Photo of old spar with cracks and bent ribs.
Spar choices: (1) new spars from the "factory" (but the Taylorcraft factory was in start up mode and not able to supply spars, yet able to take deposits on spars...oh,oh!) or (2) new spars from AirRepair (but they were being aquired by WagAero and unable to supply spars...otherwise would have cost about $500 each, 4 required!) or (3) buy spar blanks from Aircraft Spruce and fabricate own using original spars as a pattern. No choice, I ordered spar blanks from Aircraft Spruce.
And then the pleasant surprize, fabricating spars was easy and enjoyable. AND it cost about 1/4 of what new spars would have cost if I'd been able to get them! About $600 total for all 4 spars.
The spar blanks arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered them. They came in one real long box. They were absolutely beautiful. Perfectly straight, fine pitch grain from one end to the 16 foot other end. There can't be many spruce trees left on Earth that can supply boards like these. I counted "rings" on my boards and calculated that the tree would have to be at least 100 years old and probably much, much older.
Bonus: the spar blanks/spruce boards came packed between two additional 3/8" X 6"X16' spruce boards. This "packing material" was almost as good as the spars themselves, and would have been the best boards by far in our local lumber yard. And 3/8" is the perfect size for making fuselage stringers. I would use them to make some super lightweight, high strength stringers. Nothing goes to waste.
The spars had been milled to the exact dimensions that I'd specified and all I had to do was trim one end to length and drill holes for the hardware. I'm sure glad I was not able to buy factory spars!
Go to Wing 3: Drilling Holes in Spars
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