Skyrocketing prices

[JohnR]

I started my LM-J3-W (all wood J-3 replica) four years ago next month. To date, I've logged about 530 hours and have the fuselage on gear, seats, stick assembly, and empennage.

Since I'm dangerously close to being able to start the wings, I checked on the price of the wing kit from Wicks (they sell sub-kits for the LMA designs with all the wood cut to profile already). That's when I almost had a heart attack.

The last time I checked, the wood kit for the wings cost around $2400 (up from $2100 two years ago). It suddenly shot up to $3500.

I whined on the LMA Yahoo message board, and someone replied that he built the whole wing assembly, including two wing tanks, for $700 using douglas fir instead of sitka spruce.

So . . .

Time to start shopping for good wood on my own.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

I don't know what is wood in those wings, but while Douglas Fir is indeed an acceptable substitute, it does have some negative properties. It is a bit denser than spruce, IIRC, so for a given dimension, it will be heavier. And if you need to bend it, it does not bend as well. Think the top piece of a rib.

Just a couple of things to consider.

 

[John Recine]

For what ever its worth, I checked the charts and selected yellow poplar as my wood of build. Its easy to get, inexpensive, resistant to insects, and has similar strength and weight rations to spruce, did I mention inexpensive and easily available.

Check out the poplar its nice to work with and inexpensive!

John

 

[SkyHog]

From my studies on wood - Douglas Fir is a suitable replacement for spruce (if spruce was the original wood). It is slightly heavier (about 20% IIRC) and about the same strength (negligible difference). It doesn't bend as easily without snapping.

If you have a few pounds to play with, its ok. I, unfortunately, did not have a few pounds.

Don't forget to check to make sure the wood is suitable for airplanes as well. There is a mil-spec for it, but damned if I could figure out how to grade wood by it.