Patent ID: 7575650

Claim:
A method for forming a sandwich panel comprising: disposing a foam fill within a plurality of cells of a honeycomb core until said foam fill is of a predetermined height, the foam fill and the honeycomb core defining a first gap region and a second gap region within each cell, the first gap region proximate to a first surface of the honeycomb core, the second gap region proximate to a second surface of the honeycomb core; adhering a first skin to the first surface of the honeycomb core with an adhesive; and adhering a second skin to the second surface of the honeycomb core with the adhesive to form a panel, the panel having a surface area of at least 2.25 square feet; wherein disposing the foam fill within the cells of the honeycomb core comprises: placing the honeycomb core on a form so as to fill a first end portion of each of the plurality of cells; disposing the foam fill within the cells of the honeycomb core, the foam fill supported by the form such that the first end portion remains free of the foam fill; ceasing to dispose the foam fill before the cells are completely full such that a second end portion is free of foam fill; and removing the honeycomb core from the form, the first end portion forming the first gap region, the second end portion forming the second gap region.