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Airplane Builder - Wings (Mar - Oct 6)

Main Page Empennage (Jan 06) Wings (Mar-Oct 06) Fuselage (Nov 06-?)

The wings are a big part of the build and involve more repetition than any other part. They also include the fuel tanks which is a rite of passage thing because it involves using a sealant which is less than fun to work with. I'm past it now, the tanks test fine, but I suspect I'll do quick built wings if & when I build another airplane.

Decisions Before and During This Phase

Fuel caps? Deluxe lockable from Van's
Fuel level senders? Float only
Fuel / vapor return provision? Plumbed tanks for return lines
Landing / taxi lights? One rectangular Duckworks in each wing
Wing wiring? Conduit per Van's
AOA / LRI? Homebuilt LRI
Pitot? Per Van's plans
Fuel tank vent? Per RV-10 / Rocket, thus oriented the 90 deg fitting accordingly.

Tips / Tricks / Things I Learned / Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I use NAS1097-AN3 rivets for ALL nutplates. A couple of turns with a deburr bit is all the countersink you need for these.
Build your v-jig for flaps and ailerons so that there is room for a rivet gun between the flap/aileron and the base of the jig. Do the same for the leading edge / tank cradle.
Use foam pipe wrap/insulation from Home Depot for the LE/tank cradle padding. Easier to work with than carpet.
Be careful when riveting the inboard bottom skin of the flap, if the doubler (FL-706B) on the rib is full size you may end up with a bit of a smiley when you rivet using a flush set in a gun.
Duct tape is your friend - put in on bucking bars to prevent scrapes/scratches when bucking.
Be careful not to mix up LP4-3's and CS4-4's when selecting blind rivets - they are easy to mix up and are not the same.
For me, shooting rivets is like shooting landings, the ratios are pretty close to 1 perfect : 3 good : 1 safe but not pretty. A perfect one just means there's a nasty one coming.
When you make shims for the flaps, make a bunch and drill all of them at once - no need to match drill them.
Every now and then you'll pick up a handful of rivets to load for squeezing and end up with the exact amount needed. Savor it.
I built my wing cradle with 10" tires on only one end. It's like a big heavy wheelbarrow but the big tires mean I can drag it into my gravelled driveway if needed. I also used the same lumber from the wing jig (two 2x4's make a 4x4, I bought 2x4's so I could later recycle). The leading edge part of the wing cradle is the recycled parts from the leading edge/tank cradle.

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