aeroplane it is. But I don't, really - not yet. At the moment it is a beautiful piece of art! It is stunning, and I can't wait to see it complete. Watching it dance about the sky will be such a wonderful sight. Great work - 2022 is already looking bright.
Your CAD work and CNC is exquisite! I was wondering about the CG change when the gear is retracted. How much rear CG does it cause? or is the airplane Nose Heavy when gear is extended?
Hi, you call the struts behind the gear leg the drag links. These struts are under tension when the aircraft sits on the ground, but what happens if you brake? Then tey are loaded under compression, and I see no provisions to take that load. Same with nose gear. Did I miss something? Jaques
Are the skins and bulkheads held together with just that fillet of epoxy? I’m surprised you don’t need to tab them with a some glass or carbon fiber tape.
Good work, I’ve been an aerospace engineer for 25 years, and I have never worked on carbon fiber, I’m sure it must be difficult. I have thoughts on geometric locks on UCs…. but the internet is full of people and their opinions!
After you get the belly skin on after the landing gear is installed, have you given any thought to getting access if any mechanical repairs are needed? A fracture from a hard landing as an example, or inspecting the landing gear & structure during the annual?
What type of glue are you using for bonding skins to frames? Is there thickening additives used, fillets in corners and any tabbing afterwards? Would like to see more of the details in that regard.
just a food for thought, leave some room in the designs for access panels for inspections, maintenance in critical areas if you haven't already, might help in the future.
Hi Team, I recently come across the Airbus A350 paint issue and realised that there will be copper mesh for a lightning strike, Since you guys are using carbon composites what is your plan on lighting strike can you plz explain how external texture will be, How it will affect the aerodynamics and how the paint will stick to the uneven surface and sustain thermodynamic effect of the metal, Please reply or address this in your next video, Lot of respect for your team from India.
Also you could find the center of mass by using car weight scales when the airplane is complete, one scale on the nose gear and two for the main gear. You would then figure out the center of mass of the landing gear, so you could calculate how the center of mass of the entire airplane moves back when the gear is up.
After drilling any holes in the carbon fiber panels, do you consider finishing the rough edges according to standards(grounded edges etc.)? Cause unfinished edges can be a source of crack initiation sites ultimately leading to brittle fracture under tensile loads resulting from fatigue.
Can't believe someone hasn't commented on the tv fireplace in the background! Haha hilarious. Can't imagine how cold it gets in that hangar this time of year. Great progress guys, and as always I love your methodology! Merry Christmas 🎄
Can’t tell but did you guys use a layer of glass where the gear mounts to the fuse? If you didn’t you run the risk of galvanic corrosion with the aluminum parts if they get wet. Carbon bike frames usually have glass around the areas that have bolts or water bottle bosses bonded to stop the corrosion. Otherwise it’s a work of art!
Been catching up watching your videos, I'm still a little behind, viewed this one today. I enjoy them since I've always liked designing and building. I am curious if the cg moves back significantly when retracting the gear. Will gross weight and takeoff balance calculations need to be compensated for the shift? An example would be with best angle of climb being the closest takeoff configuration to a stall, any weight shift rearward will bring it closer to one.
A really big project. you are building a prototype here, so i wonder if you just want to glue the torso ribs later on? I can't see it in detail, but are you really just sticking? then the connection only exists via the two outer layers of the sandwich plate? and are the open aluminum honeycombs still sealed? this would give the Calvanian corrosion a free hand ... Anyway, I find the plane really exciting and unbelievable that you do everything yourself.
How much travel do you safely have in the landing gear? It looks like the trailing link design is awesome - but only has a few inches (maybe 10) of usable travel. I think some of my landings need more. 😊
Are your carbon fiber -honeycomb aluminum core components a Hexcel product? Hexcel was has made a wide variety of this carbon comb composite for a huge number of varied applications. Including skis. Very interesting build. Can't wait to see the first flights
Merry Christmas guys! Awesome work and can’t wait to see the next video! Question - Are you considering a design update for kit production that creates datum features in the parts so that they self align? Integral flanges that the bulk heads bank against perhaps? CNC router drilled Cleco holes in mating parts perhaps? Not just in the fuselage, but wing too. You have an amazing design for high performance and manufacturability, but after building the prototype I bet you learn some things that you wish were even easier to build. Finding solutions to make it snap together rapidly will surely provide you with VANS level success! Something like the composite construction equivalent to VANS CNC drilled rivet holes in skins…
Merry Christmas David! We do use a number of alignment features, such as tab and slots in the bulkheads, but you are correct that we want to add many more alignment features for production. You do come up with improvement ideas while building the airplane. The construction process adds another layer of refinement onto the design that you just cannot achieve in the CAD world.
And to add to David’s great ideas: my build included permanent installation of bubble levels in key locations (both wheel wells; cockpit floor/console; each wing under an inspection panel). It’s so easy to Jack & level the aircraft during construction, AND especially once complete for maintenance/inspection, servicing, weight & balance, fuel flow & distribution. Maybe you guys just add true/flat surfaces, where the owner can place/tape bubble levels in real quick & easy. Absolutely love what you guys are doing and am so happy to see such a great design taking shape: keep going toward greatness!
I am a bit confused as to how the bonding works in this situation with aluminum cells between carbon sheets. It appears that your bond area is only at the very thin and sharp edges of the carbon. Without using flox-and-resin at the corners, the radius of those bonds seems very small. It may be that your adhesive is incredibly tough but I would have thought you’d want a larger radius at the bond point for more surface area. Or does it successfully bond across the honeycomb also?
I take it you filled the honeycomb edges before bonding? try cleco clamps and trad. sheetmetal techniques. If it needs inspection, the panel needs to come off. Consider if you have to stick more than your shoulder in the aircraft on the ground during a routine. bonding bonding bonding! lightning strikes are brutal to carbon.
Most people can’t appreciate just how much work goes into all of this. From concept, to modeling, to a steady hand making the final cut. It’s Insane. You guys have inadvertently taught me so much about the engineering process and the nuance of manufacturing involved. Not sure wether to thank you or ask for a bill. Keep it going!!! Can’t wait to see this thing fly!!
Next level kit plane right here. You guys are setting the bar really high!
Thanks for sharing how you quoted with Xometry on Fusion 360
Awesome. I love your videos, as well as Mike Patey's .You all have some things in common (besides an obvious love for aviation) attention to detail, the ability to foresee problems before they happen, and the unwillingness to accept any work which is not perfect (or at least as good as you can possibly get it). Even if someone is not all that into aviation, anyone can appreciate and learn a lot from the conscientious way that you guys go about your projects.
You guys are airplane Mozarts, unbelievable! 👌🏻 What a huge leap in progress! Please don't wait too long with the follow up video. I'd love to see her sitting on her wheels! 😀
The video of the airplane up on the gear will be coming out shortly! We are really excited to show the next chapter!
@@DarkAeroInc We're all excited to watch! 😀
I like it. It is a very good start. When you come up with same quality and performance for 4 and 6 place single engine, then I be investing in your kit.
Merry Christmas to you three. You've killed it in 2021 while sharing the knowledge to attained along the way. So amazing to see the opensource knowledge base expanding especially in such an industry. Be blessed. Can't wait to see your wins in 2022 when it finally goes wheels up!
Amazing work. My 2 brothers and I rarely see or speak to each other, warming to see the three of you being able to work so closely together. Happy Holidays!
Fighting or what was the cause?
Love the fireplace in the hanger. Can’t wait to fly this thing
Congratulations, great progress. Big milestone when it’s on her wheels. Really like the level of detail.
Hey just want to compliment you guys on your PPE usage, it's hard to maintain and it's thankless, and you'll probably still get weirdos that think you're not doing enough, but having worked in aerospace you're executing that compliment better than some of the pros. Great job!
From Blériot XI to Webb space telescope then Darkaero 1, I admire intelligent peaceful inquiries solving flight engineering challenges. Make good on your homegrown sucess.
The steps shown here must have been very satisfying accomplishments. So glad you guys are doing this.
Much of the progress this year has felt slow because on any given day there was limited visual progress. All of the work in this video felt like a lot was happening quickly so it was satisfying and exciting to accomplish!
It is like a model kit with the way it is going together. Amazing!
What a huge milestone for you all! Congratulations!!!
Wow, a big finish for the year! As always, thank you for sharing your work.
Riley, River and Keegan - It has been a great year for the three of you. You have made incredible progress, and all of us here on the Web are eagerly awaiting each new installment of your saga. Of course, the one we want to see the most is that of First Flight!... at least it continues to get closer. Keep up the great work, but make sure to take some time off for yourselves.
Merry Christmas!
i have been watching your videos from the start, really nice to see the progress.
Merry X-mas DarkAero team, thank you for a lovely series of building the aircraft.
Thank you for following the project! Merry Christmas!
Sitting an airplane on the gear for the first time is traditionally a major celebrated event in aerospace... I hope you have something fin planned. It's been fun watching the journey.
Outstanding guys! This is a mini Christmas gift! So eager to see it on its gear, and running outside the hangar!
Good progress! I love that the video has some length and detail!
Looking forward to buying your kit when it's done!
Superb guys, no other word can describe your work !
I’m just obsessed with this plane! Can’t wait to see the day it stands all completed and in it’s full glory. I find myself getting distracted during the day just thinking about this plane and imagining what it’d look like finally. I pray you succeed guys, and I hope to be able to walk into your hangar and shake your hand and order one someday… a sleek 4-seater, fully decked out version of this one though! 😉😉
Ive been watching your videos for a long time, I do see the dedication in your team effort, be proud gentleman , can't wait for the finished product :)
Merry Christmas! This was the perfect Christmas present (and a bit of a tease too!) was hoping to see the D.A1 on all threes, even if not completed. Can’t also wait to to see how the interior will finally look like and if possible what kind of flight instrument panels you’re going to use. Can’t wait! Wishing you guys greater strides in the coming year!
The quality of the work here is fantastic. Looking forward to what's to come with this project.
Great work guys, I'm a pilot by profession and this plane looks really promising and fun! :) Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
it's incredible how the carbon/honeycomb sandwich looks so flimsy, attached by only the edge, yet that thing probably can take me and 3 other friends standing on it, man composites are crazy
Happy Holidays!!! Nice to see things moving forward.
Awesome bit of progress guys - looks good, keep up the good work!
Merry Christmas - Steller performance year creating DarkAero. Private Skunk Works kit aircraft progressing magnificently. Best wishes guys...
Merry Christmas, guys. Thanks for the Xometry add-in to Fusion - nice to have.
It has been an incredible year, in so many ways (good and bad), and following your venture and learning along the way has been a great experience.
Here is to a great and prosperous New Year for you and your family. I can't wait to see her fly ......
There is nothing like a blueprint coming through! Nice work guys!!! And Merry Christmas!
It is kinda trippy finally seeing things come into reality after visualizing them in our minds and in the computer for so long. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It is looking great guys! So exciting!!!
wow a ton of progress in that video. and I also realized Ryley, you and the brothers are NEAT freaks. Meant in a good way. wish I was that neat. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas David! A clean shop and neat work area helps to produce a better airplane! 😁
As always, love watching you guys create and build this cool little aircraft. It’s a fascinating project! Keep it up and wishing you a great and successful new year
Curious about the glue bonding. What is the life expectancy on the glue welds?
Congratulations Fellas! Truly amazing progress. Merry Christmas!!!
When cutting holes through structural members, it's helpful to slightly overdrill the diameter and glue a solid collar in the hole. The collar helps distribute stress, thereby avoiding point stress common to many modes of failure. For your honeycomb sandwiched between carbon-fiber layers, it may be helpful to user two collars, each with a narrow flange. This creates a U-channel covering the exposed edges of the honeycomb matrix.
How strong is the joint when they use adhesive to the honey comb (the thin edge of cf is negligible). Assuming the adhesive is unbreakable, would not the honey comb just disintegrate when stressed, Would it not be a good idea to over lap a layer carbon fiber over the join area (after gluing together) to take the load off the honey comb and back onto the carbon fiber surfaces.
Can’t wait to see that light weight aircraft fly
I know I should care about how good an aeroplane it is. But I don't, really - not yet. At the moment it is a beautiful piece of art! It is stunning, and I can't wait to see it complete. Watching it dance about the sky will be such a wonderful sight. Great work - 2022 is already looking bright.
Well done! In the sky in 2022. Fantastic.
Keep up the good work guys.
Your CAD work and CNC is exquisite! I was wondering about the CG change when the gear is retracted. How much rear CG does it cause? or is the airplane Nose Heavy when gear is extended?
What a cliffhanger! Awesome job and looking GREAT. Merry Christmas and I can't wait to see what you do in 2022.
Hi, you call the struts behind the gear leg the drag links. These struts are under tension when the aircraft sits on the ground, but what happens if you brake? Then tey are loaded under compression, and I see no provisions to take that load. Same with nose gear. Did I miss something?
Jaques
Merry Christmas. Hope all is well. Amazing job
This is so great! Looking at this makes you feel the progress! :)
Merry Christmas guys. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your passion.
Merry Christmas Stuart! Thank you for watching!
Just found your channel and subscribed!!! Happy New Year
Nice video for Great work. We have been waiting for your videos for sometime. Wishing you all success.
Beautiful work!
Are the skins and bulkheads held together with just that fillet of epoxy? I’m surprised you don’t need to tab them with a some glass or carbon fiber tape.
You guys do beautiful work! This will be a terrific flying airplane. Merry Christmas!
Are you tabbing in the bulkheads with a wet lay after bonding or relying solely on the adhesive???
Good work, I’ve been an aerospace engineer for 25 years, and I have never worked on carbon fiber, I’m sure it must be difficult. I have thoughts on geometric locks on UCs…. but the internet is full of people and their opinions!
After you get the belly skin on after the landing gear is installed, have you given any thought to getting access if any mechanical repairs are needed? A fracture from a hard landing as an example, or inspecting the landing gear & structure during the annual?
What type of glue are you using for bonding skins to frames? Is there thickening additives used, fillets in corners and any tabbing afterwards? Would like to see more of the details in that regard.
That is looking amazing!
What kind of adhesive do you guys use for bonding? I can see two varieties, one for surfaces and one for fillets I guess?
just a food for thought, leave some room in the designs for access panels for inspections, maintenance in critical areas if you haven't already, might help in the future.
Love your work! I’m an A&P and you got me really interested in the manufacturing/ engineering sector
Hi Team, I recently come across the Airbus A350 paint issue and realised that there will be copper mesh for a lightning strike, Since you guys are using carbon composites what is your plan on lighting strike can you plz explain how external texture will be, How it will affect the aerodynamics and how the paint will stick to the uneven surface and sustain thermodynamic effect of the metal, Please reply or address this in your next video, Lot of respect for your team from India.
Bonne et heureuse année, je suis fasciné par ce que
vous faites, merci
Do you have a compartment in the tail section for counter balance, in case the plane is too nose heavy?
Also you could find the center of mass by using car weight scales when the airplane is complete, one scale on the nose gear and two for the main gear. You would then figure out the center of mass of the landing gear, so you could calculate how the center of mass of the entire airplane moves back when the gear is up.
Awesome work guys, love watching your videos and this plane come together.
Did you guys use finite element analysis to spec the carbon fiber in the airframe ?
i like the efficiency of a thin wing
just popped on your website, that place is just out of this world.
I love your Content.
Thank you for checking out our website! Glad you are enjoying the videos!
After drilling any holes in the carbon fiber panels, do you consider finishing the rough edges according to standards(grounded edges etc.)?
Cause unfinished edges can be a source of crack initiation sites ultimately leading to brittle fracture under tensile loads resulting from fatigue.
We didn’t show it in this video, but the holes in the fuselage bulkheads get filled on the edges so the exposed honeycomb gets closed out.
Amazingly cool. Find these videos extremely interesting.
have you thought about adding a strip of carbon cloth along each edge of those glue joints? that bond doesn't look like it has a lot of contact area
Really cool stuff!
When will you be post-curing? When it's all done or as go with heat lamps? Great work so far
Успіху у здійсненні задуманого. Чудове рішення.
Great work guys, Merry Xmas
When you bonded the aft skin did you use flox ?
Spectacular! Merry Christmas :-)
Can't believe someone hasn't commented on the tv fireplace in the background! Haha hilarious. Can't imagine how cold it gets in that hangar this time of year. Great progress guys, and as always I love your methodology! Merry Christmas 🎄
Haha glad you caught it! We keep the temp stable but the heater definitely works hard to keep it warm during the winter. Merry Christmas! 😁
Can’t tell but did you guys use a layer of glass where the gear mounts to the fuse? If you didn’t you run the risk of galvanic corrosion with the aluminum parts if they get wet. Carbon bike frames usually have glass around the areas that have bolts or water bottle bosses bonded to stop the corrosion.
Otherwise it’s a work of art!
Been catching up watching your videos, I'm still a little behind, viewed this one today. I enjoy them since I've always liked designing and building. I am curious if the cg moves back significantly when retracting the gear. Will gross weight and takeoff balance calculations need to be compensated for the shift? An example would be with best angle of climb being the closest takeoff configuration to a stall, any weight shift rearward will bring it closer to one.
Is there a video where you can see the DarkAero flying?
Yay! DarkAero posted! I could maybe assemble a RTF Carbon Cub RC plane….
keep up the great work x
Comment for the algorithm, i hope you hit it big so you guys are still around when i can afford one of these kits :)
A really big project. you are building a prototype here, so i wonder if you just want to glue the torso ribs later on? I can't see it in detail, but are you really just sticking? then the connection only exists via the two outer layers of the sandwich plate?
and are the open aluminum honeycombs still sealed? this would give the Calvanian corrosion a free hand ...
Anyway, I find the plane really exciting and unbelievable that you do everything yourself.
How much travel do you safely have in the landing gear? It looks like the trailing link design is awesome - but only has a few inches (maybe 10) of usable travel. I think some of my landings need more. 😊
Great job guys. Keep it going!
Are your carbon fiber -honeycomb aluminum core components a Hexcel product? Hexcel was has made a wide variety of this carbon comb composite for a huge number of varied applications. Including skis. Very interesting build. Can't wait to see the first flights
Beautiful work. Will there be gear door covers?
Merry Christmas guys! Awesome work and can’t wait to see the next video! Question - Are you considering a design update for kit production that creates datum features in the parts so that they self align? Integral flanges that the bulk heads bank against perhaps? CNC router drilled Cleco holes in mating parts perhaps? Not just in the fuselage, but wing too. You have an amazing design for high performance and manufacturability, but after building the prototype I bet you learn some things that you wish were even easier to build. Finding solutions to make it snap together rapidly will surely provide you with VANS level success! Something like the composite construction equivalent to VANS CNC drilled rivet holes in skins…
Merry Christmas David! We do use a number of alignment features, such as tab and slots in the bulkheads, but you are correct that we want to add many more alignment features for production. You do come up with improvement ideas while building the airplane. The construction process adds another layer of refinement onto the design that you just cannot achieve in the CAD world.
And to add to David’s great ideas: my build included permanent installation of bubble levels in key locations (both wheel wells; cockpit floor/console; each wing under an inspection panel). It’s so easy to Jack & level the aircraft during construction, AND especially once complete for maintenance/inspection, servicing, weight & balance, fuel flow & distribution. Maybe you guys just add true/flat surfaces, where the owner can place/tape bubble levels in real quick & easy.
Absolutely love what you guys are doing and am so happy to see such a great design taking shape: keep going toward greatness!
I am a bit confused as to how the bonding works in this situation with aluminum cells between carbon sheets. It appears that your bond area is only at the very thin and sharp edges of the carbon. Without using flox-and-resin at the corners, the radius of those bonds seems very small. It may be that your adhesive is incredibly tough but I would have thought you’d want a larger radius at the bond point for more surface area. Or does it successfully bond across the honeycomb also?
Inside the gear wells and other areas with exposed honeycomb?
Can't wait for this...
I take it you filled the honeycomb edges before bonding? try cleco clamps and trad. sheetmetal techniques. If it needs inspection, the panel needs to come off. Consider if you have to stick more than your shoulder in the aircraft on the ground during a routine. bonding bonding bonding! lightning strikes are brutal to carbon.
Concerns about fore and aft CG on gear cycles?
Carbon fiber beautiful lovely jubly work
How are the MLG held in the down and locked position?