Builders,
I wanted to build either aluminum or carbon fiber wings structure components. After a fair amount of research, I have come to the conclusion that both are not going to work for a “legal” Legal Eagle.
The reasons are mostly that I do not have the facilities or the interest in being a guinea pig. If I were to build an aluminum wing, I would only follow in someone else’s proven footsteps, meaning use their dimensions. If I do the math (properly for Scott in Iowa :-). ) I have come to the distinct conclusion that an aluminum wing will in fact be far too heavy to work on an ultralight. At the very least, it will come in a fair amount heavier than wood. So that’s out.
With regard to carbon fiber, I believe a guy could actually build a wing and it could (or would) be lighter than aluminum or wood, but the problem is there isn’t anyone else’s designs (for an ultralight) that I can find to copy. So that would mean I have to: A) build it, and then: B) test it. That exercise alone makes it not worth the effort for just one plane. It’s not the money so much as it is the time. I have no interest in building wings for a year. Plus, the carbon fiber’s internal structure wing would be the most time consuming and I think the most expensive. So, I will pass on it.
So wood it is. Which most of you would say, “Duh, I told you so.”
