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Step 4The saucer strut
The saucer strut is made out of two 3mm polystyrene foam sheets cut in a parallelogram shape and glued together with contact glue at two opposing edges. After the glue has set completely, the sheets are separated from each other at the middle and a 4cm wide piece of foam (6mm thick) is inserted and fixed with glue.
A long diamond shaped piece is prepared out of 6mm foam sheet. Put it on a soft surface (e.g. a seat) and roll a bottle over it to give it a slight curvature, fitting the front top side of the hull. Stick it on the fully inflated main hull balloon, with a 4cm x 4cm piece of double sided tape on each corner.
The saucer gets a T-shaped 6mm polystyrene foam sheet attached with some double sided tape at the ends.
Carefully adjust the strut ends with a cutter knife to fit the two attachment surfaces: cut out thin layers and keep testing the fit. When both ends are prepared glue one end to the main hull foam piece.
The other side gets some 4cm x 4cm x 6mm foam pieces in the corners. Two in each. They are fixed by driving through a piece of glassfiber or carbon rod. At this stage they should stick out about a cm. These ends sticking out are glued to the saucer foam piece with contact glue. When the glue has completely set the rods are taken out. The gap is closed by sinking in the inner foam pieces in the strut, and the rods are driven through again, making new holes in the inner foam pieces. Keep the rod pieces in place with a little tape.
A long diamond shaped piece is prepared out of 6mm foam sheet. Put it on a soft surface (e.g. a seat) and roll a bottle over it to give it a slight curvature, fitting the front top side of the hull. Stick it on the fully inflated main hull balloon, with a 4cm x 4cm piece of double sided tape on each corner.
The saucer gets a T-shaped 6mm polystyrene foam sheet attached with some double sided tape at the ends.
Carefully adjust the strut ends with a cutter knife to fit the two attachment surfaces: cut out thin layers and keep testing the fit. When both ends are prepared glue one end to the main hull foam piece.
The other side gets some 4cm x 4cm x 6mm foam pieces in the corners. Two in each. They are fixed by driving through a piece of glassfiber or carbon rod. At this stage they should stick out about a cm. These ends sticking out are glued to the saucer foam piece with contact glue. When the glue has completely set the rods are taken out. The gap is closed by sinking in the inner foam pieces in the strut, and the rods are driven through again, making new holes in the inner foam pieces. Keep the rod pieces in place with a little tape.
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