Is this type of composite construction the exclusive domain of blue, gray, and spider-foam, or can white foam be used effectively?
White foam can be used quite effectively for most types of ship. I have built ships ranging from a 13 oz. chuckies right up to 3m F3J ships using glass over white foam. You do have to be careful about the amount of vacuum you use, and also the thickness of mylar. Too much vacuum or mylar which is too thin will result in slightly wavy (bumpy) surfaces, due to the bead structure, and inconsistencies in foam density. Due to the lower density, you have to be very careful when installing spars, etc., to avoid “hangar rash” on the cores. Chuckies will be fine with 16 kg/sq.m foam (1 lb, I think), but larger ships need 24kg (1.5lb) or even 32 kg(2 lb).
