Aircraft metals?
Aircraft metals?
(OP)
I am building a gyrocopter rotor head. I have an old Benson gyro copter blue print showing how to make the rotor head, it tells you the type of metal to use etc? then I have this other set of drawings from the internet that I have copied and it shows a totally different way to build a rotor head, what my question is that on the Benson plans it says to use 2024-t3 alum. for certain parts? on the other set of plans it says to us 6061-t3 alum. on the same parts? what should I do and is the 6061-t3 alum. safe to use?
thank you very much for any help? gary phillips
thank you very much for any help? gary phillips





RE: Aircraft metals?
The link I have posted is for Kaiser aluminum If you click on the alloy number it will give you the characteristics for each alloy. 6061-T3 is not as strong as 2024-T3 however at the T6 temper 6061 is almost as strong as 2024-T3. Are you sure the drawing did not specify 6061-T6 And are the 6061 parts slightly thicker?
http://www.tennalum.com/Alloys.htm
B.E.
RE: Aircraft metals?
2024-t3 usually is a good compromise for strength and fatigue which is why it tends to be used on pressurized fuselages. It is not often used for machined parts, although no reason I am aware of as to why not. Just not optimal for the most part I guess.
I would go with whatever I had confidence in. I very seldom trust anything on the internet