Unlike conventional filament winding, ACP's tubes are manufactured by using a unique production process whereby longitudinal fibers are oriented to provide excellent tensile, compressive, and flexural properties. Circumferential windings between longitudinal plys give the tubing exceptional burst, crush, and transverse strength. The tubes can be used for push rods or the outer sleeve for wing joiner tube assemblies. You will note that the inside diameter of the Fiberglass Tubes have been sized to fit snugly over the following carbon rod diameters: .230", 5/16", and 1/2". For example, the .234 ID glass tube and the .230 hollow carbon rod have been used as tube assemblies for removable stabs on gliders and pattem aircraft. Also the TU-03 and TU-04 can be used to form a wing joiner tube assembly, since the O.D. of the TU-03 is .414 and the I.D. of the TU-04 is .417.
These tubes are manufactured using the same process as the Fiberglass Tubes. However, additional stiffness is obtained by incor- porating longitudinal plys of carbon fiber. They can be used for push rods on larger aircraft where greater stiffness is required.
Carbon Tubes are the ultimate push rods since they contain 95% unidirectional carbon fiber running longitudinally and are covered with a light glass scrim. This design offers a high stiffness to weight ratio and makes these tubes ideal for 1/4 scale aircraft pushrods, and slope soarer and helicopter tail booms.
The tapered tubes differ from the graphite straight tubes only in their shape. Their construction and resulting strength are the same. They can be used for tail booms on gliders, slope soarers and free flight aircraft.