Spruce Goose was primarily built from Birch not Spruce....EAA has info & Book's on types grades and research into different types/species for building.
CldLk-Tim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick and Robin Russo" <patru...@myfairpoint.net> Yes, I have used pine to do a wood/fabric L-19 look-alike. Incidently, there is a major kit supplier that uses clear southern pine in their light sircraft. I have also built a KR-2 with locally cut spruce careful to use the staightest grain and zero knots. On a 2nd KR I also went to the local lumber yard and spent the afternoon going thru the stacks of construction grade spruce 2x8's etc pulling out the odd knot free and straight grain board. When the grain was not as straight as I like, I re-sawed the boards and laminated them to their best advantage. I once found a stash of redwood as staight and close grained as I ever saw, and built a set of wings for another, as yet unfinished, aircraft....but not before I experimented with it, building two blue grass F-5 mandolins. They proved to be every bit as strong as the usual spruce topped instruments but lacked the tone quality. Mahogany.......................
