Shear webbing on Ziroli Stearman?
Thanks for your response. My kit was cut by All-American, and the guy there was currently building a 77" Ziroli Stearman for himself. He was planning to use a dummy radial (I think he was talking about the Williams Brothers version) on a gas engine. I am using a G-38 gasser and plan on buying the dummy engine as well. Yes, I will have to cut out a couple of cylinders at the bottom for the gasser cylinder. I saw a Stearman with gasser and no dummy radial, and it was butt ugly. So, if I cannot succeed in installing a dummy radial around my G-38, I will switch over to Super-Stearman looks by adding a cowl. I added the shear webs, and it made a huge improvement in folding stiffness and some improvement in twist. Like you, I will count on the cabanes and maybe some flying wires for twist stiffness. Someone in another web discussion group has taken my question about the wing as an opportunity to trash Ziroli's Stearman as weak and unsafe. I try not to listen to radical posters on the web, but I thought the shear webbing could serve as a little insurance. Everyone else I talk to, have nothing but praise for Ziroli's plans.