Aircraft Wood Construction Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering historical aircraft, wood species, selection criteria, non-destructive testing, hand and power tools, joints, and adhesives based on the aircraft wood construction lecture.

Wright Brothers’ Flyer (1903)

One of the earliest successful powered aircraft, which used a wooden framework as part of its construction.

de Havilland Mosquito

A famous aircraft from the Golden Age of Aviation (1920s–1930s) that made extensive use of wood.

Ash

A wood species with high shock resistance, historically used for landing gear struts and fittings.

Sitka Spruce

The standard aircraft structural wood, known for being lightweight, strong, and having an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.

Birch

A wood species commonly used in plywood form due to its excellent resistance to splitting.

Aircraft-Grade Birch Plywood

Special plywood used in aircraft construction for skins, gussets, and stressed surfaces.

Douglas Fir

An alternative wood species used in aircraft construction when spruce is scarce.

Mahogany

An alternative wood species used historically in aircraft construction when spruce is scarce.

Grain Orientation Criteria

The requirement that aircraft wood grain must be straight, even, and parallel to the edges to ensure structural strength.

Grain Slope Rejection Threshold

A critical criteria requiring rejection of wood if the slope of the grain is greater than $1:15$.

Specific Gravity Testing

A non-destructive test used to help determine characteristics related to the density of wood.

Moisture Meter Testing

A non-destructive test used to determine the moisture content of aircraft wood.

Spokeshaves

Hand tools used for fine shaping of wood and creating smooth, controlled curves.

Block Planes

Hand tools used to shape, smooth, and trim wood surfaces in fine woodworking.

Chisels

Hand tools used for cutting, trimming, and shaping aircraft wood.

Scrapers

Hand tools used for fine finishing and smoothing wood surfaces.

Marking Gauges

Hand tools used to make accurate marks on wood to ensure proper dimensions and alignment.

Templates

Tools used as guides to ensure accurate shaping and construction of aircraft components.

Bandsaws

Power tools used for cutting curved rib profiles and other curved wooden components.

Routers

Power tools used for shaping and grooving aircraft wood materials.

Sanders

Power tools used for finishing surfaces and creating smooth finishes after cutting and shaping.

Scarf Joint

A long angled end-to-end joint specifically used for splicing aircraft spars.

Butt Joint

A simple end-to-end wood joint that requires reinforcement using gussets.

Finger Joint

A joint constructed using interlocking fingers that is less common in aircraft construction.

Plywood Gussets

Plywood reinforcement plates used to provide additional support and strength to wood joints.

Casein Glue

A historical aircraft adhesive used prior to World War II.

Epoxies

Modern adhesives used for bonding aircraft wood that are known for providing strong bonds.

Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins

A type of modern resin adhesive used in aircraft wood construction.

Resorcinol

A modern adhesive used for bonding in aircraft wood construction.