Aircraft Materials, Construction and Repair

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Aircraft Materials,

Construction and Repair


Aircraft Wood
History

 Wood aircraft construction dates back to the early days of


certificated aircraft. Today only a limited number of wood
aircraft structures are produced. However, many of the older
airframes remain in service.

 With proper care, airframes from the 1930’s through the


1950’s have held up remarkably well considering the state of
technology and long term experience available at that time.
It is the responsibility of the mechanic to carefully inspect
such structures for deterioration and continuing
airworthiness.
Quality Materials

 Wood and adhesive materials used in aircraft repair should


meet aircraft quality standards and be purchased from
reputable distributors to ensure such quality.

 Strict Adherence to the specifications of the aircraft


structural-repair manual will ensure that the structure will
be as strong as the original.
Sitka Spruce

 The reference wood used for aircraft structures because of its


uniformity, strength, and excellent shock-resistance qualities.

 Reputable companies that sell wood for use in aircraft repairs


stringently inspect and verify that the wood product meets the
appropriate FAA specifications.

 Most Sitka spruce now comes from British Columbia and Alaska
due to the depletion of old growth spruce forests in the United
States, thus making quality spruce valuable and occasionally,
limited in supply.
Sitka Spruce - Picea Sitchensis
Sitka Spruce

 To meet the "Aircraft Sitka Spruce" grade


specification, the lumber must be kiln-dried

 This specification requires that the specific gravity


shall not be less than 0.36, the slope of the grain
shall not be steeper than 1 to 15, the wood must
be sawn vertical-grain, and shall have no fewer
than six annular rings per inch.
Kiln
According to FAA standards, a grain slope of
1:15 is the maximum allowable slope allowed
in aviation-grade wood.
Annular Rings

 Growth rings or annular rings can be


seen in a horizontal cross section cut
through the trunk of a tree. Visible rings
result from the change in growth speed
through the seasons of the year, thus
one ring usually marks the passage of
one year in the life of the tree.
Plain Sawn Wood

 Plain sawn, also commonly called flat sawn,


is the most common lumber you will find.
This is the most inexpensive way to
manufacture logs into lumber. Plain sawn
lumber is the most common type of cut.
The annular rings are generally 30 degrees
or less to the face of the board.

 Faster to produce, more affordable and


readily available.
Quarter Sawn Wood

 Quarter sawn wood has an amazing


straight grain pattern that lends itself
to design. Quarter sawn lumber is
defined as wood where the annular
growth rings intersect the face of the
board at a 60 to 90 degree angle.

 More stable than plain sawn lumber,


increased moisture resistance, less
likely to cup, twist or warp. It is Less
Expensive than Rift Sawn Lumber.
Rift Sawn Wood

 Rift sawn wood has annual rings that are


typically between 30-60 degrees, with 45
degrees being optimum.

 Ideal for custom furniture makers to use


for table, chair and other straight
pieces.

 The most dimensionally stable cut of


lumber available.
Wood Substitution

 If a substitute wood product meets the same quality


standard as the original wood, it is considered an
acceptable alternative.
 For example, you may substitute a laminated wood spars
for solid-rectangular wood spars as long as they are
manufactured from the same quality wood and they are
produced under aviation standards.
Wing Structure
Plywood

 It is constructed of wood layers


that are bonded with the grain
direction at a 90 angle to the
previous layer.
Laminated Wood

 The lamination process differs from the plywood process in that each
layer of laminated wood is bonded with the grain running parallel with
each other.

 It is stronger but less flexible than a piece of solid wood of the same
type and size.

 Laminated wood is much more resistant to warping than solid wood,


making it a good substitute for solid wood components.
Wood Warping

 Wood warping is a deviation from


flatness in timber as a result of
stresses and uneven shrinkage.
 Heartwood - The inner core of a woody stem
or log, extending from the pith to the sap,
which is usually darker in color. This part of
the wood contains dead cells that no longer
participate in the life processes of the tree.

 Sapwood - is the living part of a tree where


the sap and water flow. All wood initially
grows as sapwood. As the tree ages, the
innermost layers of sapwood turn to
heartwood, which is no longer living and does
not transport nutrients. Sapwood is usually
lighter in color than the heartwood, but of
equal strength.
Wood Defects

This figure illustrates several


wood defects that a technician
must be able to identify when
evaluating wood condition and
quality.
Wood Defects
 Checks - A lengthwise separation or crack of the wood that extends
along the wood grain. It devel­ops during drying and is commonly
caused by differences in radial and tangential shrinkage or because
of uneven shrinkage of the tissues in adjacent portions of the wood.

 Shakes - A separation or crack along the grain, the greater part of


which may occur at the com­mon boundary of two rings or within
growth rings.

 Knot - That portion of a branch or limb that is embedded in the


wood of a tree trunk, or that has been surrounded by subsequent
stem growth.
Types of Adhesives

 Most older airplanes were glued with casein glue, which was
a powdered glue made from milk. Casein glue deteriorates
over the years after it is exposed to moisture in the air and
to wide variations in tem­perature.

 Plastic resin glue - is a urea-formaldehyde resin that is


water, insect, and mold-proof. This type of glue usually
comes in a powdered form. Plastic resin glue rapidly
deteriorates in hot, moist environments, and under cyclic
stresses, making it obsolete for all aircraft structural repairs.
Types of Adhesives

 Resorcinol glue - is a two-part synthetic resin glue consisting of a resin


and a hardener and is the most water-resistant of the glues used.

 Phenol-formaldehyde glue - is most commonly used in the manufacturing


of aircraft-grade plywood. Phenol-formaldehyde glue requires high curing
temperatures and pressures making it impractical for use in the field.

 Epoxy resins - are two-part synthetic resins that gen­erally consist of a


resin and a hardener mixed together in specific quantities. Epoxies have
excel­lent working properties and usually require less attention to joint
quality or clamping pressures as compared to other aircraft adhesives.

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