Metallic or composite, a sandbag load test on the reversed wing to simulate
aerodynamic lift is a MUST before flight. The total sandbag weight on 2 wings should be the total airplane weight times the limit design load factor (3.8 for normal category, 4.4 for utility category and 6.0 for acrobatic category) for a limit test where no material yielding should happen. For an ultimate test where no fracture should happen, the limit sandbag load should be multiplied by a safety factor (usually 1.5). Scrap the test wing after an ultimate test because yielding (hard to inspect) might have happened. 2. 3. Carbon or glass, the minimum laminate thickness should be at least 0.03" for damage tolerance (e.g., accidental screwdriver punch). 4. Usually there can be more plies at the root because there will be more bending. When adding or dropping plies, do not drop all plies at the same location to avoid drastic change (potential stress raiser). 5. Avoid placing all fibers in the same direction: a minimum of 10% of the fibers should be oriented in each direction (0, +-45 and 90 degrees). 6. It would be helpful to read the "Lessons Learned" chapter from Military Handbook 17, attached.
To build a airplane spar: Metallic spar: 1. If tapering (spar height variation) is needed from root to tip, I recommend a built-up spar by L or T shaped caps (blue) and a spar web (red). You can make it I or C shaped depending on your needs. The caps can be stock extrusions or bent aluminum sheets. 2. If no tapering is needed, a constant cross section extrusion is a good option to consider. I would recommend C or I cross sections against a circular tube, because of bending resistance. 3. Regardless tapering, I recommend a through spar from wing tip to wing tip if possible, because many bad things can happen to joints. If there has to be a joint, make it strong. Composite spar: 7. Metallic or composite, a sandbag load test on the reversed wing to simulate aerodynamic lift is a MUST before flight. The total sandbag weight on 2 wings should be the total airplane weight times the limit design load factor (3.8 for normal category, 4.4 for utility category and 6.0 for acrobatic category) for a limit test where no material yielding should happen. For an ultimate test where no fracture should happen, the limit sandbag load should be multiplied by a safety factor (usually 1.5). Scrap the test wing after an ultimate test because yielding (hard to inspect) might have happened.
Composites Part A - Applied Science and Manufacturing Volume 35 Issue 7-8 2004 (Doi 10.1016/j.compositesa.2004.01.014) J. Cugnoni Th. Gmür A. Schorderet - Identification by Modal Analysis of Compo