Bending wings

[McColm]

Hi Guys,
I came across the subject of 'closed or ring wings' and thought I'll have a go at building one.
The question is how do you get the wing to bend upwards?
If the wing was made of wood, a jig could be built, is this the same for plastic or vacform?

[Gondor]

Are you talking about in the real world or a scale model of a ring wing?

Gondor

[Hobbes]

Plastic (styrene) is difficult to bend. When you heat it, it goes from rigid to floppy in seconds, so if you heat it you're very likely to destroy the shape.

If you want to build a ring wing, you'd have to scratchbuild it.

[TheChronicOne]

Here's an idea that may help:

Plastic cup; the kind that taper. 

Cut a ring off the bottom somewhere then move up the cup to cut another ring that will be slightly longer and wider. With careful trimming of the excess LENGTH it could be made to go inside the smaller ring. Here's the important part... the second ring being wider is what will give the rounded shape... just have to put it inside the smaller, less wide ring and line the edges up. The smaller ring will provide a "flat" outer surface while the wider ring inside will bulge out a bit when you line the edges up with the smaller ring thus creating the right shape. 

?

I probably didn't explain it very well and probably easier said than done but in my minds eye it would work.

[McColm]

Are you talking about in the real world or a scale model of a ring wing?

Gondor

Scale model

[Gondor]

Scale model

Simple, buy some tube the size you need and then shape it after cutting it to the desired length. Quite simple really.

Gondor