I used 1/8 marine grade mahogony per conversations that I had with Pete Bowers. The weight savings is not worth going after. You must remember that you are going to be using this aircraft for recreation not for hauling. The added price is much too high in my opinion to warrant using 1/16 plywood. I even discussed with Bowers cutting lightening holes in the ribs and he said that you would only save about 1 pound if you did. I have completed a Flybaby and my experience says to build to the plans. You must remember that the whole reason that the Flybaby was designed in the first place was in response to EAAs competition to design a simple low cost aircraft that would fit in a one car garage. The aircraft if built to plans will produce the lowest cost and easiest aircraft to build. -----Original Message----- From: Dale E Still <DESTILL@northstate.net> To: FlyBaby <FlyBaby@listbot.com> Date: Sunday, December 12, 1999 10:05 PM Subject: Re: 1/16" ribs >FlyBaby > >Since I get to carry my completed but uncovered wings in and out of my garage at every building session, I can tell you that they are not heavy, maybe 50lbs. with all hardware. Therefor I don't think the weight savings will be significant. And who used marine grade? A/C >birch is what I used. I didn't use a lot of nails on the capstrips either. I used tape. >dale > >Frank Stutzman wrote: > >> FlyBaby >> >> Bowers sez in the plans that you could use 1/16" aircraft grade plywood >> for the ribs. It would cost a lot more, but there would be noticable >> weight savings over 1/8" marine grade. >> >> Has anyone done this (or seen it done)? Sounds good except when it comes >> to attaching the rib caps. It would be pretty tough to accurately put >> nails through the rib cap and into the edge of a 1/16" rib (which what it >> shows in figure 4-12 of the plans). >> >> Am I correct in thinking that the nails only provide the clamping pressure >> for a good glue joint? If so, if one were able to work up a good way of >> clamping this, the nails could be done away with? >> >> Frank Stutzman >> only on chapter 4 of the plans