P-30 WINDING TUBE

[lincoln]

I guess you've probably solved your problem by now. If not, I should think you could make up something similar with music wire soldered to a brass tube. Or maybe gluing an aluminum tube to the wire would solve the problem. Or have a little bobbin in the middle, loose. Music wire is far stronger than aluminum, so it might even weigh less. For instance, 3 inches of .047" wire ought to weigh 0.7 grams. 3 inches of 1/16" wire ought to weigh 1.2 grams. If you try this, you may want to leave a bit of extra wire on each end to make the bending easier. You can cut it off and smooth the ends later.

This isn't based on specific experience with p-claws, but just from messing around with music wire in the past. Those claws look like a good idea. With a little bobbin in the middle of the claw, it might act like the wobbly peg that some scale guys use. And be a lot easier to install.

For the real weight weenie, I suspect a claw made from carbon fiber tow might be lighter, and easier to make as well. I may have to try that.

However, I'm thinking a freewheeling arrangement might allow the motor to unwind enough that the claw fell off the peg. The FAC, in it's wisdom, bans props that fold in flight. I suppose there are other ways to set up the nose to deal with that and still allow freewheeling.