Aileron gap seal installed

I have installed the aileron bellcrank, cut the hole through the rear spar and rigged it all up. I had to re-do the hole in the rear spar as I cut it too big going off of Van's plans. I drilled off the reinforcing plate and installed new one. I also added a angle across the top of the rear spar the whole span of the rib bay to add some strength back to the spar. This was probably an overkill on my part but I don't like having big holes cut in my 200mph airplane. I will move the starting of the hole over 1/2 inch inboard on the other wing so I can keep the hole smaller. I am still going to install an extra angle over the hole however. My extended tanks end in the same location on the main spar and the joint for the bottom skin in on the next bay over. If you remember the lesson Van's learned back in the early RV-8 day is don't have all of the joints in the same area on the wing. It tends to be a weak spot. I have also installed the aileron gap seal. Now I have to put on the flap and and align it to the aileron and then install the flap brace. Once this is done I can start running electrical wiring and close up the wing skins. Yeah! And then it's onto the next one :(

I'm back!

I have finally gotten back into working on airplanes. I have been rebuilding my motorcycle engine, making car repairs, working on the house, working a lot and helping a work friend coach baseball. Since I have gotten over some of those hurdles, I am now going to focus the majority of my time working on my airplane. I have started back on the right flap and have riveted that all together. I have made airfoil jigs so I can align the aileron to the wing. The aileron brackets have been installed on the rear spar and I can now work on getting the aileron bellcrank and linkage all hooked up and working. Once this is done, I will get the flap lined up to the aileron and rivet all that bracing to the rear spar. Then the wing can be wired and closed up. I can then start on the next one. Ugh! It's a lot of work to get the wings all done. At least the fuselage I only have to do once!

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I have been waiting for parts to show up via UPS. I need some -3 nutplates so I can rivet together the aileron. Since I can't button the dang thing up, I have been working on constructing the flap. I have most of the brackets built and the spars lightening holes cut out. I will start drilling the spars to the skins and getting the thing fabbed up. I will bet that the nutplates will not show up until Monday. I have also cut the aileron push/pull tube and ground off the powder coating on the ends so I can have them welded to the inserts for rod-eyes. Once the aileron is done I can start the alignment process to the wing and drill/rivet the hinge brackets to the rear spar. Once this is done you get the gap seal in place, mount the flap brace, cut out the push/pull tube hole in the rear spar, run all the electrical wiring, then rivet the bottom skins on. After that is some minor work here and there and the wing tip. In all reality, I could have the right wing done in a couple of weeks if I pushed hard on it. We will see.

Fabbing the right aileron

I have been working on the right aileron for the past several days. I have gotten the gas tank done and have counter-sunk the screw heads. I had to pull the tank back off since I did not like the fit of the tank skin to the top skin. There were several spots that stuck up a little. I have since massaged those areas and will be fitting the tank back onto the wing, hopefully, for the last time. I have also riveted the stiffeners to the aileron skin and have to make a jig before I can drill the skeleton to the skin. I hope to have all this done here in the next day or two and then I can start the process of mounting it to the wing with the hinge brackets. After that I can fit all of the gap seals and brackets and then mount the flap. I can't wait until I am done making all of the control surfaces.

Gas Tank Finished!!!!

I have finally completed all the pro-seal needed to complete the gas tank. I have to mount it back on the wing and counter-sink the upper row of screws. I am sure glad that is all done and now I can get moving again with the build process. I have been working on the right aileron. The stiffeners have all been drilled to the skin and now I need to etch, alodine and prime tomorrow. Then I will rivet the stiffeners to the skin and get going on drilling the skeleton to the skin. I have modified these ailerons by switching the end ribs around. I mounted them flush, so the flanges point toward the inside of the ailerons. I will have to use pop-rivets to rivet the end but that is ok. I want the edges flush for looks and maybe to gain a little more speed.

Tank baffle is installed

I have gotten the tank back baffle plate installed over the last few days. I got all the ribs installed last week. I have to wait a week or so to let the pro-seal set up before I can install the rest of the components in the gas tank like the sending unit, back access covers and drain. I will then put it back on the wing so I can countersink the front line of screws and final fit it to the wing. It fit real nice in the jigging process but things tend to move a bit in aseembly stage, especially with pro-seal. Parts can slide a little when you squeeze the rivets. I have started on the right aileron for now and will get that assembled so I can mount it on the wing and close up the bottom skins.

Sealing tank ribs

I have been working on riveting and sealing in gas tank ribs. It's a long process to get the rib gooped up them stuck in position (without getting sealant everywhere). Then I buck each rivet twice, cleaning off the bar and gun each time. Once all the rivets are bucked I squeeze a little out on each rivet head and swirl it around to seal in the rivet from the inside. Hopefully this way I will have double sealing. After all the heads are sealed, I then seal along the rib and skin making a nice fillet with my finger. Each rib takes about two hours from start to clean up. Can't wait until this sealing is done.