344

FLIGHT

SEPTEMBER 24TH, 1942

with a n all-metal aircraft with projecting rivet heads, lap

joints, waves a n d wrinkles, e t c . Samples tested for
reaction t o s h a r p changes of t e m p e r a t u r e showed n o signs v
of serious change.
<*
" T u r i n " a n d " Vidal " processes, all of which use t h e
Briefly, t h e Duramold process employs a polished sheetrubber-bag pressure principle, a n d t h e Americans are
metal mould. Veneers are built u p inside t h e mould t o rapidly proving t h a t by these means wood a n d plywood
required thicknesses, a n d t h e assembly t h e n covered with
present m a n y new a n d still undeveloped possibilities in
a rubber blanket which is secured t o t h e edges of the
the aircraft industry.*
mould. T h e procedure thereafter is somewhat similar to
One of t h e latest examples of an aircraft produced b y
the Vidal already mentioned.
Air is exhausted from
this process is t h e twin-engined Langley, a photograph
beneath t h e rubber blanket, a n d t h e entire assembly,
of which is reproduced. Practically t h e whole of this airincluding t h e mould, is inserted into a n autoclave, where
craft is of moulded sections, t h e fuselage being made in
it becomes subjected t o steam h e a t a n d pressure, i.e.,
t w o portions divided on t h e vertical centre line. The
about 300 deg. F . a n d 100 l b . / s q . in. T h e njould being
engine cowlings a n d nacelles are also of moulded plywood""' of thin material, h e a t penetrates t o t h e pljkvood from both
and m a d e in t w o sections. Vinyl resins are n o t as a rule
sides, a n d t h e pressure is also balanced
used as a n adhesive for aircraft plywood, phenolic being
preferred, b u t the. Langley machine departs from this
Fig. 2. Diagrampractice, a n d after exhaustive tests t h e designers decided
matic
arrangement of " Duraupon vinyl resins as being t h e most satisfactory over t h e
mold ' ' process,
required temperature range of 40 deg. C. t o + 160 deg. C.
with sheet-metal
A p a r t from being fire-resistant, t h e y are also n o t liable t o
mould in consuffer from corrosion from acids, petrol, o r sea water.
junction with
Being thermo-plastic, they can also be reworked upon
PLY-WOOD O R ^ SHEET METAL
VACUUM'
rubber
blanket.
WOOD VENEERS
MOULD
CONNECTION
application of heat in contrast to phenol ( t h e r m o - s e t t i n g ) - ^
this can assist materially in maintenance a n d repairs.
The moulding or curing period varies with t h e thickness

PLASTICS

A N D AIRCRAFT

of t h e plywood, b u t it is stated t o be from 10 t o 15 minutes

for units of fin. in thickness.
Phenolic resin fluxing a t a b o u t 280 deg. F . is used as
a binding agent. I t will h a v e been noticed t h a t in this
process t h e outer side of t h e wood veneers is in contact
with t h e smooth, unyielding m e t a l mould, resulting in a
high a n d superior surface finish.
Structural members, such as ribs a n d spars, are also
m a d e b y this process, a n d one of t h e great advantages
Young's
t h a t t h e higher quality a n d superior material can b e used
Direction of
Duramold
Tension
Comp.
Mod.
Type
Applied Load
-where
greatest ^strength is required, with consequent
T and C-economy in cost.
I t h a s been recently reported t h a t a large transport airI
Optimum
3,060'
1.3 95
27-75
craft is now under construction b y t h e Duramold process
0
I
90 to Optimum
4.72
7-7
7H
in America, a n d , further, t h a t a large n u m b e r of trainers
II
Optimum
22-73
1303
2.73
are also being constructed of Duramold.
II
90 to Optimum
8.6
1.053
7-75
Although only t h e Vidal a n d Duramold processes are
III
Optimum
19.69
12.08
2,380
described here there a r e , of course, others, b u t they are
III
90 to Optimum ' 10.8
9-51
1.395
11.22
2,040
IV
Optimum
10.75
all somewhat similar, a n d need n o t , therefore, receive
10.40
IV
90 to Optimum
1.73^
13.87
further consideration here. I n F i g . 2 is shown diagrammatically t h e Duramold system herein described.
Shear optimum 10.4.
I n describing t h e above t w o systems it will have been
This table shows t h e approximate values for Duramold -observed t h a t t h e material is comprised of wood-veneers,
a n d though referred t o as plywood is n o t in t h e t r u e sense
in l b . / s q . in. divided b y (1,000 x specific gravity of
plywood, such as manufactured t o Spec. 5-V^_^-a<*?
material).- I t is probable t h a t they h a v e been improved
D . T . D . 427.
upon t o some extent since. F o r purposes of comparison
However, even this material c a n be manipulated by
Col. Clark calculated t h e strengths of four cylinders with
similar processes. One thing, however, crops u p a s a result
different types of construction. I n each case t h e dia.
of t h e war. D u e t o t h e high temperatures used, t h e rubber
was 6oin., weight per foot r u n constant, a n d t h e space
bag or blanket will deteriorate in time. A t t h e moment
between transverse frames w a s 30m. I t was claimed t h a t
we have t o economise in rubber, a n d experiments are n o w such a cylinder with a smooth skin of aluminium alloy
being made to pre-treat t h e ply or veneer with a mild
0.032m. thick, reinforced by flanged " Z " section longitudinal stringers Jin. x Jin. x o . o 5 o i n . , with spacing of 6 i n thermo-setting resin, a n a t h e n carry o u t t h e operation as
, .
.~
c

11
1 1
riocmrvri
lf^.*si- tf oe m
+ h i o respect
merino*ih*.
described
an+t ao lower
mrpv eOrMa +t un rr eo . ITn this
the
and a total stifiener area of 3.23m., would support a load
ideal
h
a
s
n
o
t
y
e
t
been
achieved,
b
u
t
experiments
continue
of 63,000 lb. T h e same cylinder unstiffened would supt o give promising results.
port 30,000 lb.
The bonding of wood veneers b y t h e aid of plastics can
A cylinder of reinforced synthetic resin (Bakelite with
be used t o great a d v a n t a g e in t h e aircraft industry, a n d it
fabric or cord) would support 8,000 lb.
is safe t o assume t h a t in t h e near future metal will be
A Duramold cylinder of material between t y p e s I I a n d
bonded t o metal, dispensing with riveting a n d with almost
III in table would support 113,000 l b . , or 14.1 times as
endless
possibilities t o t h e aircraft engineer.

much as t h e plastic cylinder, a n d 80 per cent, more t h a n

D u e t o t h e recent research work of Dr. N . A. d e Bruyne.
(he reinforced high-strength aluminium-alloy cylinder.
metal is already being bonded t o a t r a n s p a r e n t plastic in
Other claims were t h a t its energy-absorptive characa simple a n d certain manner, a n d t h e process can b e used
teristics were excellent, a n d it c damping in vibration a b o u
n conjunction with a n y plastic (thermo-setting or thermofive times t h a t of metal.
plastic).
According t o calculation based on wind-tunnel tests a t
I t is hoped t h a t in a later review this great step forward
fairly high Reynolds Numbers, t h e use of Duramold for
can be described. F o r t h e present, however, this article
fuselage, wing a n d tail units results in a b o u t 25 per cent,
will be continued b y dealing with further applications of
less power being required for a given t o p speed, compared
plywood a n d plastics, a n d with other plastic materials.
(To be continued next week.)
* The Vidal process was described in our issue of September ioth, x 942.
Duramold Process
This process was brought into prominence a few years
ago by a well-known aircraft engineer a n d designer, Col.
Virginius Clark, a n d further information was given b y h i m
before t h e World Engineering Congress of t h e S.A.E., New
York, early in 1939, from which t h e following properties
were claimed for this material.