I have a pair of new foam core wings for my Byron Beechcraft Baron 58. They are white styrofoam. I have added the 6 inch tips to each of them. One wing is perfectly straight. The other has a bow about 60% to 70% of the way out from the root. This condition existed prior to adding the tips. Oddly, these wings do not get sheeted. They are supposed to be glassed right over the foam and over the control surface gap seals (1/64th ply). The gap seals are 1/64th ply and sit in reliefs in the foam wing core about 1 1/2 inches cordwise by the length of the wing.

I have reverse stressed the wing by blocking up the tip and root and putting about 10 pounds of weight in the center creating about a 3-4 inch reverse bow. Finally after a week of sitting and using a heat gun (cautiously) as well, the bow went to neutral. In the next 24 hours, while getting ready to glass the wing, the bow returned.

I am afraid that even if I get the bow to neutral and glass it that the bow will return and the glass alone will not halt this condition. Nothing ruins an airplanes flying characteristic worse than being built crooked.

Is there a better way to remove the bow? Should I cut the core in two cordwise and try rejoining it?

Ask Byron if they will rplace the core. Simplest, I think.

Bill.

I have already done that. I purchased the airplane kit on ebay knowing the wings were already built. The wing was a mess and unusable. I knew this going into the deal. I had pre-arranged to buy a new set of wing cores from Iron Bay. They arrived UPS crushed... I called Iron Bay and they agreed to replace them, but told me that these next cores are not as good as the last ones and that they had no more right wing cores and only one left remaining in stock. Iron Bay does not yet produce these cores as these were left over from the Byron purchase. I really doubt Iron Bay will ever produce this airplane.

That is the long version. The short version is that I need to find a way to unbend this white foam core wing. I do thank you though, for sound advise. The Iron Bay guys have been very cooperative and friendly. The sad part is that the first set of wings were really nice and the problem with them getting damaged was a packaging mistake and not UPS's fault really. The wings were touching the box cordwise at the root inside the box. Any deflection what-so-ever of the box was going the smash the wing at the root cord. And it did... I no longer have this damaged set of wings.

Chuck:

If you can't get a replacement, or cut a new core, all I can offer is for you to cut a narrow slit top and bottom, and imbed a CF strip with epoxy. You will want to do this to both wing panels. A side benefit will be a much stronger wing.

Bill.

Sounds like Bill may have a good idea there. You also may be able to cut a 1/4" x 1/4" groove and lay in a hardwood spar top and bottom.