The Spectra Sailplane is a great sailplane, but it’s kind of big as sailplanes are. While the wings are attached with rubber bands at the flying field it’s more convenient to be able to leave the tail assembled in storage and transportation. That means it no longer fits in the box it came it for storage and transportation.
I wanted a way to protect my sailplane in storage and transport to and from the airfield. So I figured I could make a case for it! I designed a series of foam layers that could be stacked to create an enclosure to protect the aircraft fuselage and tail in one piece, along with the wings, and a small storage area for the wing spars, rubber bands, and other accessories.
Full disclaimer, I never actually built this. While I took meticulous measurements and believe the design is sound when I priced the cost of the foam it was more than I was interested in paying for this project. However the approach was solid and could be used by you to make a similar enclosure for another aircraft. Or if you have a Spectra, and maybe some foam laying around, the designs are good to go!
I designed this to fit inside a Large Wardrobe Box from U-Haul. The U-Haul box is 24”x24”x48” but the foam block is only 12” tall, so some light modifications would need to be made to the box. I would suggest using a medium density polyurethane foam which should provide enough firmness to protect the plane while being soft enough not to damage it.
I had the foam roughly quoted by a company called Foam to Size in Ashland, VA. They estimated the cost of the foam at $180 and for them to cut it would add $120.
For assembly I would suggest gluing layers 1, 2, and 3 together using a spray adhesive. This base block would provide a spot to rest the fuselage with props tipped back into the foam.
Glue layers 4, 5, 6, and 7 together into one large block. Once they are in place over the fuselage you could press the wings down into the long slots on each side of the fuselage. Not the hand cutouts on Layer 7 to make removing the wings easier. Also note the pocket on Layer 7 for the small components associated with his build such as wing spar, rubber bands, batteries, charging cables, etc. Layer 8 would simply be laid on top of the stack.
If you decided to make this protective case for your Spectra, or it inspires you to make a similar case for your airplane, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
