Originally Posted by
skaterdave
this raises a few question for me?
how strong are these crash bulkheads? currently every structural bulkhead i've seen is lighter and not as strong as compared to laminate of the hull side. bringing to the conclusion that on a severe impact they would fail, possible. and the problem with water is the energy keeps working it way forward.
as for the liner, agian whats the structural integrity of that shell. can it stand alone in the impact? is it dependant on the "crash bulkhead" to stay in tact?
next point would be how is the crash bulkhead to be installed. since its a viod chamber of sorts, how do you get in there to properly tab and finish the structural glass work?
its a great idea, but the canopy's liner need to be built as strong as their "above deck" areas. plus i thought i saw some where about floation? time to reread.
the foam idea might help re-inforce the crash bulkhead in that, it would stiffed up the angled bulkhead. as soon as the bulkhead starts to flex, it will probably be at the point of failure. next the foam would also distribute the impact across the entire panel. instead of pinpointing the load at the breach area.
guys this was just a thought so, take it for just that. also thought of a possible double vee design and fill that area with foam, maybe 6" width.
i'm suprised that there hasn't been some testing or structural design done to specify panel thickness. i would think that this would be pretty easy to duplicate and test ?