August 19, 2008 The wing kit arrived today. It was in 2 crates totaling 395 pounds. The spars and longer pieces were in a crate 16 feet long. Loaded them up on a trailer and used my tractor to unload them at the house. I completed the inventory and started in installing the fuel tank attach platenuts on those gorgeous gold anodized spars.
August 19, 2008 Here is the long crate. Van's gets pretty creative here since the wings already have some long stuff in them, they send the longerons for the fuselage in the crate with the wing stuff. Saves on shipping for the fuselage kit. Pretty smart!
Augsust 20, 2008 Countersinking the holes for riveting the fuel tank attach platenuts to the spars. Makes you cringe taking a drill to the spars.
August 20, 2008 Close up of the big ole counter sinks for the fuel tank attach screws. I used Van's method on these using the platenuts to center the CS bit, worked like a charm.
August 25, 2008 I set up and built a wing stand to assemble the wings on. I needed it to be movable so I built this free standing design. It has adjustable feet to make it sit level and not rock on the slightly un-even floor. It is nice and solid.
August 30, 2008 I set up and match drilled the rear spars and doublers. This picture shows them already in primer and ready to rivet.
August 31, 2008 Ok so I was procrastinating starting the wing rib preperation, so I built up the flap and aileron hinge bracket assemblies.
September 10, 2008 So I didn't take any pictures of the rib preperation. Spent a couple of days de-burring, fluting, etc. Here they are clecoed in place on the spars. Starting to look like something now.
September 10, 2008 I got bored at work the other day and fabricated these adjustable stands to support the center of the wing structure.
September 15, 2008 I fabricated the wing walk doublers, which required no fabrication other than putting them in place underneath the inboard wing skins and match drilling a few of the holes to hold them in place when clecoed to the wing structure. Then the rest of the holes are drilled as well as match drilling all of the skin to wing structure.
September 15, 2008 Here are the inboard skins and wing walk doublers in place and match drilled. Note the stands supporting the center of the structure.
September 25, 2008 I then added the outboard skins and match drilled them as well. Man that's a lot of holes. I drug out the roll around chair and sat on my butt and drilled for close to an hour on each wing.
September 25, 2008 I screwed the inboard tank ribs to a piece of wood in order to fly cut the big hole for the fuel tank access cover. I clamped the whole thing in the drill press and cut very slowly. Came out perfect.
September 25, 2008 Another shot of the ribs with the doublers clecoed in place. I then riveted the doublers and platenuts in place. Including the plate nuts on the access cover itself which are used to attach the senders. I am using float style senders.
October 4, 2008 I moved into leading edge and fuel tank construction. I fabbed up some cradles to hold them from the old horizontal stabilizer cradles. I originally bolted them to the bench, but soon found it was too tall to comfortably work on, so I dug up one of my metal saw horses and attached them to it. Works perfect. Somehow I didn't take any pictures of the leading edge assembly, but you can see it in place in this picture. This is the left fuel tank clecoed together and match drilled.
October 5, 2008 I used a 3/8 fine thread bolt to center the tank drain and match drilled it to the skin. Notice I used the soldering iron trick on the inside of the tank. The fuel tank sealant process is notoriously messy, so I decided to use the plastic coating for masking. Shot of the inboard ribs with all the plate nuts installed.
October 5, 2008 I fabricated the fuel tank attach bracket from the aluminum angle supplied and match drilled it to the inboard rib.
October 5, 2008 I set up this simple jig to drill the center holes in the tank attach brackets using the templates supplied in the kit. The jig just made it quick to get everything to align perfectly.
October 5, 2008 I installed the tank on the wing and drilled all of the attach brackets by back drilling them through the holes in the spar. Notice the lack of clecoes in the wing skin. I ordered some more, but in the meanwhile I am rapidly running out. Gonna have to rivet some of this sucker together to reclaim some of the clecoes. Starting to look like a wing now!
October 11, 2008 After fitting the tank to the spar it was time to take it apart and do the required de-burring, dimpling etc. Here are all the parts for the left tank, ready to assemble.
October 11, 2008 The grandkids came over and were dying to work on the plane. I put them to work scuffing the wing skins where the ribs will be "glued" in with the black death(otherwise known as proseal).
October 11, 2008 They did a nice job too!
October 12, 2008 Ok so here we go with the goo! I taped the rivets into place, then flipped the skin over on the back rivet plate. I generously buttered each stiffener with the sealer and back riveted them into place. Then I took my trusty popsicle stick and formed a filet around each one and sealed the shop head of each rivet. I used the tape to contain the mess.
October 12, 2008 Stiffeners done! That wasn't so bad. Fact is that was dirt simple. Slightly messy, but I didn't even wear gloves and my hands were clean when I finished.
October 15, 2008 Here it is clecoed together in preperation for sealing and riveting the ribs in. The fuel filler and drain flanges have already been riveted and sealed in this picture. I back riveted the filler flange on and just squeezed the rivets on the drain flange. Easy stuff!
October 18, 2008 One rib down and 13 to go.
October 19, 2008 Ahh, last one on this tank. This process isn't hard, just a little slow and somewhat messy. Now to do the plumbing and make it ready to close it up.
October 27, 2008 I thought the stock fuel pickups from Van's were a little cheezy so I ordered these fuel strainers from Ford. I know, Ford parts on a RV, what is he thinking. Since I am planning on using rotary vane pumps mounted at the wing root, I felt the need for better straining of the fuel coming out of the tanks. These pumps don't tolerate trash too well. This picture was taken before the rib was installed and also before adding an additional bulkhead fitting for the return line.
November 20, 2008 I haven't had much time to work on the plane due to work. The economy is really dragging my business down so I had to really put my nose to the grindstone so to speak. Anyway, here is the first tank all sealed up(except for the sender and access plate). Sorry, no pictures of that process. There is a crap load of rivets and sealer going everywhere so I left the camera alone.
December 10, 2008 Man these holidays are really kicking my butt with regards to RV building time. I took a break from fuel tank building and prepped the right leading edge. Here it is ready to rivet. Now both leading edges are done.
December 28, 2008 I wanted to ensure a good ground to the senders since they will be installed with proseal and I was concerned about them being grounded good. I drilled the flanges and tapped them for a #8 counter sunk screw. I now have a connection to the sender which will not have to have proseal gooped all over it. Can you say good ground!
December 28, 2008 A shot of the back side showing the countersunk screw.
Copyright (c) 2008 Don Jones. All rights reserved.