Duramold
Duramold is a composite material process developed by
The material has some advantages over metal in strength, construction technique, and weight. A cylinder made of Duramold is 80% stronger than a cylinder made of aluminum.[4] Over 17 varieties of Duramold were developed, using various combinations of types of wood in thin plies.[5] The Duramold process has also been used to make radomes for aircraft, as well as missile bodies.[citation needed]
Virginius Clark developed Duramold for Fairchild Aircraft, working with George Meyercord of the Haskelite Corporation.[6] Fairchild patented the process, designing and constructing the F-46 as the first aircraft made using the Duramold process, and forming the Duramold Corporation.[7] Several aircraft used Duramold in parts of their structure, the largest manufactured with the process being the Hughes H-4 Hercules designed by Howard Hughes and Glenn Odekirk, which was built almost completely with Duramold including very large sections.[3] For this use, Hughes Aircraft bought the rights to use of Duramold on aircraft exceeding 20,000 lb; Fairchild and Meyercord otherwise retained the rights,[8] but the material was found to be poorly adapted to heavy aircraft.[5]
The Duramold and Haskelite process was first developed in 1937, followed by
See also
References
- ^ Flight International, Volume 42.
- ^ Popular Science, September 1943.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.
- ^ Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Volume 52.
- ^ OCLC 561599885.
- ^ Barton, p. 83.
- ISBN 9780738544397.
- ^ Barton, p. 84.
- ^ Richard Ballard, "Plastic Airplanes", The Ohio State Engineer, April 1942, pp. 24, 26.