ALDRIN R COLOMA RATING:

AIRCRAFT WOOD
BS AERO ENG’G 2A MARCH 04, 2021

LABORATORY REPORT NO. 1

AeE 646
Aircraft Materials, Construction, and Repair

ENGR. MIKHAIL ANTONI A. OSCUBAN

INSTRUCTOR
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I. INTRODUCTION
Wood is used throughout the world for a wide variety of purposes. It is stronger for
its weight than any other material excepting certain alloy steels. Timber is readily worked
by hand, using simple tools and is, therefore, far cheaper to use than metal.

Wood was among the first materials used to construct aircraft. Most of the airplanes
built during World War I (WWI) were constructed of wood frames with fabric coverings.
Wood was the material of choice for aircraft construction into the 1930s. Part of the reason
was the slow development of strong, lightweight, metal aircraft structures and the lack of
suitable corrosion-resistant materials for all-metal aircraft.

In the late 1930s, the British airplane company DeHavilland designed and developed
a bomber named the Mosquito. Well into the late 1940s, DeHavilland produced more than
7,700 airplanes made of spruce, birch plywood, and balsa wood.

II. TYPES OF WOOD USED IN AIRCRAFT

Woods Used in Aircraft Construction There are four woods, which are regularly used
for aircraft construction. These are Sitka spruce, birch, ash and Douglas fir. In addition,
mahogany, balsa, pine and Gabon fulfil certain duties.
1.) SITKA SPRUCE is a softwood, which grows in Canada and the United States of America.
It is a brownish yellow in colour, straight-grained and satiny in appearance. Its qualities
regarding resistance to splitting, bending and stiffness are very good in relation to its weight.
Due to this favorable strength weight ratio it is used extensively in aircraft construction for
spars, longerons and so forth.
2.) BIRCH is a hardwood and grows in most parts of Europe. It is yellow-white or brown-
white, strong and does not split easily. It is sometimes used in place of ash for laminated
members such as wing tip bows in addition to being used for bearing blocks. Its principal use
in aircraft, however, is for the manufacture of plywood.
3.) ASH is a hardwood, which grows in England it is yellow-white to yellow-brown in colour
and is close-grained. It is tough and has good shock-resisting qualities. Ash is used for
longerons, bearing blocks, laminated bows, glider skids and keel members and other parts
where strength and toughness is pre-requisite.
4.) DOUGLAS FIR is a softwood grown in Canada and U.S.A. Its colour varies from reddish
yellow to orange brown and it has prominent growth rings. Douglas fir is often used in place
of spruce for its strength properties are very similar.
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5.) MAHOGANY is a hardwood grown in Honduras and Central America. It is reddish brown
to dull red in colour with straight, close grain. It has good bending strength combined with
stiffness and. along the grain, it will withstand compressive loads very well II properly
seasoned, it will not warp or shrink and retains glue exceptionally well. It is used for bearing
blocks taking compressive loads, and propellers. On account of its extreme resistance to
warping, it is used for rigging boards and trestle beams in industry
6.) BALSA, although very soft and low in strength properties, is a hardwood, which grows in
Central America. It is the lightest timber in general use and is pinkish white to pale brown in
colour. Due to its porosity, if it is badly stored or inadequately protected in use, it very readily
deteriorates if exposed to moisture. Its principal uses in aircraft construction are the making
of fairings, fillets and light, low density contour blocks. It is also used as the core (or the
manufacture of soundproof plywood).
7.) PINE, better known as Oregon pine, is very similar to spruce and fulfils similar duties. It
is slightly heavier than spruce, but lighter than Douglas Fir.
8.) GABOON is a tropical wood of the mahogany family it is light, open-grained and fibrous.
It is used in the manufacture of plywood for aircraft use in place of birch. The main advantage
of Gabon ply is that a thicker and more stable ply skin may be used for the same weight as a
somewhat thinner skin of birch ply. Due to the porosity of Gabon plywood, it is necessary to
cover the ply-skinned structure with madapolam fabric to provide a suitable base for a good
paint finish.
9.) NOBLE FIR has satisfactory characteristics with regard to workability, warping, splitting
and glueing. It may be used as a direct substitute for spruce in the same sizes provided that
shear stresses do not become critical. It is somewhat softer in texture than spruce.
10.) WESTERN HEMLOCK has a less uniform texture as compared with spruce and requires
careful selection. Otherwise it is satisfactory.
11.) WHITE CEDAR (PORT ORFORD) can be used as a direct substitute for spruce in the
same sizes or slightly less provided that such reductions are substantiated. Can only be glued
satisfactorily with synthetic resin adhesives.
12.) YELLOW POPLAR has excellent working qualities but cannot be used as a direct spruce
substitute without allowance for its slightly reduced strength properties. It is somewhat low
in shock resisting capacity.
13.) WHITE PINE has excellent working qualities and is uniform in properties but is
somewhat low in hardness and shock-resisting capacity. Cannot be used as a spruce
substitute without increase in size to compensate for lower strength.
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The Hughes H-4 Hercules he aircraft was nicknamed

the Spruce Goose by critics, although it was made almost
entirely of birch.[1]

III. WOOD SUBSTITUTION

1.) Aluminum (blended with small quantities of other metals) is used on most types of
aircraft because it is lightweight and strong. Aluminum alloys don’t corrode as readily as
steel. But because they lose their strength at high temperatures, they cannot be used for
skin surfaces that become very hot on airplanes that fly faster than twice the speed of
sound.
2.) Steel can be up to four times stronger and three times stiffer than aluminum, but it is
also three times heavier. It is used for certain components like landing gear, where strength
and hardness are especially important. It has also been used for the skin of some high-
speed airplanes, because it holds its strength at higher temperatures better than aluminum.
3.) Graphite-epoxy is one of several types of composite materials that are becoming
widely used for many aircraft structures and components. These materials typically consist
of strong fibers embedded in a resin (in this case, graphite fibers embedded in epoxy). Thin
sheets of the material can be stacked in various ways to meet specific strength or stiffness
needs. Graphite-epoxy is about as strong as aluminum and weighs about half as much.
4.) Titanium is about as strong as steel and weighs less, though it is not as light as
aluminum. It holds its strength at high temperatures and resists corrosion better than steel
or aluminum. Though titanium is expensive, these characteristics have led to its greater use
in modern aircraft.
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WOOD MATERIALS ALUMINUM MATERIALS STEEL MATERIALS

COMPOSITE MATERIALS TITANIUM MATERIALS

IV. WOOD ASSESSMENT

When specific manufacturer’s manuals and instructions are not available, the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1, Acceptable Methods,
Techniques, and Practices—Aircraft Inspection and Repair, can be used as reference for
inspections and repairs. The AC details in the first paragraph, Purpose, the criteria necessary
for its use. In part, it stipulates that the use of the AC is acceptable to the FAA for the
inspection and minor repair of nonpressurized areas of civil aircraft.

It also specifies that the repairs identified in the AC may also be used as a basis for
FAA approval of major repairs when listed in block 8 of FAA Form 337, Major Repair and
Alteration, when:
1. The user has determined that it is appropriate to the product being repaired;
2. It is directly applicable to the repair being made; and
3. It is not contrary to manufacturer’s data.
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Certificated mechanics that have the experience of working on wooden aircraft are
becoming rare. Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 65 states in part
that a certificated mechanic may not perform any work for which he or she is rated unless
he or she has performed the work concerned at an earlier date. This means that if an
individual does not have the previous aviation woodworking experience performing the
repair on an aircraft, regulation requires a certificated and appropriately rated mechanic or
repairman who has had previous experience in the operation concerned to supervise that
person.
The ability to inspect wood structures and recognize defects (dry rot, compression
failures, etc.) can be learned through experience and instruction from knowledgeable
certificated mechanics and appropriately qualified technical instructors.

Inspection of Wood Structures

To properly inspect an aircraft constructed or comprised of wood components, the
aircraft must be dry. It should be placed in a dry, well-ventilated hangar with all inspection
covers, access panels, and removable fairings opened and removed. This allows interior
sections and compartments to thoroughly dry. Wet, or even damp, wood causes swelling and
makes it difficult to make a proper determination of the condition of the glue joints.

If there is any doubt that the wood is dry, a moisture meter should be utilized to verify
the percentage of moisture in the structure. Nondestructive meters are available that check
moisture without making holes in the surface. The ideal range is 8–12 percent, with any
reading over 20 percent providing an environment for the growth of fungus in the wood.

External and Internal Inspection

The inspection should begin with an examination of the external surface of the
aircraft. This provides a general assessment of the overall condition of the wood and
structure. The wings, fuselage, and empennage should be inspected for undulation, warping,
or any other disparity from the original shape. Where the wings, fuselage, or empennage
structure and skins form stressed structures, no departure from the original contour or
shape is permissible. [Figure 3]

Figure 3. Cross sectional view of a stressed skin structure

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Where light structures using single plywood covering are concerned, some slight
sectional undulation or bulging between panels may be permissible if the wood and glue are
sound. However, where such conditions exist, a careful check must be made of the
attachment of the plywood to its supporting structure. A typical example of a distorted single
plywood structure is illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4. A distorted single plywood structure

The contours and alignment of leading and trailing edges are of particular
importance. A careful check should be made for any deviation from the original shape. Any
distortion of these light plywood and spruce structures is indicative of deterioration, and a
detailed internal inspection has to be made for security of these parts to the main wing
structure. If deterioration is found in these components, the main wing structure may also
be affected.

Splits in the fabric covering on plywood surfaces must be investigated to ascertain

whether the plywood skin beneath is serviceable. In all cases, remove the fabric and inspect
the plywood, since it is common for a split in the plywood skin to initiate a similar defect in
the protective fabric covering.

Although a preliminary inspection of the external structure can be useful in assessing

the general condition of the aircraft, note that wood and glue deterioration can often take
place inside a structure without any external indications. Where moisture can enter a
structure, it seeks the lowest point, where it stagnates and promotes rapid deterioration. A
musty or moldy odor apparent as you remove the access panels during the initial inspection
is a good indication of moisture, fungal growth, and possible decay.

The inspection of a complete aircraft for glue or wood deterioration requires scrutiny
of parts of the structure that may be known, or suspected, trouble spots. In many instances,
these areas are boxed in or otherwise inaccessible. Considerable dismantling may be
required. It may be necessary to cut access holes in some of the structures to facilitate the
inspection. Do such work only in accordance with approved drawings or instructions in the
maintenance manual for the aircraft concerned. If drawings and manuals are not available,
engineering review may be required before cutting access holes.
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V. REFERENCES
https://www.aircraftsystemstech.com/2018/09/history-of-wooden-aircraft.html
http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/engineering/TechnicalLeaflets/Building,%20Bu
ying%20or%20Importing/TL%201.14%20Wood%20Information.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules
https://howthingsfly.si.edu/media/titanium-materials
https://www.aircraftsystemstech.com/2018/10/wood-aircraft-construction-and-
repairs.html