Need help identifying a wing section from a large ww2 era military aircraft.

[68Mustangcrazy]

I acquired this section of wing a while back from a remote property in southern AZ. The woman I got it from stated that it was on the property well before she moved there in the 70's and I'm estimating it was there since possibly the 50's. This wing was crated when left there and the crate deteriorated around it, (the pack rats carried a lot of it inside the wing cavities.) Anyway, I was looking at it for a project and planning to make a desk out of it. Before I do anything, I want to try and identify the type of aircraf it is from. Pics are attached and if anyone recognizes what plane this belongs to, I would appreciate some insight. Leading edge to trailing is 7'6" and 8' cross wing measurement is 33" and it is 11" thick at the largest point. From my "amateur" assessment, it appears to be a wing tip/end section.

 

[Luft Bier]

I acquired this section of wing a while back from a remote property in southern AZ. The woman I got it from stated that it was on the property well before she moved there in the 70's and I'm estimating it was there since possibly the 50's. This wing was crated when left there and the crate deteriorated around it, (the pack rats carried a lot of it inside the wing cavities.) Anyway, I was looking at it for a project and planning to make a desk out of it. Before I do anything, I want to try and identify the type of aircraf it is from. Pics are attached and if anyone recognizes what plane this belongs to, I would appreciate some insight. Leading edge to trailing is 7'6" and 8' cross wing measurement is 33" and it is 11" thick at the largest point. From my "amateur" assessment, it appears to be a wing tip/end section.

The section where the wood is attached, appears to be the wing attach point, where the wing meets the fuselage. Are there any part numbers or anything at all stamped there?

 

[gumbyk]

The section where the wood is attached, appears to be the wing attach point, where the wing meets the fuselage. Are there any part numbers or anything at all stamped there?

But the other end looks more like wing-tip with the fibre-glass, and the spar appears to end at that rib... Are we sure it's WW2 era, or that its even a wing?

 

[MiTasol]

With the keystoning in the photos it is difficult to get the shape - are the leading and training edges parallel or do they taper?
Part numbers and inspection stamps are always the best clues.
The composite on the end would tend to suggest late war or post war.

 

[68Mustangcrazy]

The section where the wood is attached, appears to be the wing attach point, where the wing meets the fuselage. Are there any part numbers or anything at all stamped there?

I originally thought the same thing but there are no structural attachments on the other side and there are also remnants of the fiberglass wing tip. There are no numbers or tags that I can find.

 

[MiTasol]

Can you remove the bits of wood so we can see what the attachments look like?

 

[gumbyk]

It looks symmetrical, which, if it is, is unusual for a wing.
Could it be something else, like a float?

 

[68Mustangcrazy]

Can you remove the bits of wood so we can see what the attachments look like?

I will but it is going to be a few days before I can do it.

It looks symmetrical, which, if it is, is unusual for a wing.
Could it be something else, like a float?

No, it's definitely a wing tip section of a wing.

 

[68Mustangcrazy]

With the keystoning in the photos it is difficult to get the shape - are the leading and training edges parallel or do they taper?
Part numbers and inspection stamps are always the best clues.
The composite on the end would tend to suggest late war or post war.

I will post a better pic. It is rounded on the leading edge and quickly increases to a thickness of 11" and then tapers to 1/8 inch at the trailing end. I thought the same thing about the wingtip composit but a guy that saw the wing stated that the raised rivits indicated it (may) be from early or pre war. I have no idea and that's why I thought I would try this forum. There are no tags or numbers that I can find anywhere.

 

[gumbyk]

I will post a better pic. It is rounded on the leading edge and quickly increases to a thickness of 11" and then tapers to 1/8 inch at the trailing end. I thought the same thing about the wingtip composit but a guy that saw the wing stated that the raised rivits indicated it (may) be from early or pre war. I have no idea and that's why I thought I would try this forum. There are no tags or numbers that I can find anywhere.

Raised rivets were used through the war, and still are. Usually in areas where aerodynamic drag isn't really a major problem.

Not sure when composite construction became commonplace, but AFAIK polyester resins were first patented in the mid thirties.

 

[MiTasol]

My General Manual of Structural Repair 01-1A-1 dated 1 July 1944, which covers everything from alloy structure thru steel tube to oil coolers and plastic transperancies has no mention of composites so they were not in general use at that stage other than for radomes. They may be covered in a type manual (eg P-61 Structural Repair) or may at that stage have been purely a throw away item