Waiex S/N W0044 Project

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.

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.

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.

 
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.

 
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.