Wings

So we decided to invite our local EAA chapter to our house this Thursday for our monthly meeting, and of course that has caused us to needlessly put undue pressure on ourselves to get to a good, clean stopping "show-off" point for the group. I was hoping to have both leading edges done, but at this point it's looking like maybe just one will be ready. No biggie!

Started tonight off priming the L leading edge and riveting the assembly together. It actually went fairly well, I didn't have to drill out a single rivet! (I know, I just jinxed myself for later). Here's the leading edge all put together:

The L (outboard) leading edge, as it will eventually appear on the plane! See the landing light cutout on the end.

Inboard side of the L leading edge, this is where the fuel tank attaches. Still need to attach nutplates (and a fuel tank!)

The rivets came out pretty well!

Underside of the L top skin. Can see stall warning access hatch (inboard) and the landing light cutout (outboard)

Inside of the leading edge, outboard bay

Inside of the leading edge, inboard looking outboard. Note the spar cutouts, getting progressively smaller as you go outboard.

Then in other news, WE FINISHED RIVETING THE TOP SKINS! Wow that took a while. Sarah came out to help rivet the ones on the R main spar (she's on prep duty for the EAA meeting), and then I finished the two rear spars by inserting all fifteen million rivets along each line and holding them in place with rivet tape. Then I just started in the middle of each inboard/outboard skin and worked toward each side, eventually doing the lap joint between the two skins last. The rivets were all pretty easy, except for the six or so inboard-most ones on each wing, where there are two layers of spar doublers coming up to cover the space you'd want for your bucking bar. Using the wedge-shaped bar was critical here, and it had to be held just perfectly or else it would skip out of place and fail the rivet. Had to drill out two or three before I got it right. I think by the time I was done with it all I had the system all figured out though. Funny how that happens.

No more clecos!!!! L top skin riveted, inboard side

L top skin riveted, outboard side

R top skin riveted, inboard side

R top skin riveted, outboard side

The most difficult ones were to the far right (and beyond) on the picture, where the spar doubler comes up to interfere.

L top skin outboard looking inward from the rear spar

I took a few minutes to play quality control with all the rivets, running my hand up and down each row feeling for rivets that were sitting proud. Only found three or four between both wings, and fixed them in short order by either zapping them quickly with the rivet gun and a bucking bar, or drilling them out and replacing. Looking good so far! We managed to only put one ding in one skin, between both wings and surely well over 1,000 rivets, but I'll never tell you where it is... ok fine, it's in the middle of the R wing walk, and it's not even that bad of a ding. That actually works out, because that whole area will eventually be covered with that black non-slip traction stuff. If we had to have a ding, I guess that would be the place to have it!

Of course, now that I had a completed leading edge and a completed wing top skin, I had to attach them together!

L Leading edge clecoed to L wing

L wing with leading edge clecoed into place.

With that, it was time to call it a night. We might do a little more assembly work tomorrow, but most likely we'll just be on cleanup duty for Thursday's meeting. Might not be any more blog posts until the weekend. Until next time!