WIX Archives
Aluminum/End-Grain Balsa Sandwich
Posted by bdk on Fri Dec 13, 2002 05:55:58 PM
In reply top Re: Wood? .... it's called Metalite posted by Richard Allnutt on Fri Dec 13, 2002 02:41:04 PM
This material was most commonly used in airliner floors before the advent of honeycomb/composite sandwich panels. Not many aircraft used this material for exterior surfaces.
This was a transition period between purely sheet metal and modern composite techniques for airframe construction.
Maybe Kiwi Dave can tell us if Classic Wings will be having photos of this aircraft anytime soon... :-)
By the way, I think the photo is of the actual aircraft now under restoration!
The F7U was also used by the Blue Angels at one time.
BK
: The composite material you are talking about is called Met
: allite, and is a sandwich of balsa wood, a honeycomb-like
: material, and a layer of aluminum skin. I think it might b
: e a Vought idea, because I haven't seen it in other aircra
: ft in quite the same way, but they used it a lot on wing a
: nd tail surfaces in the F6U and F7U. It was also used in t
: he horizontals on late model F4U's as well.
:
: It was used for its lightness, and strength. I don't know
: how effective it was, but I am sure it's a bugger to resto
: re something with this material in it... in fact, I don't
: know how you would, since there are intangibles like glue
: in there, which are harder to guarantee for airworthy uses
: in combinations like those employed in Metallite.
:
: Hope this helps.
:
: Cheers,
: Richard
:
: : Wood in the wings? That's sometihng I'd never thought a
: bo
: : ut it, I'd just assumed that jets were pretty much all a
: lu
: : minum (well, unless you're using titaium, boron, compsit
: es
: : ...) Yeah, PLEASE piut the pics on a web page
: :
: : Chris
