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To: Max Combined
the fragile little thing

It's fairly rugged. Carbon fiber is light and strong.

31 posted on 09/30/2004 8:00:07 AM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)
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To: RightWhale
It's fairly rugged. Carbon fiber is light and strong.

No it isn't.

Along it's long axis, it can be stronger than steel. But, if you twist or torque it, it can delaminate, and become weak in the extreme. If G tolerances are exceeded, you can have a massive structure failure. If I were Rutan, I would not fly that craft again, and use a backup if they had one.

32 posted on 09/30/2004 9:58:20 AM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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