Wings, Outboard Leading Edge (Part 3)

I started today’s session by double checking the measurements I made last night on the Outboard Leading Edge Ribs.  After confirming they were correct, I removed the material in the appropriate areas as shown below using my Dremel Tool with a cutoff wheel.  This process was rather quick and work pretty well.

Here are the W-1009-1R/L.....

.....and the W-1009-2R/L.

Next was the enjoyable process of deburring all the holes and edges of the Ribs.....DONE!

Lastly for today’s session, the #40 holes in the Flanges of all the Outboard Leading Edge Ribs were dimpled using my pneumatic squeezer with the Cleaveland Aircraft Tool Substructrue Dimple Dies.

Wings, Outboard Leading Edge (Part 2)

I completed the construction of the Wing Cradles during the last session.  Now, the plans have you move on to preparing the W-1008 Splice Ribs and W-1009 Outboard Leading Edge Ribs.  Pictured below, the two Splice Ribs are on the right (one for the Right Wing and one for the Left Wing) and the Outboard Leading Edge Ribs are the stack of Ribs on the Left (six for the Right Wing and six for the Left Wing).   

Now, all the Flange angles need to be adjusted, fluted, and straightened.  Additionally, all the #30 and #40 holes in the Flanges need to be Final-Drilled to the appropriate size.  I have also decided to complete all these step for both Wings as the same time.  So, all 14 Ribs will get prepared now at the same time.

Two W-1009-L Leading Edge Ribs (for the Left Wing assembly) and two W-1009-R Leading Edge Ribs (for the Right Wing assembly) have to be modified per the dimensions provided in the table below.  These Ribs must be notched to fit around the Spar Bars and the rivet heads on the Main Spar assembly.  Additionally, because the Main Spar Bars are stepped (spanwise thickness changes) two different modified Ribs will be required.

These are the two W-1009-1L/R Ribs after being marked per the table.  The material in the areas marked in black at the top and bottom of the Rib will have to be removed.

These are the W-1009-2L/R Ribs after being marked per the table.  These Ribs will only have material removed from the top of the Rib (also in black).

I’ll pick it up here during the next session.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 18)

I clecoed the Wing Walk Doublers, Top Inboard Wing Skin, and Top Outboard Wing Skin to the Right Wing.....these Skins are now ready to be riveted to the Right Wing.

Following this step, both Wings are now completed to the same point and await the 1,578 rivets (788 per Wing).

Wings, Outboard Leading Edge (Part 1)

The work for this session was actually completed on Sunday, March 25th.

While the Top Wing Skins are awaiting rivets, I kept moving forward by starting Section 17-Outboard Leading Edge.  To begin with, the plans have you build cradles that will support the construction of the Outboard Leading Edges AND the Fuel Tanks.  Van’s helps you out here and traces the templates on the outside of the shipping crate that contained the Wing Kit.....all you have to do is cut them out.

They are marked “VB-11” and look like this after they are cut out from the shipping crate.

I screwed a piece of 2” x 6” to each of the cutouts for stability.

Just another angle.

Hopefully there will some Leading Edges in the cradles real soon.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 17)

The work for this session was actually completed on Saturday, March 24th.

I treated the “inside” of the Skins with Alumiprep and Alodine using spray bottles and foam brushes.  On the “outside” of the Skins, I lightly buffed the rivet lines with grey Scotchbrite.  After the Skins were sufficiently dried, I sprayed Akzo primer on the entire inside of the Skin and the rivet lines on the outside.

Here is the “inside” of the Top Inboard Wing Skin.....

.....and the rivet lines on the “outside”.

This is the “inside” of the Top Outboard Wing Skin.....

.....and the rivet lines on the “outside”.

Lastly, here are the two Wing Walk Doublers for the Right Wing. 

Now that these steps are completed and the Skins have been primed, I will cleco them to the Right Wing and begin the riveting process.  At this point, each of the Wings will receive 788 rivets. 

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 16)

I wasn’t able to prime the Top Wing Skins as anticipated, so I moved to the next step in the plans.  The top Flanges of the Wing Ribs needed to be dimpled to accept the dimples in the Top Wing Skins.  It wasn’t a very time consuming process and it’s now complete.  The only “problem” is the Wing Ribs were primed in a previous step in the plans.  After the Flanges were dimpled, some of the primer cracked and flaked off.  So, prior to riveting the Top Skins, I’ll clean up those areas and touch them up with additional primer.  

Now, I’m just waiting for the opportunity to prime the Skins.  After that, the Top Wing Skins for the Left and Right Wings will be ready to be riveted.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 15)

Tonight, I completed all the dimpling of the #40 holes in the Top Inboard and Top Outboard Wing Skins.  I used my hand squeezer with a 3” yoke to dimple the holes I could reach.  Then, for the remaining holes, I used the DRDT-2.

Here is the Top Inboard Wing Skin after being dimpled by the DRDT-2.....

.....and the Top Outboard Wing Skin.

And of course, the two Skins with all the #40 holes dimpled.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 14)

Not much to show during this session.  I cleaned all the edges on the Top Outboard and Top Inboard Wing Skins.  As with the Left Wing, I used 120 and 220 grit sand paper to complete the edge work.  I also used my edge forming tool to make the necessary lap joints on the Skins.

Wings, Top Wings Skins (Part 13)

I decided I had a little more work left in me today.  So, I went back to the hangar and deburred all the remaining holes in the Top Inboard and Outboard Wing Skins.  I completed one side of the Top Outboard Wing Skin at the end of the today’s earlier session and finished all the holes tonight. 

Wings, Top Wings Skins (Part 12)

SEE PART #4 FOR CORRESPONDING WORK ON THE LEFT WING 

During this session, I finished removing the required material from the Inboard and Outboard Wing Skins.

Again, here is the BEFORE.....

.....and the AFTER.

After a little more work, I was able to achieve the desired results.  I’m very happy with the final product.

Moving on.....

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 11)

SEE PARTS #2, #3, AND #4 FOR CORRESPONDING WORK ON THE LEFT WING

During today’s session, I started and completed the process of countersinking the common holes between the Top Inboard Skin and the Doublers (FWD & AFT).   The two pictures below show the completed process (the first with many clecos still installed and the second with all of them removed).  I used the same #40 countersink cutter (and depth) that was used to prepare the Left Wing.  (As a reminder, a countersink that is .005 to shallow, is the preferred depth for this step as discussed in the plans).

After completing all the required countersinking, I began the process of removing material from the Top Outboard and Top Inboard Wing Skins.  As a reminder, the excerpt below describes this process.  As with the Left Wing, I used a small hand file, 80 grit sandpaper, and 220 grit sand paper to achieve the required results.

This shows the overlap of the Inboard and Outboard Skins PRIOR to any material being removed.  The Fuel Tank Skin will be attached at this location and has a thickness of .032”.  So, the idea is to remove material from each of the Top Skins to make a smooth transition at this location.  You can also see the scrap piece of .032” aluminum I used as a guage for the proper thickness.

I did not quite get the final result I wanted to, so I will pick it up here during the next session.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 10)

In my previous post (Part #9), I completed the work on the Left Wing (for this section anyway).....minus installing the rivets.  I have decided to wait on riveting the Inboard and Outboard Wing Skins on the Left Wing until the Right Wing is completed to the same point.  Then, I can complete this section for both wings at the same time....so to speak.

The Top Inboard and Top Outboard Wing Skins on each Wing will receive 788 rivets.  So, armed with this knowledge, I consulted myself and determined it was “better” to install all 1,576 rivets together.  That’s ALOT of rivets!  Anyway, moving on to the Right Wing.  

SEE PARTS #1 & #2 FOR CORRESPONDING WORK ON THE LEFT WING

   As with the Left Wing, the work on the Right Wing will start with the Top Inboard Wing Skin and the Wing Walk Doublers-FWD and AFT.  I began by removing the blue protective plastic from the the Top Inboard Skin, Top Outboard Skin and the two Wing Walk Doublers.  Next, I clecoed the Top Inboard Skin and Wing Walk Doublers to the Right Wing as shown in the picture below.  (I also clecoed the Top Outboard Skin, more or less, to check the fit).

Once clecoed into place, all the common #40 holes to the Top Inboard Wing Skin and Doublers (FWD and AFT) were Final-Drilled.....which included the rivet attach holes for the nutplates.

The center nutplate holes were then Final-Drilled to #19.  In the picture below, you can see where two of the nutplates will be installed.  There will be a total of eight nutplates (just like on the Left Wing).

If you look closely below, you can see all eight nutplate locations.....look for the larger #19 center holes in the bottom row of clecos.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 9)

Now that I have all the Skins primed and ready for riveting, I took a few minutes and sprayed some touch up primer in the Wing Ribs (where I scratched it with the rivet gun or bucking bar) with my airbrush gun.  After that was completed, I clecoed into position, for the final time, the Top Inboard Wing Skin.....

....and Top Outboard Wing Skin to the Left Main Spar, Wing Ribs, and Left Rear Spar.  If you look at the left side of the picture above, you can see two rows of clecos running forward and aft.  This is the location where the Top Inside and Top Outside Skins will overlap.  The row on the right side will be riveted to the Wing Rib Flange underneath and the row on the left will just rivet the Skins together. 

Here is a view of the whole Left Wing with both Skins clecoed into place.

I stood the Left Wing up on the Main Spar to make sure all the clecos were installed in the correct positions and in the right holes.  On the right side, you can see the four Wing Ribs that make up the Wing Walk area.

This is the middle section of the Left Wing.....

.....and the Outboard section.

And, of course, a view of the entire Left Wing.

Wings, Top Wing Skins (Part 8)

This session was actually completed yesterday.  However, I’m just getting around to updating the blog.

I was finally able to get the appropriate conditions to Akzo prime the Skins.  In the first picture below, you can see the “inside” side of the Inboard Wing Skin after priming.  The second picture shows the “outside” side of the Top Inboard Wing Skin.  Like I’ve mentioned in previous priming posts, I also like to prime the “seams” on the outside side of the Skin where the rivets will be inserted/installed.  Makes me feel a little better for corrosion resistance.  I’ve had several guys, a lot smarter than me, suggest that I do this.  So, I followed their suggestion.  I’ve used this process during the entire build up to this point. 

Below is the “inside” side of the Top Outboard Wing Skin after priming.  The second picture shows the “outside” side of the Top Outboard Wing Skin.

Lastly, below are the two Wing Walk Doublers.....FWD and AFT.  Since these will be installed between the Wing Rib Flanges and the Top Inboard Wing Skin, both sides of the Doublers were completely primed.