Sunday, December 16, 2012

Compression Struts

What is a compression strut?

A compression strut fits between the front spar and rear spar (in each wing) and holds the spars the correct distance apart. They are in "compression mode" which means the spars are pulled together by criss crossed wires under lots of tension. So the only force the compression struts provide is, duh, compression. The wires also provide the force needed to keep the struts from moving laterally, more on this later when I can take some photos of the completed wing.

Two of the compression struts



Mechanical drawing of the compression strut, at one end.

The two pieces that will form one end of the compression strut, as seen in the mechanical drawing.

Note: the sheet metal was cut, deburred, and bent by Paul Straney. He had to tweek it very carefully because the fit has to be close to perfect in order for the welding process to work. Both pieces are thin metal, and there is little room for error when welding.


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