Aircraft Building Has Come Out of the Woods

Timber holds a special place as the primordial material in airplane construction.

Tuesday, January 02, 2024 at 12:57 PM ET

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American aviator Howard Hughes (in hat) atop his flying boat the Spruce Goose (a Hughes H-4 Hercules), directing operations for the launch at Long Beach, California, on November 6, 1947. Here the aircraft is towed away from its dry dock on Terminal Island. [Library of Congress]

Key Takeaways:

The article explores the historical use of wood in aircraft, noting its early prevalence due to familiarity, cost, and repairability, though an example like the Bell XP-77 highlights its performance limitations.
A central argument is that cultural biases significantly influenced material choices: the U.S. perceived metal as synonymous with modernity, while Britain, possibly due to a stronger artisan culture, was more accepting of wood for high-performance aircraft like the de Havilland Mosquito.
Despite certain advantages like avoiding metal fatigue and easier shaping, wood construction was ultimately viewed as a material of the past in aviation, exemplified by ambitious projects such as the "Spruce Goose."

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Among the volumes crumbling on my bookshelves is one entitled American Combat Planes, by the late historian Ray Wagner. Originally published in 1960, it presents trading card-sized photos of countless airplanes, together with their specifications and a running narrative of the history of American military aviation, beginning with World War I. From time to time, when leafing through it in search of something else, I have happened upon a sweet-looking little airplane incongruously wedged between the school bus-sized Republic XP-72 and General Motors XP-75.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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