My buddy Jeff was available to help with the Fuel Tanks, so during this session we started the installation of the Fuel Tank Ribs.
*****Confession To Make*****
The picture below is from the build plans page 18-05. If you look at Figure 3: Tank Skin & Ribs Subassembly, it shows the proper locations and orientation of the Tank Ribs. With the exception of Rib #1, all Tank Ribs are installed with the Flanges facing left (or toward the fuel filler cap) for the Left Fuel Tank. Additionally, I have numbered each Tank Rib, inboard to outboard, from #1 thru #7 for easier identification.
Pictured below, is my Left Fuel Tank with the Tank Ribs riveted into plane and prosealed. I numbered the same Ribs below to correspond with the numbered Ribs in the Plans above (except for Rib #1 which you can’t see). If you will notice in the picture below, Ribs 3-6 are NOT oriented as shown in the plans above. I mistakenly used Ribs that were apparently meant for the Right Fuel Tank and the Flanges face AWAY from from the filler cap.
Here is another angle of the Left Fuel Tank.
I clecoed the Tank Attach Bracket Subassembly, Tank Inboard Rib-Aft, Tank Baffle, and Tank Attach Zees to my tank above.....ALL THE HOLES LINED UP.
So, during that OH SH*T moment, I started to figure out what I was going to do. After all the “I can’t believe I did that” comments to myself, I decided to email Van’s for some professional advice. In my email to Van’s, I described my “problem” and included the pictures above. Mitch Lock very quickly responded to my questions regarding my tank “problem”.....I even got a opinion from Mr. Van himself.
So, I was advised that if all the holes lined up properly among the pieces I mentioned above....BUILD ON! My additional concern was wether the orientation of the Tank Ribs was for any structural reasons. This is where Mr. Van comes in.....he can see no structural reason that the orientation makes a difference.
Good enough for me.....so, my mind is at ease!
As a result, I will construct the Right Fuel Tank with the Ribs oriented in the same directions as the Left.