Bruce,
:t: Thanks for the interesting read, particularly the magnesium hazards now faced by firies! It seems that the binocular industry is a bit backwards when it comes to the use of advanced materials, no CFRP as yet (Honda used it on the early 90's production NR750 .... fascinating read here:
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_nr750.htm ) and the 'plastic fantastic' Corvette has now arrived at a similar destination - another insightful read here:
http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/.../Pages/news/us/en/2012/Aug/0816_corvette.html
Further, Honda has plans to introduce a production CFRP monocoque floorpan by the end of the decade:
http://www.motoring.com.au/tokyo-motor-show-lightweight-bodies-for-honda-from-2020-40087/
Of course, over at Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Boeing, etc, these things have been happening for quite some time ......
Cost factors are purely a matter of scale economies, and when you consider the Billions and Billions of $ invested in traditional Unitary Steel Monocoque research, design, learning, processes and facilities and supply chains to get to the current point, then any cost imposts of CFRP are a spurious nod to the past at best. o
The amount of actual material that would be used in a binocular chassis is so infinitesimal in comparison that the expense could easily be absorbed within existing profit margins and ROI. As I have often mentioned before, the Zeiss 8x32 FL would be an ideal candidate to get the CFRP ball rolling (no optical carnage intended Brock!
:eek!:
AFAIK Leica is the only mass market company to be using Titanium hinge shafts in their UVHD+ binoculars at least, again, considering the small amount of actual material involved, you would think that such an innovation would be
de riguer in the industry ..... :cat:
Perhaps less money spent on all the completely useless marketing guff, and a bit more spent on actual materials and performance innovation would see superior products actually selling themselves ..... what a radical (though hardly original or CrAzY
concept! :brains:
Chosun :gh: