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Aircraft Wood Types and Usage Chart for the Kitplane Homebuilder, Important Information

This aircraft wood information came out of a book that I found in the Western Illinois University Library about ten years ago. The book was written in about 1933 and contained an enormous amount of research into the types of wood used for various aircraft components. Be sure to read the notes about the different types of aircraft wood, the aircraft spruce and the ash, etc. These notes on the different types of woods show how the location that the wood has grown, the speed of the tree growth and other factors affected the woods cell structure making their characteristics and strengths all different. For example aircraft spruce grown in one location is not as strong as aircraft spruce grown in another location. This kind of information is a very important and valuable source for the kitplane homebuilders and aircraft designers. Wooden aircraft like the Pitts Special, the Skybolt, the One Design, to name a few, all require a tremendous amount of care to keep them from coming apart when making high "G" maneuvers. The knowledge gained by closely studying this chart can give you a big insight into the factors that affect the construction of your homebuilt kitplane as far as the type of wood that is used. I have made this chart somewhere in 1997 when I first made YellowAirplane.com but it ended up lost in the mismatch and incompatibility of using programs other than Microsoft, so today, 17 July 2007, it was finally posted. So study this carefully and good luck on your airplane project.

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Read the Chart Below and you will see that not all aircraft spruce is the same, this is important information for the kitplane homebuilder.

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Common Name	Botanical Name	Type	Type II	Aircraft Usage	Bending, Compressive Strength	Combined Value	Comparative Value	Hardness	Notes	Shock Resistance	Specific Gravity	Stiffness
red	Alnus rubra	Alder	Hard wood		110	103	103	114		100	100	102
	Malus pumila var	Apple	Hard wood		112	149	70	283		206	165	102
biltmore white	Fraxinus biltmoreana	Ash	Hard wood		149	144	89	248	Commercial "white ash" includes white, green, biltmore white, and blue ash, all of which grow in the eastern half of the United States. Its principal centers of production, however, are in the Lake States and from Tennessee and Arkansas south. Biltmore white ash is confined chiefly to Tennessee , Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana	161	138	115
black	Fraxinus nigra	Ash	Hard wood		101	129	93	152	Black ash is found in the Lake States, in New England and New York. This species as cut in the lake States is more often termed brown ash	172	124	93
blue	Fraxinus quadrangulata	Ash	Hard wood		150	161	94	283	Commercial "white ash" includes white, green, biltmore white, and blue ash, all of which grow in the eastern half of the United States. Its principal centers of production, however, are in the Lake States and from Tennessee and Arkansas south. Blue ash occurs in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and southern Missouri.	207	143	102
green	Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata	Ash	Hard wood		149	145	85	225	Commercial "white ash" includes white, green, biltmore white, and blue ash, all of which grow in the eastern half of the United States. Its principal centers of production, however, are in the Lake States and from Tennessee and Arkansas south. Green ash is the most commercially important ash in the bottom lands of the Mississippi River, its tributaries and in the Costal Plain region.	163	143	115
oregon	Fraxinus oregona	Ash	Hard wood		122	139	89	224	Oregon ash is mostly found in Oregon and Washington.	173	135	105
pumpkin	Fraxinus profunda	Ash	Hard wood		119	112	76	245	Pumpkin ash is mostly important in Missouri and North Carolina.	123	130	87
white	Fraxinus americana	Ash	Hard wood		153	171	94	225	Commercial "white ash" includes white, green, biltmore white, and blue ash, all of which grow in the eastern half of the United States. Its principal centers of production, however, are in the Lake States and from Tennessee and Arkansas south. White ash is found in all states east of the Mississippi River but has its least commercial importance value in the lower Mississippi Valley.	215	149	124
commercial, white	Average of 4 species	Ashes	Hard wood		150	161	91	257	Commercial "white ash" includes white, green, biltmore white, and blue ash, all of which grow in the eastern half of the United States. Its principal centers of production, however, are in the Lake States and from Tennessee and Arkansas south.	196	146	118
	Populus tremuloides	Aspen	Hard wood		85	87	94	74		94	95	79
largetooth	Populus grandidentata	Aspen	Hard wood		93	92	99	90		89	95	96
	Ochroma spp.	Balsa	Soft wood	Aircraft uses: It can be used as cores in composite construction creating very strong fiberglass structures. It is also used for streamlining wooden struts and braces.					Distribution: Balsa wood grows extensively in Central America and in the northern part of South America. It is the lightest commercial wood known. and is a second-growth tree. Second growth means that it grows in areas where the ground has once been cleared by floods, fires, or human cultivation. It is one of the most rapidly growing trees known.
	Tilia glabra	Basswood	Hard wood	Rib webbing, Plywood Core Stock: Because of its ability to take nails without splitting it is desirable for use as web material in wing ribs. Because of its light weight combined with other desirable qualities it is used as core stock for plywood.	85	83	104	74	Basswood occurs from New Brunswick to Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama. In Canada it appears westward to Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg and in the United States westward to the eastern part of the Dakotas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Over 50% of the annual cut is produced in the Lake States. It reaches its largest size in the Ohio Valley but is more abundant farther north. Mature trees reach diameters of 3 to 4 feet.	76	86	93
	Fagus grandifolia	Beech	Hard wood	Propellers: About 5 to 10 percent of the first and seconds will provide quarter-sawed stock suitable for propellers	138	156	84	229	Beech occurs from Nova Scotia to northern Wisconsin and south to western Florida with a western boundary to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas. At maturity it may reach diameters of 3 feet.	190	151	124
Alaska white	Betula neoalaskana	Birch	Hard wood		122	144	95	145		177	132	118
gray	Betula populifolia	Birch	Hard wood		81	130	96	129		207	122	62
paper	Betula papyrifera	Birch	Hard wood		103	154	104	138		223	130	101
sweet	Betula lenta	Birch	Hard wood	Propellers: Veneer: About 25% of First and Second grades are suitable for propellers. The largest and best logs are used for veneer	156	184	89	248	Occurs from Newfoundland to western Ontario in Canada. In the United States it occurs in New England, New York, New jersey, Pennsylvania, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to Florida. There are many other varieties but only the Yellow Birch and the Sweet birch have any real aviation use.	224	162	152
yellow	Betula lutea	Birch	Hard wood	Propellers: Veneer: About 25% of First and Second grades are suitable for propellers. The largest and best logs are used for veneer	143	181	99	205	Yellow birch occurs from Newfoundland through northern New England and west to Minnesota and south along the Appalachian ranges to northern Georgia. Thee are many other varieties of birch but only the Yellow and Sweet have any reaql use in aviation	241	149	128
	Avicennia nitida	Blackwood	Hard wood		169	188	56	440		235	224	136
yellow	Aesculus octandra	Buckeye	Hard wood		79	77	92	74		73	89	82
	Juglans cinerea	Butternut	Hard wood		92	99	103	95	The Butternut ranges from southern New Brunswick to Delaware and tin the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Alabama: Westward through Ontario and Michigan's upper peninsula to eastern south Dakota, eastern Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, central Kansas, southern Missouri, and northern Arkansas.	113	97	85
	Conocarpus erecta	Buttonwood	Hard wood		133	119	47	290		110	186	117
	Rhamus purshiana	Cascara	Hard wood		103	133	85	205		197	135	68
hardy	Catalpa speciosa	Catalpa	Hard wood		85	105	100	102		134	103	81
Alaska	Chamaecyparis nootkatensis	Cedar	Soft wood		115	118	97	126		131	114	100
eastern red	Juniperus virginiana	Cedar	Soft wood		106	116	89	193		161	119	59
incense	Libocedrus decurrens	Cedar	Soft wood		104	82	88	112		75	95	71
northern white	Thuja occidentalis	Cedar	Soft wood		71	65	94	71		66	78	57
port oxford	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	Cedar	Soft wood		118	117	104	114		111	108	124
southern white	Chamaecyparis thyoides	Cedar	Soft wood		78	73	95	83		72	84	68
western red	Thuja plicata	Cedar	Soft wood		92	80	104	90		73	84	79
black	Prunus serotina	Cherry	Hard wood		133	137	96	171		158	127	110
pin	Prunus pennsylvanica	Cherry	Hard wood		86	95	99	98		108	97	86
	Castanea dentata	Chestnut	Hard wood		96	92	82	119		97	108	82
golden	Castanopsis chrysophylla	Chiquapin	Hard wood		111	115	94	148		134	114	92
eastern	Populus deltoides	Cottonwood	Hard wood		88	95	95	86		103	100	90
northern Black	Populus trichocarpa hastata	Cottonwood	Hard wood		83	84	105	69		83	86	88
southern	Taxodium distichum	Cypress	Soft wood		118	108	89	124		107	114	100
	Cornus florida	Dogwood	Hard wood		139	181	79	367		270	173	91
pacific	Cornus nuttallii	Dogwood	Hard wood		124	158	80	276		217	157	104
	Pseudotsuga taxifolia (coast region)	Douglas fir	Soft wood		135	125	93	140		114	122	133
	Pseudotsuga taxifolia (Inland Empire)	Douglas fir	Soft wood		117	110	94	138		101	111	117
	Pseudotsuga taxifolia (Rocky Mountain region)	Douglas fir	Soft wood		108	101	90	124		94	108	104
blueberry	Sambucus coerulea	Elder	Hard wood		103	120	87	162		154	124	85
american	Ulmus americana	Elm	Hard wood		111	133	96	157		173	124	96
rock	Ulmus racemosa	Elm	Hard wood		142	186	97	248		266	154	109
slippery	Ulmus fulva	Elm	Hard wood		126	163	110	171		228	130	103
golden	Ficus aurea	Fig	Hard wood		88	79	61	N.A.		92	119	49
alpine	Abies lasiocarpa	Fir	Soft wood		75	63	82	79		51	84	69
balsam	Abies balsamea	Fir	Soft wood		86	79	90	74		70	92	87
California red	Abies magnifica	Fir	Soft wood		106	101	101	124		100	100	99
cork bark	Abies arizonica	Fir	Soft wood		75	66	100	64		54	76	76
lowland white	Abies grandis	Fir	Soft wood		106	106	106	102		101	100	115
noble	Abies nobilis	Fir	Soft wood		104	102	110	93		96	95	110
silver	Abies amabilis	Fir	Soft wood		101	102	110	88		99	95	108
True	Averages of 4 species	Fir	Soft wood		103	99	106	98		93	95	104
white	Abies concolor	Fir	Soft wood		100	92	99	100		85	95	93
black	Nyssa sylvatica	Gum	Hard wood		112	105	76	186		113	124	87
blue	Eucalyptus globulus	Gum	Hard wood		194	185	85	314		189	168	171
red	Liquidambar styraciflua	Gum	Hard wood		114	120	92	143		139	119	99
tupelo	Nyssa aquatica	Gum	Hard wood		117	109	79	186		114	124	93
	Bursera simaruba	Gumbo-limbo	Hard wood		54	49	67	71		45	81	49
	Celtis occidentalis	Hackberry	Hard wood		103	139	91	176		204	132	79
pear	Crataegus tomentosa	Haw	Hard wood		128	176	81	302		272	168	79
eastern	Tsuga canadensis	Hemlock	Soft wood		104	95	90	121		94	103	89
mountain	Tsuga mertensiana	Hemlock	Soft wood		117	120	96	152		139	116	96
western	Tsuga heterophylla (West Coast)	Hemlock	Soft wood		108	105	100	119		103	103	106
true	Average of 4 species	Hickories	Hard wood		183	268	115	N.A.		411	176	138
big leaf shagbark	Hicoria laciniosa	Hickory	Hard wood		162	267	122	N.A.		434	168	121
bitternut	Hicora cordiformis	Hickory	Hard Wood		176	223	108	N.A.		320	162	125
mockernut	Hicoria alba	Hickory	Hard wood		179	253	111	N.A.		380	173	136
nutmeg	Hicoria myristicaeformis	Hickory	Hard wood		150	207	111	N.A.		311	151	108
pignut	Hicoria glabra	Hickory	Hard wood		192	282	119	N.A.		434	178	146
shagbark	Hicoria ovata	Hickory	Hard wood		179	246	108	N.A.		363	173	136
water	Hicoria aquatica	Hickory	Hard wood		171	202	95	N.A.		266	165	136
pecan	Average of 4 species	Hicories	Hard wood		164	206	103	338		292	159	121
	Ilex opaca	Holly	Hard wood		103	126	80	205		175	135	75
	Ostrya virginiana	Hop-hornbeam	Hard wood		140	173	78	300		238	170	110
	Exothea paniculata	Inkwood	Hard wood		164	178	64	431		217	197	134
black	Krugiodendron ferreum	Ironwood	Hard wood		225	196	42	N.A.		183	281	187
alligator	Juniperus pachyphloea	Juniper	Soft wood		96	88	59	225		111	130	44
western	Larix occidentails	Larch	Soft wood		132	119	80	152		114	130	112
mountain	Kalmia latifolia	Laurel	Hard wood		136	130	60	340		159	168	81
black	Robinia pseudoacacia	Locust	Hard wood		225	213	90	383		239	178	162
honey	Gleditsia triacanthos	Locust	Hard wood		156	164	80	369		203	162	112
	Arbutus menziesii	Madrofio	Hard wood		121	115	58	271		131	157	86
cucumber	Magnolia acuminata	Magnolia	Hard wood		124	134	103	136		145	119	129
evergreen	Magnolia grandiflora	Magnolia	Hard wood		108	145	105	190		199	124	100
Mountain	Magnolia fraseri	Magnolia	Hard wood		104	108	96	121		114	108	104
	Rhizophora mangle	Mangrove	Hard wood		232	222	60	598		231	240	199
big leaf	Acer macrophyllum	Maple	Hard wood		117	108	83	174		110	119	97
black	Acer nigrum	Maple	Hard wood		126	149	89	231		190	141	110
red	acer ruburm	Maple	Hard wood		125	135	89	188		155	132	116
silver	Acer saccharinum	Maple	Hard wood		97	106	82	115		131	119	78
striped	Acer pennsylvanicum	Maple	Hard wood		106	119	92	140		141	119	99
sugar	Acer saccharum	Maple	Hard wood		154	165	86	274		194	154	131
	Sideroxylon foetidissimum	Mastic	Hard wood		164	144	39	495		137	240	135
Oregon	Umbellularia californica	Myrtle	Hard wood		103	135	83	252		203	138	65
black	Quercus velutina	Oak	Hard wood		132	145	78	243		180	151	107
bur	Quercus macrocarpa	Oak	Hard wood		114	123	62	267		161	157	76
California black	Quercus kelloggii	Oak	Hard wood		97	94	58	236		107	138	70
canyon live	Quercus chrysolepis	Oak	Hard wood		162	159	61	431		185	189	117
chestnut	Quercus montana	Oak	Hard wood		138	139	73	214		151	154	122
commercial red	Average of 9 species	Oak	Hard wood		135	158	85	245		196	151	124
commercial white	Average of 6 species	Oak	Hard wood		133	145	72	260		176	159	110
laurel	Quercus laurifolia	Oak	Hard wood		128	144	77	236		169	151	124
live	Quercus virginiana	Oak	Hard wood		190	191	59	571		208	219	168
Oregon white	Quercus garryana	Oak	Hard wood		121	134	59	364		179	173	79
pin	Quercus palustris	Oak	Hard wood		133	165	84	264		214	157	123
post	Quercus stellata	Oak	Hard wood		132	146	71	290		183	162	105
red	Quercus borealis	Oak	Hard wood		131	158	85	245		201	151	121
rocky mountain white	Quercus utahensis	Oak	Hard wood		96	91	42	326		110	168	57
scarlet	Quercus coccinea	Oak	Hard wood		156	188	91	286		246	162	133
southern red	Quercus rubra	Oak	Hard wood		111	114	68	205		117	141	112
swamp chestnut	Quercus prinus	Oak	Hard wood		136	155	75	245		186	162	126
swamp red	Quercus rubra pagodaefolia	Oak	Hard wood		176	193	91	293		228	165	158
swamp white	Quercus bicolor	Oak	Hard wood		165	185	81	290		232	173	135
water	Quercus nigra	Oak	Hard wood		14	165	89	240		194	151	144
WHITE	Quercus alba	Oak	Hard wood		138	148	72	257		179	162	112
willow	Quercus phellos	Oak	Hard wood		128	142	76	252		163	151	123
cabbage	Sabal palmetto	Palmetto	Hard wood		53	56	56	50		69	100	40
	Simarouba galuca	Paradise-tree	Hard wood		60	48	57	76		30	89	63
	Hicoria pecan	Pecan	Hard wood		149	171	83	338		220	162	119
	Diospyro virginiana	Persimmon	Hard wood		165	165	72	386		192	173	126
	Coccolobis laurifolia	Pigeon-plum	Hard wood		156	152	51	450		161	208	135
jack	Pinus banksiana	Pine	Soft wood		94	97	90	114		110	105	82
Jeffrey	Pinus jeffreyi	Pine	Soft wood		96	90	90	105		89	100	85
limber	Pinus flexilis	Pine	Soft wood		136	130	83	148		131	100	122
loblolly	Pinus taeda	Pine	Soft wood		136	130	83	148		131	135	122
Lodgepole	Pinus contorta	Pine	Soft wood		97	91	87	98		85	103	94
Longleaf	Pinus palustris	Pine	Soft wood		157	147	81	181		145	149	139
mountain	Pinus pungens	Pine	Soft wood		128	124	82	152		130	132	111
northern white	Pinus strobus	Pine	Soft wood		90	84	95	83		77	92	88
Norway	Pinus resinosa	Pine	Soft wood		122	120	92	110		118	119	120
pitch	Pinus rigida	Pine	Soft wood		108	119	88	133		135	122	107
pond	Pinus rigida serotina	Pine	Soft wood		132	124	79	152		127	135	113
sand	Pinus clausa	Pine	Soft wood		121	115	85	150		121	122	99
shortleaf	Pinus echinata	Pine	Soft wood		139	142	93	162		156	132	125
slash	Pinus caribaea	Pine	Soft wood		167	152	67	221		148	173	143
sugar	Pinus lambertiana	Pine	Soft wood		92	83	89	90		77	95	82
western	Pinus monticola (Idaho)	Pine	Soft wood		100	97	101	83		92	97	101
western yellow (Ponderosa & California white	Pinus ponderosa	Pine	Soft wood		93	85	81	98		82	103	82
white	Pinus monticola	Pine	Soft wood		100	97	97	83		92	97	101
	Pinus edulis	Pinon	Soft wood		92	88	56	174		92	135	79
	Metopium toxiferum	Poisonwood	Hard wood		89	76	47	148		69	138	73
balsam	Populus balsamifera	Poplar	Hard wood		67	65	89	60		61	81	70
yellow	Liriodindron tulipifera	Poplar	Hard wood		97	91	87	95		82	103	99
	Sequoia sempervirens	Redwood	Soft wood		133	109	93	140		99	111	99
great	Rhododendron maximum	Rhododendron	Hard wood		122	119	76	248		146	135	74
	Sassafras varifolium	Sassafras	Hard wood		99	109	89	143		138	114	76
	Amelanchier canadensis	Serviceberry	Hard wood		165	197	83	312		262	178	133
	Halesia carolina	Silvebell	Hard wood		101	106	87	126		114	114	98
	Oxydendrum arboreum	Sourwood	Hard wood		126	137	87	198		152	135	124
black	Picea mariana	Spruce	Soft wood		96	107	102	95		115	103	105
engelmann	Picea engelmannii	Spruce	Soft wood		78	70	91	76	Engleman spruce occurs from Southern New Mexico and South eastern Arizona to British Columbia and west to the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountains in Oregon and Washington. Less than 1% would be suitable for use in aircraft as a substitute for Sitka spruce. Aircraft grade would come from stock grown near the Canadian border.	63	84	74
red	Eugenia confusa	Stopper	Hard wood		497	195	58	N.A.		228	224	145
	Celtis laevigata	Sugarberry	Hard wood		103	121	85	198		163	127	76
staghorn	Rhus hirta	Sumach	Hard wood		104	119	88	152		163	122	69
	Platanus occidentalis	Sycamore	Hard wood		104	104	75	152		110	124	95
	Larix laricina	Tamarack	Soft wood		124	118	78	126		120	132	108
black	Juglans nigra	Walnut	Hard wood		156	155	96	210		175	138	123
little	Juglans rupestris	Walnut	Hard wood		124	136	80	N.A.		177	143	87
black	Salix nigra	Willow	Hard wood		60	87	99	83		128	92	51
western black	Salix lasiandra	Willow	Hard wood		97	91	87	95		82	103	99
	Hamamelis virginiana	Witch-hazel	Hard wood		138	179	96	255		263	151	95
pacific	Taxus brevifolia	Yew	Soft wood		158	173	84	329		239	162	89

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