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Build chronology milestones
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Chronology |
June | August |
July 2006 |
29th:
Here's the layout for 28 of the 32 required gusset blanks,
on the material left from cutting the seat sling from a
36x48x0.025 sheet.
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29th: After cutting the gusset blanks and filing to
size, I taped them together in a stack and drilled a 3/8
hole for the flange bend radius, then cut out the flange
relief on the band saw. It would have been easier to do
them eight at a time, rather than all at once, because I
found the step drill is the best way to drill sheet. In
the foreground is the set of practice gussets I made from
hardware store aluminum. Note the upper forward rib gusset
is marked "wrong size." I made it a mirror image of the
lower one, then noticed they aren't the same size and
shape. I scanned the drawing sheet and printed copies of
the gusset layout, being careful to maintain the
pixel-per-inch ratio, then cut the patterns on the inside
of the flanges to use as a cutting and hole pattern
layout. Used a 1" Scotchbrite wheel on a die grinder to
clean up and deburr the flange bend radii, then on the
30th, put the blanks for one wing in the sheet metal brake
in left-right pairs, having marked a blue-line on the
brake. Had to reclamp and use the rubber mallet to square
up the narrow flange, but so far, they look OK. Photos
next month when I do the left wing gussets. |
8th: Made
"practice" rib gussets, used them to mark the inboard aft
ribs for the spar cap cutouts. Here's the right wing aft
rib number 1 (SNX-W16-01R) with the cut lines marked and
the radius hole just drilled. Finished cutting the inboard
rib notches for the right wing, test fit with clecoes.
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23rd: Took
apart the right wing, getting ready to cut the real
rib gussets. The material is cut from the sheet from which
the seat sling is made, so no better time to cut the blank
for the seat sling, then back to making wing parts. Of the
32 gusset blanks needed, the material left makes only 28
with creative cutting. There's supposed to be another
sheet somewhere down there in the bottom of the pallet...
Cutting straight cuts left-handed with a right-handed
shears isn't easy, but it's the steady hand, and managed to
cut on the line without spilling blood. Yes, this is the
early quickbuild kit, which does not include the prebent
and drilled rib gussets. Besides, the 51% rule includes a
fair amount of standard metal snipping, sawing, and
bending.
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4th:
Fitting ribs on the right wing. No gussets made yet, but
decided to fit the ribs, cut deeper notches on the inboard
ribs, etc. A real boost to see, finally, something that
looks like part of an airplane, even if just clecoed.
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4th: Decision time: whether to purchase the common parts
supplemental kit from Sonex or just forge ahead and build
them from scratch. Since the budget has been a bit short
lately with much family travel, and time fast approaching
to make rib gussets, the primary part of the supplemental
kit, we're going to try to make a few, at least for the
purpose of fitting the aft rib cutouts.
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