Post 21: Rib Design Change

April 29, 2026

The numbers are in for the Canyon Lightning™ wing build, and it's not just winning, it's redefining the game.

The weight:

I weighed the four 13ft wing spar cores today: 15 lbs 13 oz. When I finish the unitized carbon-foam ribs and the Hexcel® IM2 wrap, a complete 14-foot wing will weigh in at under 24 lbs.

To put that in perspective:

• A Legal Eagle wing weighs ~48 lbs

• An Affordaplane wing weighs ~42 lbs

• A Mini-Max 1100 wing weighs ~45 lbs

• The Canyon Lightning™ is 50% lighter than the competition

The Labor Revolution:

It's not just about the weight, it's also about time. Most legacy designs require 150+ hours of tedious wood-and-glue or rivet-hole drilling work per wing. By moving to the unitized foam-core carbon method, labor hours are cut by 70%. No more cutting 200 ply gussets or drilling hundreds of rivet holes. I'm using modern composite physics to build a 6G rated wing in a fraction of the time.

Why this matters:

This 24 lb wing is the weight rebate that allows me to run a larger, heavier motor, like the 4-stroke V-Twin, and bigger tires like my 26 inch bush wheels, and still stay under Part 103 limits. I'm trading dead weight for reliable muscle and affordability.

What this means for the ultralight community:

Easier assembly, faster climbs, higher altitude flying, and a plane you can fix with parts from your local hardware store and a roll of black gold.