CorvAircraft> Off Subject - Wood Wings

[Dave Morris "BigD"]

Thanks for being my straight man.

Last September, I bought an M20A that was first test-flown in July 
1960 by the Bill Wheat in that article you referenced below.  The M20 
and M20A are available very cheap because people are scared of the 
wooden wing.  I personally think the A model is one of the most 
simple, reliable, and trouble-free airplanes Mooney ever built, and 
one of the best kept secrets in low-cost aviation today.  I get 
164mph on 8gph with 180hp and cruise at 8-10k ft on oxygen everywhere 
I go nowadays.

When they were testing the wooden wing, they broke the test fixture 
and could not fail the wing.  We also don't have a temperature limit 
for leaving our airplanes parked in the sun as some of the clorox 
bottle airplanes do.

Dave Morris
www.N6030X.com


At 08:56 AM 3/27/2007, you wrote:
>A fortnight ago, saw a M20 or M20A wood wing Mooney on the ramp beside a
>M20J  (a.ka. 201).  Easy to see the M20A had a beautiful wing.  Further
>researches...http://www.mooneypilots.com/mapalog/woodwing.html  Note the
>4-8 MPH speed difference & predictable stall due to airfoil trueness.
>
>Wood cellular structures are ingenious.  They are cylindrical with a
>diameter to length ratio that I suppose varies with the species, but I
>guess around 4 to 1.  From a structural view point, the ends of the
>cells form bulkheads which control compression buckling.  Indeed wood on
>a specific density is superior to aluminum in compression per Perry
>"AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES".
>
>Wood is orthotropic (properties vary acording to direction) making
>analysis and construction interesting.  Composite analysis and
>construction very similar.  The composite boys - when they learn to make
>tubular fibers (carbon nano tubes w/ bulkheads) - will be cooking with
>gas.
>
>The downside of wood is it is a heavier construction method.  During
>WW2, the Russians were forced to make planes of wood that they later
>metallized and the later construction was lighter.  The weight
>difference between wood and metal construction begins to diminish as
>wing loading increases.  The Mosquito was an excellent plane.
>
>More researches overturned wood wing patents.  One by Virginius Clark
>(daddy of the Clark Y airfoil  (NACA 4412)) where the wing is a pure
>wood monocoque (ie a tube with no ribs, spars, stringers).  Its doable,
>but may have some buggers without further analysis.
>
>Got to go.,
>
>Dan
>
>
>
>
>
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