Jan 27, 2024     Aileron tip ribs - (1.5 hours)       Category: Wings

Today, I finished drilling out the holes for the tip ribs on both ailerons. Once they were deburred, I marked and drilled 2 locating holes for the left aileron tip rib, then clecoed it into place and marked the remaining holes and drilled them. After deburring the tip rib, it was clecoed into place and then riveted. Once the tip rib is installed on the right aileron, they will be ready for paint.

  Nov 23, 2023     Miscellaneous wing work - (20 hours) Category: Wings

Over the course of the last year, progress has been slow and sporadic due to recently adopted pets that get upset when I go out to the workshop. However, some of the work I was able to bring inside the house to appease them and keep the frantic barking to a minimum. Progress was as follows:

1: stripping the protective film off the control surfaces. This took the majority of the time entered; the protective wrap on the sheet aluminum had gotten very hard and brittle in the last decade plus, and took several evenings of picking tiny scraps away from the metal.

2: purchase of deburring tool. The end caps for the ailerons need to be drilled out and installed, but I couldn't find a deburring tool in the supplies I had. Tool has been procured, and first round of holes drilled.

3: finding the missing aileron counterweights. These had been put aside when I first inventoried the kit once I took possession, but they had been in a water-damaged box and were put aside to dry out. What was left of the box ended up buried under parts of another project. I was almost resigned to buying another set when I discovered them while looking for parts for that other project.


Goals for the next update: installing conduit for landing/marker lights in the wing ribs, installing hinges for the ailerons and flaps, and any remaining work necessary before installing the wing skins.

  Jul 02, 2022     Left wing root ribs - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

After finishing the innermost wing ribs, I began attaching the root ribs to their brackets. Knowing how tight clearances are in this area now, when I tackle the right wing, I will do the ribs in a different order to help minimize the riveting gymnastics. The rear root rib had not yet been finish drilled or had the gussets installed, so I drilled these out before installing the rib. Next will be installing conduit and the landing light in between rib 11 and 12, before turning the wing around again and working on the aileron and flap hinges which are thankfully drilled already.

  Jun 26, 2022     Finishing riveting left wing ribs to spar - (2.5 hours)       Category: Wings

After purchasing and modifying a wedge tool, I was able to gain the clearance I needed to pull the rivets on ribs 1-4 where there was interference with the wing walk gussets. I then continued down the spar riveting the center 2 rivets for each rib. After 2.5 hours of work, there are no more clecos holding the ribs in place, they are all riveted to the main and rear spar.

  Jan 22, 2022     Attaching left wing ribs to spars - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

The first area of the project I've decided to tackle is the wings, as they take up a considerable amount of space and I'd like to get the skins on soon to avoid them getting damaged. My friend had carefully marked out each rib's location, so I was able to easily lay them out and cleco them and their gussets into place. Once everything was aligned well, I began riveting them into place, along with the rear spar. Some ribs close to the root will be left unrivited until later to make it easier to attach the root rib in the close quarters. The goal is to have both wings built and skinned to be ready for paint by summer.