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Re: [ATM] Carbon Fiber for Spider Vanes

Rod,

If you take the diagonal mirror off and you are left with almost entirely 
carbon fiber vanes and carbon fiber spider hub, then there is barely any 
load on the carbon fiber.  It thus has very little inertial mass.  Your 
suggested method is the best method to use.  Take out the most fragile and 
heaviest pieces of the telescope because those are most likely to get 
damaged and have the most mass (which can cause large problems when impact 
loads - shock happens).  Carry them on the plane and check the rest (if it 
is larger than the airline allows in the cabin).

I was just discussing this with one my machinists.  He wants to take a 12" 
Dob-style telescope to Aruba.  I suggested taking the mirrors, eyepieces 
with him on the plane/cabin.  He could ship out the lightweight structure 
alone, possibly two weeks prior to leaving, just to insure it arrives in 
time.  In a carbon fiber structure there is relatively little mass.  A ~27 
pound instrument that I have designed and will be building shortly will be 
around 6 lbs or less for the carbon fiber structure and 21 lbs for focuser, 
mirrors, hardware, etc..

Airlines can definitely be "rough" on items.  There use to be an old 
airline commercial with a gorilla beating up some luggage.  It might have 
been a Samsonite ad.  Although I don't think in even our politically 
correct world we require job placement for gorillas yet, I often envision 
that type of abuse would have to happen for nylon straps (rated to 400 lb 
load capacity a piece) on my luggage to be pulled apart.  Not torn but 
literally pulled apart.  Maybe they were pulling the aircraft out of the 
gate with my luggage between the plane and the truck...

Your idea of  taking out the mirrors is an excellent one.

Sincerely,
Shane Santi
Dream - Telescopes & Accessories, Inc.
http://www.dreamscopes.com
610 - 365 - 2833



At 03:22 AM 4/5/2005, you wrote:
>It will be a travel scope, and the upper cage will be checked baggage, 
>not, I hope, as severe as skydiving.  I will be making a spider such that 
>the secondary mirror and holder is easily removed, and put back in < 
>exactly > the same position.
>
>Rod

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