Here is a comprehensive list of wood properties:
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fp...tr113/ch04.pdf
The super exotics like bulletwood (or "beef oak" sometimes for its red color, the most desirable material for ship's masts in the days of yore), or kaneel heart are about twice as strong as teak, but normalized for density, they are about the same. Normalized for density, high performance woods are as strong as all but the exotic aluminums alloys.
We gave plywood a try, rather the Chinese stuff that masquerades as plywood, 2 years ago. General durability was more than sufficient; my one complaint was fastener holding. If I had listened to my gut and used the much harder Ipe (the most readily available of the high strength timbers in the US, pronounced ee-pay, called Brazilian cherry by the flooring industry), I think I would have had a much easier time. One of these days I am going to convince the team to make an Ipe plywood robot, and use one of the various bonded aircraft nut plates to make the threaded connections.
Travis