Dan Matuschek is a man with a wealth of experience in the custom car fabrication industry. He was introduced to the Mud Duck designs only recently but was interested in experimenting with FFF (fan fold foam) for the larger versions.
My initial suggestions to Dan were that FF was a good alternative for the "Sport" versions but I was not recommending it for the larger versions without adequate reinforcement and structure enhancements, which would likely offset the weight savings over foamboard and also eliminate the "simplicity" and "ease" associated with building it from foamboard right from the get-go.
Well, little did I know of the knowledge and ingenuity of Dan at that time. Dan ventured forth with a few versions of the Mud Duck and Agri-Duck, in large scale, using solely FFF and other "blue" foam material and employing a laminating method that added only marginal weight to the overall structure when done properly.
Dan makes this look very easy and may have opened up a lot of possibilities for many builders. As for its use in Duck construction: It all depends on your goal, do you want to get in the air as fast as possible, or would you like to build the lightest and strongest (and possibly cheapest)structure you can but adding time to your construction? The choice is yours and Dan's methods gives you the option.
One last thing. These videos are of a version that Dan modified from the plans that employs a one-piece 8 1/2' flat bottom wing. This is not to be used as a reference for building the Mud Duck in its conventional format.
Below are links to Dan Matuschek YouTube videosBig Wings 1:
(wing)
Big Wings 2:
(wing)
Big Wings 3:
(fuselage)
Big Wings 4:
(fuselage)
Big Wings 5:
(fuselage covering)
Big Wings 6:
(tests)
Big Wings 7:
(fuselage covering)
Big Wings 8:
(making molds)
Big Wings 9:
(Prep before paint)
Big Wings 10:
(fitting the wing)
Reduced Agri-Duck:
(Agri-Duckling)
Thanks Dan...
Dan Matuschek's FFF Building Videos