wing tip mystery solved!

I swear this is WWI related, but it may be long walk to the well.
It was desicision time on the Spririt rero's wing tips, yesterday. They were impedeing progress,but nobody was satified with the various ways they could be built, we had discussed thus far. The two photos of the original unfinished tip show it was planked with balsa in straight chord wise strips and there was no internal structure like a rib laid on its side (which would work!!). There are two formers spaced 13-14" apart between the spars and the spar webs themselves stick out beyond the last rib which also act as formers. What was driving us crazy was the strip of wood acting as a bow running from LE to TE which seemed curved in two planes (top and end view). Was it steamed? laminated? Finally(this has been kicked around for months!!), in keeping with the ever so apparent RYAN (1927) axiom "quick and cheap solution for EVERYTHING", someone suggested we simply cut it out of 3/4 flat stock and elevate the tip (JUST like Nieuport laminated tip bows!!) to the approx. mean chamber line as suggested in photos. A test bow was cut out and tried. BINGO, everything now makes sense and will look, to our satisfaction, just like the the real thing. We are content,that untill the fabric is stripped from the original and can be inspected close up, this is a VERY reasonable attempt. We know it will be accurate in shape.
We are finding it very interesting trying to re-create the the aircraft in the manner that the original was. And it is very apparent how much easier it was to make originally, when all the builder had to do, was go do it. Now, sevety five years later wer'e trying to understand how and put it into practice.
BTW- in photos of the a/c, as it now hangs in NASM, the planked tips display a marked fabric shrinkage and sag between the formers. Photos show this feature was apparrent before the fabric was applied! Also there is minor but noticable differences between the right/left tips.
OH #@!!XX$$#!! More decisions!
Charlie

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Charlie:
Remember, every solution, had a problem.
Bluer skies,
Dan-San