OK, the wings are on, and in my continuing series of "things I learned that everyone knows , but no one writes down..."
1) We slid the wings into the main spar with just two people, and it was simple. Set the wing on two saw horses next to where it is going to go. Have the person at the tip lift up and slide the wing towards the fuse, while the other person guides the spar into the slot. Wiggle the wingtip fore and aft while gently pushing in, and it slides right into position. I had ground rounded points on hardware store bolts to make drift pins, and the inboard person gently tapped them in with a small hammer, from the rear. And it was on!
2) The airplane doesn't care that it only has one wing on - it has no tendency to tip over to that side (I was wonderign that...)
3) As I mentioned on another thread, and comfirmed with numerous measurments, my plane lined up perfectly in terms of fore and aft position of the tips, so that I had no sweep when the spar had no tension on it. For incidence, I made the 2 and 51/64's spacer that the drawings call for, and used a four foot level from the main spar to the aft spar. There was enough friction in the aft spar clevis to hold it wherever I put it, and it was easy to set it. I then used a C-clamp to hold it while I drilled. Started with a long #40, and then stepped up to 9/32 before using a 5/16 reamer. Beautiful holes!
4) To check wingtip to tail distance, I used my thinnest safety wire, fastened through the tailwheel attach hole on the bottom of the fuselage, and then stretched it out to a rivet at the tip. Marked that distance with tape, then passed it under the fuse and checked the other side. You don't need a partner to hold a measuring tape, and the safety wire doesn't stretch like string will.
5) Don't forget to read the stupid instructions (I put them in a corner long ago...), becasue they tell you to make some marks on the underside of the wing to locate the nutplate holes for the lower skin. I didn't and will have to have another wing removal cycle. Rats...
6) I had done so much research on the rear spar drilling that I hadn't had to look at the drawings, and then when I went to find the right length bolt to put in there, I couldn't face wading through the stack to find that one obscure number, so made a rare phone call to Van's. Of course they wanted to make me sound stupid for asking what drawing showed the wing mounting data when I had already drilled the hole. (Note to self...don't bother calling Van's. Yeah, they have the right info, but they make you pay for it with superior-sounding gloating....)
7) You will be amazed at how high the tail is when the longerons are level and the plane is on the gear! High enough to put a good knot in a person's forehead when he walks into the elevator (don't ask...)
8) I left about three inches of fuel line sticking out of the holes in the side of the fuselage, and that looks to be just about what I will need to make the connections - don't cut it any shorter until you get the wings on, and see what little more you need to take off to make your flare in the right spot. If you leave them 4", the wing will hit them on the way in.
Enough babbling - Tomorrow I make all of the electrical, fuel and pitot connections, then start fitting the fairings!
Paul Dye
1) We slid the wings into the main spar with just two people, and it was simple. Set the wing on two saw horses next to where it is going to go. Have the person at the tip lift up and slide the wing towards the fuse, while the other person guides the spar into the slot. Wiggle the wingtip fore and aft while gently pushing in, and it slides right into position. I had ground rounded points on hardware store bolts to make drift pins, and the inboard person gently tapped them in with a small hammer, from the rear. And it was on!
2) The airplane doesn't care that it only has one wing on - it has no tendency to tip over to that side (I was wonderign that...)
3) As I mentioned on another thread, and comfirmed with numerous measurments, my plane lined up perfectly in terms of fore and aft position of the tips, so that I had no sweep when the spar had no tension on it. For incidence, I made the 2 and 51/64's spacer that the drawings call for, and used a four foot level from the main spar to the aft spar. There was enough friction in the aft spar clevis to hold it wherever I put it, and it was easy to set it. I then used a C-clamp to hold it while I drilled. Started with a long #40, and then stepped up to 9/32 before using a 5/16 reamer. Beautiful holes!
4) To check wingtip to tail distance, I used my thinnest safety wire, fastened through the tailwheel attach hole on the bottom of the fuselage, and then stretched it out to a rivet at the tip. Marked that distance with tape, then passed it under the fuse and checked the other side. You don't need a partner to hold a measuring tape, and the safety wire doesn't stretch like string will.
5) Don't forget to read the stupid instructions (I put them in a corner long ago...), becasue they tell you to make some marks on the underside of the wing to locate the nutplate holes for the lower skin. I didn't and will have to have another wing removal cycle. Rats...
6) I had done so much research on the rear spar drilling that I hadn't had to look at the drawings, and then when I went to find the right length bolt to put in there, I couldn't face wading through the stack to find that one obscure number, so made a rare phone call to Van's. Of course they wanted to make me sound stupid for asking what drawing showed the wing mounting data when I had already drilled the hole. (Note to self...don't bother calling Van's. Yeah, they have the right info, but they make you pay for it with superior-sounding gloating....)
7) You will be amazed at how high the tail is when the longerons are level and the plane is on the gear! High enough to put a good knot in a person's forehead when he walks into the elevator (don't ask...)
8) I left about three inches of fuel line sticking out of the holes in the side of the fuselage, and that looks to be just about what I will need to make the connections - don't cut it any shorter until you get the wings on, and see what little more you need to take off to make your flare in the right spot. If you leave them 4", the wing will hit them on the way in.
Enough babbling - Tomorrow I make all of the electrical, fuel and pitot connections, then start fitting the fairings!
Paul Dye
