Finishing the gas tank

The past month I have been working on riveting together the gas tank. Since there is several thousand holes in the tank and they all have to be sealed, it takes a while. I started with putting together the end rib, fuel pickup, anti-rotation brackets, and vent line. I also made all of the bottom stiffeners and then back riveted them to the tank skin. Next comes installing the ribs. I did two at a time so that I don't make too much of a mess with the pro seal. Once I got all but the inboard rib installed, I fab up the vent line and installed that. Then I put the last rib in place and hooking up all the plumbing. After that comes the back baffle plate. I have access holes in each bay so I can come back if I ever get a leak and seal it up. It's extra work installing all those nutplates and covers, but it makes gaining access very easy. Once the baffle was installed, I started sealing up the access holes with the covers. I finally got the whole thing sealed up and I am now starting the final fitting of the tank to the wing. This consist of getting the tank strapped back down and installing all of the screws. Some of the rows are already dimpled. The rest have to be machine countersunk and this takes time. I don't countersink the hole all the way. I leave a little left that I can shave out with my deburring tool. I have had the countersinks plung way too deep even though they are set to depth. The other thing I do is grease all the screw threads before installing them. This helps lube up the nutplate and keeps it so the screws don't corrode in them. Also, using SS screws, you can get dissimilar metal corrosion so this helps with that as well. I should have the tank done by tomorrow and then I will start getting the wing prepped for the main skin.

This time I am really getting back into it.

I have started work again on the wing. I have riveted the airleron bellcrank support ribs in. All the gas tank nutplates have been installed (all 128 of them). I have installed the pitot tube line and adel clamps. I am working now on getting the .032 stiffener angles drilled onto the bottom of the tank skin. I have to cut all of the access plates in the back of the tank baffle. Then I can start dimpling, etching and riveting the tank together. What fun!
I will get some pics of the updates on the wing soon.

Getting back into it!

I have started working on the wing again. I am completing the process of drilling the wing tank. Over the weekend I have gotten the wing tank drilled and now I am working on the nutplates that go with it. There are 300 nutplates just for the gas tank and it's access panels. Each nutplate needs 3 holes drilled for it. This tank is supposed to hold gas and I keep drilling more holes into it. Everyone of the holes has to be sealed back up. I am not done yet as I have to drill stiffeners on the bottom skin.

Fuel injection mounted on engine

A while back I was searching on the internet. I found someone selling a fuel injection system. It was at a fair price so I bought it. Sometimes you can get sunk in deals like these because the cost to fix it up you can almost buy new. However, when it showed up, it was in great condition. I sent it off to Airflow Performance (the leading fuel injection company) and they overhauled the servo and flow divider, then provided me with new injectors, lines, fittings and hardware. All said and done, I had about 1500 into the system instead of 2900 buying it outright from AFP. That works for me!

Leading edge riveted together

I spent a good portion of the night getting the leading edge skin riveted on. The skin come out nice and now I have to put it on the spar and finish riveting it to the spar flanges. I can then pop rivet all of the ribs to the spar in the leading edge section. Next will be to put all the skins back on and start fabbing up the gas tank. Once the gas tank is drilled, I will pull it all apart and start working on riveting the wing skins on.

Left wing fabbed up.

I haven't posted in sometime. I have been working ont the left wing. I have all the skins drilled, except the tank skin. I have all the ribs riveted to the wing spars and the skeleton is mounted in the jig and plumbed. The pitot tube has been fitted and the plumbing is done. All of the small brackets and angles have been drilled. I am now starting to debur, dimple and prime the skins. I will have the leading edge skin riveted together today and mounted on the wing. Then I will start the drilling of the tank skins and fabrication of the tank ribs. It's no easy job building the tank. I am striving to get the left wing done around the end of Febuary. I have tons of pics to post!

Left wing is in the jig

I have mounted the left wing skeleton in the jig. I have it all square/ plumb abd have now started to drill the main wing skin onto the ribs. Mike Mason was over to help me get started and I reviewed how to start drill the skin across the top, then down the center rib and from there working your way out to the corners. We got about a 1/4 of the way down and the weather let up so we went flying to Port Townsend. It was real windy over there and I got my first dose of a cross wind landing in a while. A little sketchy but I made it. I will get back to drilling the skin on today and then start working on the leading edge skin.