Styrofoam Flight Simulator Part 2
Click here for Part 1
In part 1 of this video we showed you how you can use Styrofoam for flight
simulator body panels.
You can also use Expanded Polystyrene. EPS is more flexible and can be
shaped for a smoother appearance.
The first thing to know about EPS is that it's not Styrofoam. EPS is a
common packing material.
EPS is also shaped into foam cups or coolers.
This is common EPS insulation. It's cheap and available at home
improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot.
A closeup shows the familiar closed-cell foam beads inside.
EPS insulation is often covered with a layer of protective plastic. Without the
plastic, it breaks easily.
You can easily cut EPS with a common box knife. Use a new, sharp blade
and don't try to cut all the way though on your first pass. Make several
smaller cuts.
Again we are using a frame of plastic PVC pipe. The EPS body panels fit
snug inside this frame...
and we glue them in place. Easy!
In this example we are going to bend the EPS around a corner. EPS foam
will bend, XPS from video 1 will not.
The secret is to bend the EPS a little at a time. Don't bend it too much, it will
break. Remember EPS is brittle beneath the plastic coating.
Keep bending it until it holds a curved shape. Then fit it into place. This
EPS, the expanded polystyrene is not as sturdy as XPS or Styrofoam, so the
plastic frame is very important.
You can also shape a sheet of EPS around the outside of a frame. This
gives a nice smooth appearance.
We need to hold the EPS in place. We're using these self-drilling screws
with fender washers.
Don't tighten them down too much, we only need to hold the EPS in place for
the glue.
Once the EPS sheet is secure, we can glue the crease all the way around.
And don't forget the paint.
Remember, a lot of the things you need for a great flight simulator are at your
local hardware store.
Click here for Part 1
In part 1 of this video we showed you how you can use Styrofoam for flight
simulator body panels.
You can also use Expanded Polystyrene. EPS is more flexible and can be
shaped for a smoother appearance.
The first thing to know about EPS is that it's not Styrofoam. EPS is a
common packing material.
EPS is also shaped into foam cups or coolers.
This is common EPS insulation. It's cheap and available at home
improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot.
A closeup shows the familiar closed-cell foam beads inside.
EPS insulation is often covered with a layer of protective plastic. Without the
plastic, it breaks easily.
You can easily cut EPS with a common box knife. Use a new, sharp blade
and don't try to cut all the way though on your first pass. Make several
smaller cuts.
Again we are using a frame of plastic PVC pipe. The EPS body panels fit
snug inside this frame...
and we glue them in place. Easy!
In this example we are going to bend the EPS around a corner. EPS foam
will bend, XPS from video 1 will not.
The secret is to bend the EPS a little at a time. Don't bend it too much, it will
break. Remember EPS is brittle beneath the plastic coating.
Keep bending it until it holds a curved shape. Then fit it into place. This
EPS, the expanded polystyrene is not as sturdy as XPS or Styrofoam, so the
plastic frame is very important.
You can also shape a sheet of EPS around the outside of a frame. This
gives a nice smooth appearance.
We need to hold the EPS in place. We're using these self-drilling screws
with fender washers.
Don't tighten them down too much, we only need to hold the EPS in place for
the glue.
Once the EPS sheet is secure, we can glue the crease all the way around.
And don't forget the paint.
Remember, a lot of the things you need for a great flight simulator are at your
local hardware store.
Copyright (c) 2004-2009 Roger Dodger Aviation, LLC All rights reserved Items sold by Roger Dodger Aviation, LLC are governed and protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America and international intellectual property agreements |
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