How to Make an Airplane Wing Rib From Aluminum

The wing ribs create the inner structure of the wing.

The wing ribs on radio-controlled aircraft make up the interior structure of the wing and resemble elongated ovals that are flattened on both ends. These ribs need to be hollowed out in the center to lower the weight of the wings. If the plane is too heavy, it will take extra power to get it airborne. You'll also be able to string the necessary cables and servos that control the airplane through the hollow areas along the wing. Typically the wing ribs are made out of wood, but they can also be cut out of lightweight aluminum.

Things You'll Need

• Airplane plans
• Tracing paper
• Pen or pencil
• X-Acto knife
• Thin wooden board or other cutting surface
• Thin sheets of aluminum
• T-pins
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Lay the plans on a flat, dry surface. Locate the wing rib design and place the tracing paper on top of it. Trace the design exactly with the pen or pencil, then fold the plans and place them out of the way.

2. Place the wooden board on the table. You will need this to protect the surface of the table when cutting out the wing ribs. With the X-Acto knife, cut out the rib that you have just traced. Make sure to cut out the center parts as well.

3. Put the aluminum sheets on the cutting surface. Pin the rib tracing to a corner of the aluminum using the T-pins to secure it in place. You will need to pin at least one of the far ends, as well as each side of the middle.

4. Trace the shape of the rib onto the aluminum with the pen or pencil. Remove the tracing paper and cut the piece out of the metal with an X-Acto knife. Lightly sand the edges to remove any sharp areas before repeating to complete all of the other ribs needed for the construction of the plane.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want, you can use recycled aluminum to make the wing ribs. Simply cut off the top and bottom of a cleaned-out soda can and flatten the center.

• Use caution when handling the freshly-cut aluminum ribs, as the edges will be very sharp.

• Wear a mask when sanding the edges to avoid breathing in microscopic bits of metal.

References

• Airfield Models: How to make constant chord wing ribs