On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 17:17:10 GMT, "Dude" wrote:

BB,

Do you know what varieties of spruce will make good airplane parts?

I am planning to plant a bunch of trees, and I might as well do something
good for the future of aviation while I am at it. It would be a shame if
there were know pretty biplanes decorating the sky.

Besides, they don't pay anything for pine here anymore. If your lucky, you
can get it clear cut for free. Thinning will likely cost you!

"Badwater Bill" wrote in message
.. .
On 19 Feb 2004 13:28:10 -0800, (al pernell) wrote:

anyone know of good sources for spruce stock other than Wicks and
Aircraft Spruce

Man, that's a good question. Almost every spruce tree that is cut
down on the North American Continent goes to Japan at a premium price
that we'd never pay.

BWB

Sorry Dude, planting trees now won't make them available for
harvesting in your lifetime. Sitka Spruce isn't unique as a wood
suitable for use in airplanes, many trees qualify. It's just that
sitka spruce is an easy to use wood that grows tall and straight and
has adaquate strength for it's weight. The problem is the only sitka
that qualifies is found in old growth trees that have grown slowly so
that the growth rings are all fairly dense.

Once you cut them down, it's hundreds of years before anything that is
replanted is ready for harvesting again.

Sitka spruce became the wood of choice during WWI when virtually all
airplanes were built with wood. It was plentiful and easily worked.
It's strength properties were known so aeronautical engineers knew how
to design with it. It made it easier to design when you had just one
wood to think about.

That was then, this is now. Sitka spruce is getting to be hard to
find. You might be well advised to think about using a plywood type
spar instead of solid wood, and either aluminum for ribs, or go
aluminum all the way. You can substitute Douglas Fir for Spruce
anywhere on a one to one basis. Douglas fir is a little stronger but
a bit heavier. It also splits more easily so it's a little harder to
work with.

Corky Scott