How to measure wing thickness.

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

What is a good way to measure wing thickness that uses common tools?  My typical caliper does not have long enough "teeth."

At present, I am setting the wing on a surface, ideally a hard surface, then balancing a small level on top of the wing, while juggling a ruler to measure between the level and the hard surface.  The result is between unsatisfactory and fair, but never excellent.

thanks,

Peter

[Brent Williams]

Outside calipers.

[Avaiojet]

Take some scrap .125 balsa 2" in height and cut a length for the top and bottom of the wing with a few inches sticking out at the LE and TE.

Pin a couple of vertical pieces at the ends keeping both the top and bottom pieces parallel and the end pieces square at 90 degrees.

Slide the thing over the wing and have the top piece pivot on the two pinned end pieces.

When it touches the wing top and bottom, CA the pieces.

Remove it from the wing. If the top and bottom pieces are parallel, the distance between them is the thickness of your wing.

Works for many things.

[John Park]

It will be easy enough to make up a crude but serviceable pair of outside calipers (from, say, 1/8" ply and a bolt and wing-nut) to handle any size wing you like.  The accuracy won't be to engineering standard, but should be 'near enough for jazz', as we used to say.

[Dan Berry]

Two squares along the lines of a framing. Lay one onto the other to form a 'U' shape. You'll get a direct reading.
Use two squares, not two nerds.

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

The "two framing squares in a U shape" technique worked.

[Wayne Collier]

Go buy a cheep plastic set of calipers at Harbor Freight or similar retailer. Carefully CA some long balsa extensions onto the sides of the jaws. Lot’s of kinds off material could be used for jaw extensions but soft wood can be adjusted with sandpaper. Don’t use much pressure or the extensions will bend and cause bad measurement.

Actually if you clamped a speed square or tri-square to your workbench with the rule vertical your level method would work pretty good.

[Dan McEntee]

I would just get out the plans and measure with a ruler.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Dan,

Plans?  That would involve building, correct?

/s

Peter

[Dan McEntee]

Dan,

Plans?  That would involve building, correct?

/s

Peter

   Well, yes and no. I have models that I didnt build but I have the plans for them. I think the only airplane I have that I dont have plans for is the Top Flite Score, but I own a set of odd ball cheap long jaw calipers so that if I really needed to know how thick the airfoil is I would get those out. I just dont remember where I got them or why I have them.!!