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Building and Flying Related Boards › miniMax, Hi-Max, and AirBike General Discussions

Airbike fuselage tubing

3 posts

erkki67June 20, 2024, 12:49pm

Hello there

The Airbike is being built with 4130 tubing, by how much would it become heavier if built with seamless drawn standard steel precision tubing?

The first series of Piper Cubs where also built that way.

rads Erkki

mullacharjakJune 21, 2024, 11:59am

there was a builder in australia(peter franks) who built an early bird jenny using ERW steel tube.wall thickness was 1.2mm.it flew pretty well.also 201 stainless steel 1/8 hard tube has similiar mechanical properties to 4130.1/4 hard is even better.use of sds tube is approved on the FRED homebuilt aircraft.

erkki67July 7, 2025, 8:33am

The landing gear of the airbike is a steel tube according to plans, couldn't it be replaced by grp pulltruded rod of the same diameter ?