Northern white pine retains what percentage of spruce's strength?

Northern white pine is known for its lightweight yet strong properties, making it an excellent choice in various applications, including aviation. When comparing its strength to that of spruce, Northern white pine retains a significant proportion of spruce's strength, generally recognized to be between 85% and 96%. This high retention of strength is beneficial in applications where weight savings are crucial without sacrificing durability, which is often the case in aviation structures.

This characteristic makes Northern white pine a valuable material, as it offers an optimal balance of weight and structural integrity, enabling it to serve effectively in roles where strength is necessary, yet overall weight must be minimized, such as in aircraft fuselages or wing structures. Understanding this comparison helps in appreciating the engineering choices made in aviation design, particularly when selecting materials that need to perform under various stress conditions while keeping the overall weight as low as possible.