• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Foam vs Wood L.E. ribs

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Yogi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Messages
121
Location
Commerce Georgia USA
I'm currently building a Fauvel AV 361. There are 64 nose ribs. I just weighed the wood it takes for a typical nose rib then cut a piece of 1"thick 2lb. foam to the same shape and weighed it. The foam,to my surprise,was 34% lighter. I think I will use foam for L.E. ribs in lieu of wood for all but those at tip,hinge and fuselage juncture. I have seen several designs that use this technique. Pros: easier fabrication,more horizontal support for D-tube skin so,NO VARNISHING( getting between gussets is a bugger ),no chance of rot, more gluing surface, and less weight. Cons:Need careful clamping during skin application,not as ding resistant?( no springback ) The extra glue required for the skins appears to be about the same as that required for the gussets and verticals of the wooden ribs. I built a Mitchell Wing in the 80's that used this same method. Any thoughts?
 
Back
Top