Wings...flaps & ailerons, root skins, antenna ground plane

07/16 - 07/18/03 - Not really work related, but I temporarily installed the flap and aileron structures this week (to help answer a question, but also nice to know they fit!) and when I got back to things, I was able to get the top and bottom side root skins installed and the bottom side bonded to the spars.  Additionally, I began installation on the antenna mount (ground plane) which Rans sells as an available option.

Here are a few photos of the flap and aileron loose fit:

Getting back to work, I have begun installing the fuel sight lines and scale:

This is the antenna mount plate prior to drilling and clecoing:

Back at the root skins today - fitting the fuel scupper on this top skin:

Ready to rivet:

Top skin finished:

Getting ready to lay out the bottom skin - I put masking tape on the fuel lines to hold them in place and cleaned debris out of the area (again):

Bottom side root skin is laid in place in the next photo.  You may also notice the gold colored 'L' sticking up from the bottom of the tank.  This is a door-up catch and the fitting that the catch mates to slides onto the diagonal brace tube just next to the forward tube that the outside of the tank attaches to.

I mentioned the door-up catch because I INSTALLED THE FITTING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FORWARD TUBE and had to take a slight detour in my work today while I drilled out the nut-plate that is used to attach the diagonal tube to the forward tube.  ;^)

I kept telling myself I was going to look ahead in the manual and find out which side of the tube attach bracket the fitting was supposed to go on, but of course, I FORGOT...oh well, lesson learned.  It wasn't a difficult fix and hey, I know how to FIX the other one now!

Bottom root skin drilled and clecoed:

It's difficult to see well in this next photo, but you have to put a slight bend in the forward edge of the bottom root skin in order to match the bottom side of the leading edge wrap/spar - this turned out pretty smooth in my opinion.

After riveting the root end, I've put epoxy under the forward and aft edges of the bottom skin in order to make a permanent attachment to the spars.  The other rib is left with clecos installed  for later riveting during the fabric installation process:

All that may not look like 6-1/2 hours of work, but between various tasks today, Marilyn and I gave both dogs a bath, had lunch and went to the grocery...oh yeah, I also got to watch the Cardinals smack the Dodgers too!

I need to flip the wing tomorrow and bond the top skin's aft edge, then I get to do the other wing!  I'll have to leave this wing sitting tomorrow while the epoxy is curing, so if I feel like WORKING a little more after that, I may get the antenna plane installed and then maybe take a look at installing the flap assembly and maybe the rudder cable assembly.

More updates soon...

Last Update: 07/19/2003