*****This post includes work completed on Tuesday, June 26th and Thursday, June 28th*****
Tuesday, June 26, 2018:
The next step in the plans is working with the outer Skins and parts of the Fuel Tank. Now, I’ve read several builder’s blogs/websites and Van’s Air Force forum postings warning NOT to prime ANTHING on the inside of the Fuel Tanks. If those warnings aren’t good enough, the builder’s plans from Van’s says.....
NOTE: Do not prime any areas that will be in the inside of the tanks.
So, I will not prime anything on the inside of the Fuel Tanks. So, my next question was regarding Alumiprep and Alodine. The same Van’s Air Force Forums advised that Alodine was fine as it is a chemical conversation that won’t “come off” like primer potentially will. My plan will be to Alumiprep and Alodine all the parts and pieces that make up the entire Fuel Tanks (both inside and outside). Then prime some of the smaller parts that get assembled on the outside of the Tanks. Finally, once the Fuel Tanks are completely finished, leak checked, and ready to be installed on the Wings.....I will prime the entire outside area of the Tanks (minus the upper and lower Skins). As with all sections of the Wings so far, the plans give you the option of building one Wing at a time or both at the same time. I will continue to build them both at the same time.
Shown below is the Left Wing Fuel Tank Skin (still with the protective plastic on it). The Right Wing Fuel Tank Skin looks identical with the exception of the fuel filler hole located on the opposite side of the Skin than shown below.
This is the “back” side of the Fuel Tank known as the T-00002 Tank Baffle.
Pictured below is the front leading edge of the Left Fuel Tank Skin with Tank Baffle clecoed into place.....
.....and the back of the Left Fuel Tank.
And here is the front leading edge of the Right Fuel Tank Skin with the Tank Baffle clecoed into place.....
.....and the back of the Right Fuel Tank.
The Tank Baffle orientation for both Fuel Tanks was very specific. The proper orientation places the flange with the “extra” hole on the bottom. This was very easy and obvious to figure out looking at the Tank Baffles.
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Thursday, June 28, 2018:
Thursday, June 28, 2018:
In Part 1, Roger and I prepared all 14 Tank Ribs. In Part 2, the two T-00005A Tank Stiffeners were prepared. In Part 3, the 20 T-00004 Tank Stiffeners and the 14 T-1012 Tank Attach Zees were prepared. Now, as some builder’s have done, I wanted to test fit all the pieces to get an idea of how things fit together.
Below, is the “inside” of the Left Fuel Tank with the seven Ribs and 11 Tank Stiffeners (you can see them on the bottom between the Ribs) clecoed into place.
This is also the Left Fuel Tank, but with a better view of several of the Tank Stiffeners.
This is the Left Fuel Tank with the Tank Baffle and seven Zees have been clecoed into place. I had no difficulty fitting the parts together (I didn’t think I would). I mainly wanted to get a visual of how things went together in order to keep it all straight in my head since I’m building both
Tanks at the same time.
I also test fitted the Right Fuel Tank as I did above with the Left. All the parts and pieces went together with no real issues, but again, I wanted to get things straight in my head.