11th: Finally, some actual build time, first in three
months. I have been meaning to build a wing rack, but
actually don't have the space. To get the right wing off the
workbench to finish the aileron, I screwed an extension onto
the workbench to hold the spar root and made a canvas sling
with a 1x4 to hold the leading edge. It looks a bit
precarious, but temporary.
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After
more than a year, dusted off the aileron and worked on
finishing it. I had some tolerance issues with the
counterweight assembly: this is one place where 1/64" accuracy
is an absolute must on this plane. The holes in the skin ended
up too close to the edge of the inside rib flange on the
leading edge. I made a jig to move the rivet hole centers
enough to get the required edge distance, and added an extra
rivet to compensate for the one that was too close to the
edge. The tip rib was a little disappointing. The plans call
for the top skin rivet holes to be 1/2" from the tip, but the
tip rib then has to be recessed to get the 1/4" edge spacing,
since the flanges are the standard 1/2" width. I went ahead
with it this way, may opt to remake the tip rib from scratch
at some later time, unless I end up rebuilding the entire
aileron. Picked up an extra rivet on the tip, too, from
measuring from the skin for the leading edge rivets instead of
from the end of the flange on the rib. I did test fit the
aileron on the wing and widened the counterweight hole in the
aft spar to get clearance for the installation.
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A more
long-term solution to store assemblies. After I saw a Zenith
builder's wings hanging on a hanger wall, I bought an extra
set of hold-down straps and hung the partly-finished right
wing on the front of my cluttered storage racks. The spar end
passes under the handlebars of our tandem bicycle. Tight
quarters.
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The left wing being rivetted on the workbench. This time, I
made a pair of brackets to help level the wing, and made quick
work of rivetting the rear spar to the ribs. Unfortunately,
this makes rivetting the front spar from the back, as shown on
the plans, a bit more difficult. But, putting a bit of skew
into the flexible frame gives enough clearance on the rivet
puller to seat the rivets, using the steel spacer I made from
a bolt head.
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