1.

Metallic or composite, a sandbag load test on the reversed wing to simulate

aerodynamic lift is a MUST before flight. The total sandbag weight on 2 wings should be
the total airplane weight times the limit design load factor (3.8 for normal category, 4.4
for utility category and 6.0 for acrobatic category) for a limit test where no material
yielding should happen. For an ultimate test where no fracture should happen, the limit
sandbag load should be multiplied by a safety factor (usually 1.5). Scrap the test wing
after an ultimate test because yielding (hard to inspect) might have happened.
2.
3. Carbon or glass, the minimum laminate thickness should be at least 0.03" for damage
tolerance (e.g., accidental screwdriver punch).
4. Usually there can be more plies at the root because there will be more bending. When
adding or dropping plies, do not drop all plies at the same location to avoid drastic
change (potential stress raiser).
5. Avoid placing all fibers in the same direction: a minimum of 10% of the fibers should be
oriented in each direction (0, +-45 and 90 degrees).
6. It would be helpful to read the "Lessons Learned" chapter from Military Handbook 17,
attached.


To build a airplane spar:
Metallic spar:
1. If tapering (spar height variation) is needed from root to tip, I recommend a built-up spar
by L or T shaped caps (blue) and a spar web (red). You can make it I or C shaped
depending on your needs. The caps can be stock extrusions or bent aluminum sheets.
2. If no tapering is needed, a constant cross section extrusion is a good option to
consider. I would recommend C or I cross sections against a circular tube, because of
bending resistance.
3. Regardless tapering, I recommend a through spar from wing tip to wing tip if possible,
because many bad things can happen to joints. If there has to be a joint, make it strong.
Composite spar:
7. Metallic or
composite, a sandbag load test on the reversed wing to simulate aerodynamic lift is a
MUST before flight. The total sandbag weight on 2 wings should be the total airplane
weight times the limit design load factor (3.8 for normal category, 4.4 for utility category
and 6.0 for acrobatic category) for a limit test where no material yielding should
happen. For an ultimate test where no fracture should happen, the limit sandbag load
should be multiplied by a safety factor (usually 1.5). Scrap the test wing after an ultimate
test because yielding (hard to inspect) might have happened.