Nose Rib Riveting and Wing Skins

Over the past two days, I riveted the nose ribs to the spar and bent the leading edge of the skin.  I managed to put a wrinkle in one leading edge.  So I had to make a new one.  While I was at it, I cut most of the main wing skins (not the tips yet).

I measured the plans and drew two straight lines down the workbench to set the proper rib position from the spar.  I thought this was a really easy way to ensure they were all even.

Here you can see the spar and the aluminum angle for spacing.  The wood blocks are screwed down with two blocks on the back side too.


Here is a rib held in place for alignment.


Here are several ribs in place with drilled holes and 3/32 clecos.


Here is the finished piece (you can see the two lines I drew on the workbench pretty clearly in this picture.



I didn't get a picture of the bent skin, but I used Dave's method of pressing it down with a 2x4 after some encouragement from the Yahoo Group.  It was pretty easy.  The first one was wrinkled because I rushed it, and not because of the process.

More Materials and Right Rear Ribs

I came home to this today!  Aircraft Spruce and Greg Westberry delivered on the same day.



Greg Westberry delivered the tail kit.  It is the big box in the back.  I'm going to do a full write up on the kit when I get to the tail for anyone on the fence about ordering the kit.  For now, it will stay in the box (that's so hard to do!).


The other boxes are 2 more 4x12 sheets of .020 6061-T6 and one sheet of .032 6061-T6.  I also have my piano hinge now and all of my blind rivets and the bushings (etc.) for the center section plus some other miscellaneous parts.  The big bag in the back is 4,500 blind rivets.  That's a lot of holes to drill!

All of this fired me up to bend some metal, so I made the rear ribs over the form blocks tonight.  I had already made the forms and blanks.  Here's a shot of the pieces temporarily clamped together.   Cool!