ORIGINAL: vasek
Are Metric and Imperial balsa sizes cut the same size (just re-named)? or are the actual sizes different?
I'm asking because if i get a short kit meant for imperial balsa stringers and sheeting, how would mm sized stringers/ balsa sheets fit?
Vasek,
I have a Curare .60-powered classic pattern ship short kit. The plans are in metric, but I bought the short kit from Eureka Aircraft Co., a U.S. company, and the wood supplied in the kit is milled in U.S. Customary Units (Imperial). Most of the wood in the short kit is *really close* to their metric counterpart. When I laid-out the short kit wood on the plan sheet, I really couldn't tell a different between 10 X 10 mm triangular stock balsa and the supplied 3/8" triangular stock balsa. Works for me. Nor do I plan to sand or shape any part of this sleek machine to within .01-whatever between the plans and the U.S. Customary Unit wood that I can readily get.I checked two balsa suppliers here and neither even mention metric sizes, so I have to live with what is available.
Not sure what model you're looking to get, but I just can't imagine things being a big deal *in most cases* between metric sizes and the closest Imperial sizes. You did write that your concern are the stringers and sheeting. Sheeting should not be a problem as it really doesn't need to fit between anything. Although, stringers (depending on the plans/design) fit into recesses in formers, and if the recesses are cut in metric tolerances and the stringer material Imperial, that *may* present a problem. I'd opt for the next larger Imperial stringer sized material and open the former recesses.