Aug 27, 2023     "Hero" wing spar pin in Starboard side Category: Wings

I don't like threaded fasteners in these tight holes, as it can be very tough to get the alignment dead solid perfect, and if it's not, the threads can "broach" the holes oversize. The factory planes use pins. It took a few tries, but I custom fabricated pins with a long, gradual taper to help with alignment, the proper grip length, and positive locking via a clevis clip. Starboard side is in and secured.

  Aug 27, 2023     "Hero" wing spar pin in Starboard side Category: Wings

I don't like threaded fasteners in these tight holes, as it can be very tough to get the alignment dead solid perfect, and if it's not, the threads can "broach" the holes oversize. The factory planes use pins. It took a few tries, but I custom fabricated pins with a long, gradual taper to help with alignment, the proper grip length, and positive locking via a clevis clip. Starboard side is in and secured.

  Jul 07, 2023     Dings, fairing strips       Category: Wings

Cleaned up the filler in the wingtip dings, pulled more rivets on the trim strips and stop drilled a few more cracks in the canopy.

  Jul 06, 2023     Wing walk, wing tips, etc       Category: Wings

Finished the wing walk, most of the right wing trim strip rivets, blew some more paint on the wheel pants, and patched some nicks in the fiberglass wing tips.

  Jul 05, 2023     Trim, wing walks       Category: Wings

The left wing root trim/wing walks is just about riveted on, the right piece is cleco'd. I primed the undersides before installing them to slow down faying surface corrosion. Lee and Bill had drilled and trimmed these pieces earlier.

In other news, I rattle canned the wheel pants and they are now Ten Footers.

And placarded the flaps.

  Jul 04, 2023     Wings on and pinned Category: Wings

After 3 days of struggle, the wings are on and pinned. But not with the "Hero" pins...in the days that follow, I'll have to replace the long taper pins we used today with the "Hero" pins from McMaster Carr that have cotters and keepers.

We had to jack the rear spar of the left wing up with a floor jack to get it lined up. The right wing was NOT budging, until I wiggled it JUST right, and it clunked into place with the sense of relief one gets from popping a zit. The wife says "popping a zit is too easy, this was more like cracking a safe." It is definitely harshing my turn on for EVER TAKING THE WINGS OFF AGAIN. So First Flight might be out of this airport.

In other news, I cut out the pattern for the gear leg fairings that seemingly got left in the rental van when we moved the airplane. And bought the wing walk non-skid and cut it out, and started a stencil for "NO STEP" for the flaps.

  Jul 02, 2023     Wings on, sort of       Category: Wings

My wife and I managed to get the left wing in, but couldn't get he right one rammed home. It was too bloody hot to continue the struggle so we quit for the day. Plus, the plug for the left wingtip light was outiside the wing, so the LEFT wing needs to be pulled and replaced again.

  Aug 21, 2022     Finished tie down       Category: Wings

Installed tie down in the right wing

  Jul 04, 2022     Mods to make it easier to get wings on and off       Category: Wings

I had a chance earlier this year to examine and fly a built airplane with some neat mods, some of which I'm adopting.

One of the hardest parts of getting the wings on and off is hooking up the flaps. The dropped fasteners I fished out of the leading edges of the wings once they were off attest to that. John Monnet used pins and clips on the prototypes, see the videos, for both the front and rear spars and the flaps, and I'm doing the same. The built airplane I looked out had the two front lightening holes joined into one, to make access from the fuselage into the wing much easier, and I've done the same. There is ANOTHER rib VERY close outboard of the root rib, and I flanged the openings I enlarged to keep the local stiffness needed to maintain the airfoil shape and the structural stiffness in this area for flight loads.

  Jun 29, 2021     Complete Hinge Pin Installation on Ailerons and Flaps - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira, Ryan Young and Bill Lawrence completed measuring, cutting, installing and pinning the hinge pins on the ailerons and flaps. Aileron actuating rods were adjusted to proper length to permit proper rigging.

  Jun 12, 2021     Finish Deburring Rivet Holes For Wing Root Doublers - (1 hour)       Category: Wings

Bill Lawrence finished deburring the rivet holes and edges of the wing root doublers and wing walk panel.

  Jun 09, 2021     Finish Drilling and Deburring Rivet Holes For Wing Root Doublers - (9 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence finished drilling and deburring the rivet holes for the wing root doublers.

  Jun 08, 2021     Drill And Cleco Left Wing Doubler And Wing Walk - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence completed drilling and clecoing the right hand wing doubler and partially drilling and clecoing the left hand wing doubler and wing walk.

  Jun 05, 2021     Connect Aileron linkage - (13 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira, Ryan Young and Bill Lawrence connected the aileron linkage.

  Jun 02, 2021     Compete Flap Rigging and Connect Ailerons - (9 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence completed the flap rigging, installed the ailerons and connected most of the aileron linkage.

  Jun 01, 2021     Rig Wing Flaps - (8 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence rigged the wing flaps.

  May 22, 2021     Retrieve Flaps and Ailerons from Storage - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence retrieved the ailerons and flaps from storage and sorted the control rods and hardware in preparation for installation.

  May 12, 2021     Trim L/H Wing Doubler and Wing Walk - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence finished sanding and fitting the R/H wing doubler and marked, trimmed, sanded, and fit the L/H wing doubler and wing walk.

  May 12, 2021     Trim Wing Doubler - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence marked, trimmed, sanded and fit the R/H wing doubler.

  May 08, 2021     Fit Wings to Fuselage - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira, Ryan Young and Bill Lawrence managed to fit wings to the fuselage and install pins through holes in spar tunnel and spars. A GOOD day!

  Apr 21, 2021     Work On Securing Proper Clearance To Install Wings Through Spar Tunnel Continues - (4 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence continued to file and dress spar bolt blocks to secure adequate clearance. Will attempt to install wings again on Saturday.

  Apr 20, 2021     Work On Securing Proper Clearance To Install Wings Through Spar Tunnel Continues - (8 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence continued to make progress on filing the wing mounting bolt blocks to make sufficient clearance for the wing spars to pass through the spar tunnel. Getting closer but not there yet.

  Apr 19, 2021     Continue Work On Securing Proper Clearance To Install Wings Through Spar Tunnel - (6 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence continued work on securing proper clearance to install wing spars through spar tunnel. Filed block for bolt that is thicker than required to permit passage through spar tunnel.

  Apr 14, 2021     Work On Securing Proper Clearance To Install Wings Through Spar Tunnel - (6 hours) Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence worked on wing spars to create enough clearance for them to pass each other inside the spar tunnel. Closer but not there yet.

  Apr 06, 2021     Wing Flap Piano Hinge Rivet Irregularity - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence identified an improper rivet installation on the wing flap piano hinge and drilled out that rivet and both adjacent rivets to properly correct the improper installation.

  Apr 03, 2021     Take Measurements Of Spar Thicknesses and Spar Tunnel Opening - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence measured the thicknesses of the spars at the points where the bolts pass through the spar tunnel and the spars as well as the width of the tunnel and found that the thickness of the spars is too great to pass through the tunnel. Now determining the amount of the discrepancy and the best solution to remedy the problem.

  Mar 31, 2021     Continue Effort to Install Wings - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira, Bob Rudolph and Bill Lawrence continued the effort to make the left and right wing spars fit into the spar tunnel with no success. It was discovered that there is insufficient clearance and that issue will need to be further addressed. Wings were removed and clearances will need to be checked and corrected accordingly.

  Mar 30, 2021     Aligning Bolt Holes In Wing Spars and Spar Tunnel - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence spent the day aligning the bolt holes in the spar and spar tunnel for the right wing. Still working on the left wing. Spars are very tight in the tunnel.

  Mar 27, 2021     Install Wing Spars in Spar Box In Fuselage - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence inserted wing spars into wing spar boxes in fuselage in preparation for rigging and bolting in place.

  Mar 27, 2021     Ream Wing Anchor Bolt Holes to Proper Size - (2 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira reamed wing anchor bolt holes to proper size to accept anchor bolts.

  Feb 09, 2020     Install Wing Rib - (5.9 hours)       Category: Wings

Install replacement inner wing rib.

  Dec 09, 2019     Wing Rib       Category: Wings

Replacement inner wing rib for mutilated old rib arrived.

  Oct 06, 2019     Remove Wing Inner Rib - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Remove inner wing rib that is in need of being replaced.

  Sep 01, 2019     Wing Tips - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Lee Teicheira Installing nut plates to wing tips for securing navigation lights.