That Alaskan yellow cedar is MARVELOUS WOOD !!! I bought some of it 30
yrs ago to build an air boat---had some left over to build pipe-organ
wind chests & still had some to use in my airplane-----Look at the specs!!
10% stronger ( and heavier) than Spruce --right straight across the
lines for ALL the strength specs. Can't hardly see the grain, beautiful
white stuff-(till you wet ot or varnish it--then a pale yellow) --I
bought it from a place that made wooden screen doors---(aluminum storm
doors= no more wood)

Stealth Pilot wrote:
On 25 Jan 2006 03:08:10 -0800, wrote:



The Smilin' Jacks don't know what they're missing :-)

-R.S.Hoover



absolutely the case. I ran out of Queensland Hoop Pine that we use as
a substitute for spruce and was walking through bunnings warehouse
(the australian clone of home depot) , what did I spy but some
stunning alaskan yellow cedar. 8ft long with absolutely straight grain
and not more than one pin knot in the entire length and about 30 rings
per inch. I bought them all and sliced them up for the laminations
that form the turtledeck formers of my Turbulent. the sawdust pongs a
bit but they made superb lightweight laminated bows.

we also get a eucalyptus timber sold as "ash" or "oak" but is actually
eucalyptus deligatensis or something similar. I have seen lengths that
look absolutely perfect propeller wood. my guess is $aus70 retail for
a propeller's worth of wood.

half of this alternate wood selection is having the courage that it
will be ok in use, and that comes from an appreciation of the loads
and stresses that the components get subjected to in flight.

btw my hoop pine comes from a guy who uses it to make apiarists honey
bee boxes. he is evidently absolutely stoked that some of his bee box
wood will some day fly as an aircraft :-)

Stealth Pilot

... now corky scott should build himself a little single seat wooden
aeroplane with a 1600cc vw engine conversion done by himself.
cheap as chips. he'd have a ball without breaking the bank.
(hey corkie send me an email and I'll reply with enough details to
work from)