On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:43:36 -0600, Richard
wrote:

On 1/14/2012 11:53 AM, Ed Huntress wrote:

Regarding O/A welding of alumnimum, it's tricky. I've tried it but not
enough to be any good at it. There's no red color of the metal to
guide you. It just goes "shlump" all of a sudden. But it's a neat
skill to learn. A lot of airplanes were built from O/A-welded
aluminum.



Ed, I don't often feel confident enough to call you on metalworking, but
this one is a cinch.

I have NEVER seen a welded aluminum airframe.

Lots of OA welded 4130 tube, but never aluminum.



Richard


Hey Richard,

No expert here on use in aircraft, but we used the welded 5052 I
suggested for fuel tanks in lieu of wet wings. Although the welding
and choice of material worked, it was NOT the best thought. We should
have stuck with the design.

Brian Lawson