Why Foam Wings?
Did you know that most aircraft flown in competition
(especially those winning) are flying with foam wings? The reasons are illustrated in the
diagrams below. Foam is stronger, costs less, takes less time to
build and repair, and is more precise, too.
Styrofoam, by its nature, is made up of a strong honeycomb like
structure. It has a compression strength of 1,000 pounds per square foot. You
can stand on a foam wing.
Foam is a lighter material than balsa. Foam weighs 1 pound per
cubic foot while balsa weighs from 4 to 12 pounds per cubic foot. That is why balsa is used
in a build-up skeleton fashion. But, while a build-up balsa wing may weigh just about the
same as a foam wing, there is a substantial loss in strength. Finishing the wing is the
same for both foam and balsa, so the importance of a light weight finish remains.
The accuracy (precision) of a build-up structure is tentative, at best,
because of the many parts involved. Our foam wings are inherently accurate.
We cut them on precision computer controlled equipment using CNC control for each wing
profile. Precision is built in. Washout can even be built into the wing if required.
Repairing a build-up wing can be aggravating, time consuming, and sometimes impossible.
Foam is quick and easy to cut and patch. It is so easy, some
repairs can even be done "at the field" with minimal loss of flying time.
If your build-up wing is a total loss, or has seen better days, maybe it's time to look
into Dynamic Balsa's large inventory of kit wings; or if you're building new, we have
wings to match most models from leading manufacturers, a large list of generic wings, or
you can talk to us about our custom wing cutting service.
Foam wings are stronger, lighter, more precise, and take less time to build and repair.
Whether you are building or replacing,
switch to foam wings and fly like the pros.
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