Spars
 

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Configuration of spar (or sole):

  • Principle:
For some type of wings, you are going to build in some spars or sole for rigidification. This menu allows to control the  related hollowing in a cut. 
  • Menu:
  • Use :
For a spar:

Click on one of the six icons, switch on 'active spar' selection, select the desired type of cut from the for available choices, then fill in the data in the fields 'Name', 'Distance from ', 'Thickness', 'Spar width l' and then you are going to get a nice spar cut. 

Caution : The switch in the field 'Spar width l' has 3 possible states:
Not checked = Same width from root to tip. 
Checked = Width proportionnal to root/tip chords
Gray checked = Width fully independant from chords

In order to insert some  more spars, you just have to click on one of the five remaining icons and reiterate the process of describing the desired spar shape.

Here is the result :

  • Restriction :
If you do not want to leave a mark on the foam beds during the spar cut, you should insure a minimal thickness of the spar (deep notch), because of wire kerf.
Even with a low diameter cutting wire, the notch left in the foam is wider than wire diameter
For instance with a 0.35mm wire, at optimal heating the foam melt thickness is around 0.8mm (apparent diameter of wire).
In order to cut spars or notches without marking the foam beds, the thickness of the spar should be greater than the apparent diameter of the wire (which may be higher at wing tip for trapezoidal wing shape). Theoretically, with a wire kerf of 0.8mm, a 0.8mm thick spar should not mark the foam beds. Practically, that is not true because the wire is going to stay for a while in the same area and make multiple pass to cut the spar. This create a local heat accumulation wich radiate  in the foam (more in the vertical direction) and damage the foam beds (the extrados foam bed mark will be more important than the intrados one).
With a 0.8mm wire kerf, a 2mm thickness spar cut leave a fairly acceptable mark on foam beds.
For smaller thickness, as you do not want to refill the foam beds with mastic, you may sand the notch manually (!), or use you cutter with the help of  scripts (see example), after removal of the foam beds, or even perform two cuts: one with the spars (discard foam beds) and one without spars (discard cores) and use non marked foam beds for skinning.