History of the foam wing?

[yakwrecker]

I've been working on my carden in my grandpas shop for the past couple days. He asked me today how the sheeted foam method came to be so popular. I didnt really have a strait answer. He told me about and old full scale racer called the LR-1 the designer used foam and some type of composite laminate to make it strong. He said all the cessna guys at the time laughed at him and said it would never hold up. The guy said if you'll let me walk on your cessnas wing you can walk on my wing. Well needless to say the cessna guys wouldnt let him but somehow he proved to them this concept. Mind you this is full scale high speed aircraft. Does anyone have any idea who started it in models. I was thinking maybe Bob Godfrey or Hano Pretner but i cant be sure.
Anyone?

[Andy Thomas]

I would think the Rutan brothers had something to do with it.

[harrys]

I would like to know more about this foam wing history.. i have been making Foam wing since 1999.. a very good alternative for built up wings very strong & rugged....

[thewrap]

I had a guy tell me a few weeks ago that Foam wings make the plane heavier than a built up wing. I just agreed with him since I'm the low man on the pole at the new field. I don't think that's true in alot of cases. Especially if you do alot of milling to them.

[3ddd]

aj was cutting foam in his garage back in 1977 when i met him and i know he was cutting it way before that

[Patrick H]

I seen a kit in the early 80's that was at least at least 15yrs old that had a obechi veneered foam wing. All i can remember is it was .25 size.

[Zee]

I have been building and cutting foam wings in '73. Sig has been making kits back then with foam wings.
Zee

[Zee]

Back in mid seventies, there was a company in Phoenix and they designed full scale war bird airplanes in about 5/8 scale. FW190, Corsair, P-47. Powered by Continental 100 HP.
Airframe was wood structure, with foam blocks glued to it than shaped to propper shape covered with fiberglass and painted.
I use to manufacture all the metal hardware for them , include retractable landing gear. The plane was fairly easy to build, big airplane model.
Zee

[Gus155]

its a general trend around the world that there are always some guys looking for different ways to do things, wheather it be to save cost, time or more strength.

[Dan Bregar]

I started cutting foam cores in 1965 or 66 can't remember, for my controline combat airplanes and I know I was one of the first but not THE first, and I think an RC guy (can't remember who) pioneered this construction method a few years earlier, so I bet it started about 1963ish. At first it was not very popular but as methods improved they became more popular. One of the first issues I had to overcome was finding a light weight glue to attatch the wing skins. I had 2 or 3 airplanes that were kind of pigly in their performance due to the heavy weight. My first 4 or 5 airplanes were covered with a type of bond paper and contact cement. Then moved to mylar covering and a light weight glue which got the weight down to almost what a built up balsa wing would be. But even though they were slightly heavier there was a improvement in airframe performance due to the improved airfoil and maintaining of that airfoil at hi speed hi G manuevers. I'm sure there are some old time RC'rs who can better pinpoint exactly what year and who it was who first came up with the idea and turned it into reality.

[ULTIMATE1]

I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure that Henry Piorun was the first to make honey combed wings he was the leader in pattern plane technology and made a full time living manufacturing pattern planes in his basement ;Meridian ,Python,
http://www.wtp.net/DBEST/piorun/hp.html

[cursor]

I think for RC use (at least in this country), that early Pattern pioneer and AMA Hall of Fame member ('95) Ed Izzo gets the credit for foam wings. He published an article in RCM or MAN in 1964, and just gave the technique away to the modeling public rather than profiting from it (other than the article fee).

Henry Piorun more than likely raised the foam wing technique to its highest level in his custom built pattern models, using an "egg-crate" method of honeycombing the foam, and laminating with only 1/2 oz of epoxy per wing panel. I remember him delivering a set of custom built wings to Ivan Kristensen at the '88 Fentress NATS where the panels each weighed less than 8 oz, ready to cover, with the retract mounts installed and servo boxes installed. Those were for a .60-sized Summit (Ivan's design), but Henry's Eclipse (Henry's design, not the newer Eclipse from CA models-- they appropriated the name) wings weighed about the same.

When I designed the 2M Olympian pattern model for Piorun Models in '95, the wings were much larger -- 1100 sq in. We were still able to keep the wing weight to 10-11 oz per panel -- a number that would be hard to hit with wood, I suspect.

I do believe that MOST foam wings are heavier than wood wings, but they certainly don't have to be. Proven techniques, proper wood, and careful building can produce a strong, light, and aerodynamically perfect surface, with VERY light tips (most of the foam is removed outboard of the wing tube end). The weight removed is only about 3-4 oz per panel on an 900 sq in wing, but the light tips are a tremendous advantage in stopping and starting rolls, snaps, and spins. And a half pound gone is always good, no matter the size of the plane.

Rick Allison