RV-4 WINGS
This Page Last Updated : 05 December 2004 01:55
I spent all evening Saturday fitting the LE skin to the right wing. I used some ratcheting straps and lots of wood wedges to hold the skin tight to the ribs, then carefully drilled holes through both skin and ribs in one-shot. As I drilled holes, I clecoed the skin and checked inside to make sure the holes through the ribs weren't straying from centerline (I had already drawn centerline marks on the rib flanges).
After having a fellow RV-builder point out the same discrepancy that I had come to realize on my own, my heart sank as I realized that I had just ruined my LE Wing Skin. I had fitted the skin so that the outboard edge was flush with the outboard wing rib (it's supposed to extend beyond the rib about an inch). OOOPS!
I got the Aileron bell-crank fitted, drilled and installed (temporarily).
I like the extra half-rib used in building the RV-6 wings to help strengthen the Rear Spar, and since the weight difference is negligible and I have access to the appropriate area in both wings, I decided to go with installing the half rib. I figure that it can only help and not hurt (the weight penalty is only a few ounces).
I drilled holes and ran the conduit for the pitot probe. I also drilled and mounted the wing Tie-Down block.
20 Mar 04 : Fitted 2 Main ribs, started riveting the rear spar to the main ribs, and started on Aileron Bell Crank structure on modified main rib.
17 Mar 04 : I made a couple mistakes and cut notched in 2 of the main ribs that were deeper that they needed to be, so I had to order new ribs. Today, I Fluted, straightened and deburred replacement main ribs.
14, 16 & 27 Feb 04 : Back to working on the wing again! I spent an inordinate amount of time fitting the Main & LE Ribs to the Main Spar. Drilled brackets and Main Ribs to Main & Rear Spars.
17-18 Jan 04 : Clecoed and Riveted rear spar components together
11 January 2004 : Sprayed zinc-chromate on rear spar components
16-18 November 2003 : Drilling and mounting the rib brackets and fitting the main ribs to the spar is what I accomplished this week. In order to do this, one must take metal shears to the nicely formed ribs and cut the corners off so that they fit around the spar laminates, much like can be seen in the upper right picture.
23 October 2003 : Finished drilling the LE Rib brackets and started cutting the corners of the LE Ribs to fit around the laminated spar.
Note the gray specks. That's ash from the SoCal fires. Yes, my airplane is INSIDE a hangar!
22 October 2003 : Drilled some of the brackets and stared at the plans for a while to make sure I'm proceeding in the right direction and not making any mistakes. It's good to slow down once in a while, and just engage one's brain and not rush the construction.
21 October 2003 : Alodined the LE and Main Ribs. I was dismayed at the result of the main ribs. They started coming out blue and speckled. I'm assuming, since I did the Alumi-etch at a different time and place, that the water I used was hard water and the trace minerals in the water reacted with the chromic acid (Alodine solution) and caused a chemical reaction.
15-16 October 2003 : Cut Rib Brackets. Rib Brackets are the 90 degree aluminum angle that is used to mount the ribs to the main spar.
13 October 2003 : Drilled, fitted and clecoed rear spar components together, then alodined them. You can see the W407 strengtheners being drilled to the read spar. For those new to aircraft construction, those copper-colored things are called 'clecos'. They are basically a clamping device that fits in a hole. Squeeze it, stuff it in the hole, and let go, then it holds pieces of metal together for riveting.
Note the 'No Whistling Sign' above the drill press. We're all business here and no levity is allowed....anyone buying that?!
4 October 2003 : I spent a lot of time staring at the plans and reading the manual and searching through my parts bin until I finally started on parts to the rear spar. I thought I was going to have to cut the inboard spar strips, but I found them already cut roughly to shape. I cut the pieces that will eventually become the outboard and middle doubler plates (W407E & E). I used the hangar's new sheet metal shear to cut the 1/9" metal to create the rough shape of the inboard doubler plate.
23 September 2003 : I got started prepping for alodine, the right wing ribs. I also had to work on arrangement of the wing jig and other projects in the hangar so that I can start on the wing.
