Carbon Fiber Layup

After finishing the molds for the nose, chassis and body we then needed to layup the carbon fiber in the molds. This is one of the harder parts of the build. When laying up the fiberglass you can freely dart (cut a line in the fabric to avoid creases) and patch as the final fabric appearance is not important. With the carbon, however, the final appearance is important so careful thought has to be put into the sequence of plies and also it is important to avoid darts and patches if at all possible. So this process can be likened to wrapping a football with paper... without wrinkles! Time consuming and at times... very frustrating!

Here is the nose after the carbon had been layed up. The nose consisted of three panels. One panel that covered the bottom, front and top and two other panels that covered each side.

Here is Kent making patterns for the chassis.

Josh S. and Brett laying up the chassis.

Here is the outside skin for the chassis. you can see the 45 degree fiber orientation in this photo. The chassis consists of two plies, aluminum honeycomb core and then two more plies. There are reinforcements throughout for items such as suspension mounting points, seat belts, engine mounts, etc...

Here is Brett and Tyler showing their approval of the freshly bagged chassis.

Here is a impressive piece. Tyler and Josh S. layed a single sheet of carbon down the middle of body mold! It is impressive because of the complex curvature around the driver opening.