What style of wing construction do YOU PREFER? Or, do you have a preference?
Why?
Thanks
Bill <><
Bill,
Without a doubt, my favorite style of wing construction is the Dixon "Kept Foam" process. Tom actually calls it "Quick-Build" on his web site. The first time that you follow this process, you may be a little uneasy and unsure of yourself, but by the time you have built 3-4 wings, you will be an expert, and will be building wings faster and more accurately than you ever have before.
The benefits of this system are...
1) First is speed. If you use CA glue, you don't have to stop until both panels are finished.
2) You get the inherent accuracy of a foam core. With the "false ribs" you can still get the appearance of a built up wing, if that is something you prefer.
3) No jig is necessary, but it still important that you work from a plate glass surface (or other known flat surface), because you can ruin a foam core by building in a warp.
4) The process is applicable to any standard, tripled-cored foam wing so your choices are endless.
5) It's just plane fun! (pun intended)
I follow Tom's suggestion and use the foam-compatible CA glue for the wings' construction. It makes the process go extremely fast, in fact I can frame up both wing halves in one day, which is an absolute record for me. The great thing about using the CA, is that you never have to stop building once you start.
If you are unsure about the process, I would suggest taking a 10" section of an old foam wing core, and working through the process as a learning experience. The most unusual and somewhat tricky step, is applying the CA glue in a "W" fashion to adhere the LE and TE sheeting, but you'll soon get the hang of that.
On Tom's web site, he has an instruction page for doing the "Kept Foam" process, in case you are not familiar with it.
http://members.tripod.com/~TomDixon/wings.htmCheers.
Warren Wagner