May 05, 2024     Skin removal and push rod components - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Complete drilling the holes to size and removed the skins to be cleaned and primed
Assembled the rocking arms for the aileron push robs.

  Apr 28, 2024     Flap Conveyer Skins - (5 hours)       Category: Wings

Finish forming the flap conveyer skins.and ribs.
I won't be installing these parts until I mount the wings - per the instructions.
Also started to drill the wing skin holes to size - which is a daunting task.
Once I'm done doing this I'll remove, clean, and prime the skins.

  Apr 21, 2024     Skins - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Completed fitting the leading edge skins and drilling additional holes - looking forward to doing some riveting but I still have a lot of work.
Rotated the wings and fitted a stretch of skin that hangs over the flaps and ailerons.
I need to drill all holes to size, remove the skins - then clean and paint them.
Will work on the internal control rods next..

  Apr 07, 2024     Wing leading edge skin - (9 hours)       Category: Wings

Did the initial install of the leading edge skin on the left wing.
This went a lot quicker and easier after have done it on the right wing.
I repeated the same steps.
I'm happy with how it came out - I still have a lot (hundreds) of additional holes to drill in the side skins. Then I'll drill them to size.
I strongly recommend that basic kit builders do the wings last - their much more complicated than the fuselage.
If it was easy it wouldn't be fun.

  Mar 31, 2024     Edging edge skin - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Complete cleco'ing the forward edge of the right wing
This was one of the harder elements of the build to do - but it got easier once I figure out the best approach
However, I need to get a lot more cleco's to do both wings at the same time.
This has reinforced my view that the wings should be done last - they're much more complicated than the fuselage.

  Mar 24, 2024     Skin - (16 hours)       Category: Wings

Completed drilling the main and rear spar holes into the top and bottom skins.
Decided the that the only way I could install the leading edge skins is to rotate the wings 180 degrees so the leading edges are pointing up.
Had to remove the middle section of the skins in order to have something to grip on to = yes, it would have been easier to do with an extra set of hands.
The leading edge skins aren't pre-drilled - I have to determine the proper placement and match drill the holes that are in the side skins to the leading edge skins. This wasn't easy, but I managed to get the skins cleco'ed on the top of the wing.
I'll work on the bottom holes next.

  Mar 10, 2024     Wing jig and installing skins - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Went back to plan A and will work on the wings in parallel vice sequential for a few reasons. Allows be to compare how the wings are coming together immediately and address ay deviations and it simplifies the flow of work.
I used my re-purposed fuselage stands to hold the inboard end of the wings and I have a couple of sawhorses that are just the right heights to make the main spar level to the ground.
My golden rule with this kit is if the holes don't align there is an issue how I assembled it - and in a few places the holes in the skins don't align with the holes in the ribs. However, the misalignment was identical on both wings - same locations - and was able to conclude that the flaw was in the manufacturing and I was able to easily adjust.
I doubt this is an problem on the retractable landing gear version - but for LSA version the skin and some ribs are made differently.
Once I got the skins aligned, I began drill out the hole on the spars into the skin which requires removing one side of the skins to access the predrilled holes.
There are a lot of holes and I'll need to get more clecos to finish the job.
I'm planning on rotating the wings 180 degrees IOT align the leading edge skins

  Feb 25, 2024     Internal frame - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Decided to work on one wing at a time vice in parallel. My repurposed fuselage mounts wouldn't allow me to work on both. If I had a third mount I could do this, but I don't have room in my hanger to do.
Good this though, because my ribs in the section where the retractable landing gear would go don't align with the skins. I mounted s few of the ribs based upon where the holes in the main and rear spars. Apparently, this isn't correct since the because they don't align with the ribs. FL hasn't released a instructions for the LSA wings and best to my knowledge I'm the first the build the basic kit LSA version.
Very minor setback, a technician from FL will call me and walk me through the placement of the ribs.

  Feb 19, 2024     Initial wing assembly       Category: Wings

Mounted the main spars to my repurposed fuselage end-stands.
The main challenge was figuring out how to mount the wing tip to the stand. I used a set of heavy duty clecos to how the end ribs.
Drilled and temporarily mounted all ribs to the main spars.
This will probably be the first of three times I need to assemble the frame.

  Feb 17, 2024     Ailerons and wing ribs - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Began assembly of the ailerons and adding parts to the wing ribs - due to the cold weather.
I cleaned and prepped the aileron parts about a month ago.

  Feb 04, 2024     Main Spar - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Mounted the main spars to the fuselage
Needed to expand the four holes in the main spar pass through bracket - light filing and sanding - finally got the four mounting bolts to fit
Looks like my angles are correct - 2.20 degrees

  Jan 14, 2024     Main Spar - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Working on configuring the main spars to the correct angle.
To my surprise FL sent me a mounting plate jig - which is a smaller version of the large spar pass through bracket that is part of the central fuselage box.
I mounted the jig to one of the wooden mounts I used to hold both ends of the fuzelage during construction.
I started doing this in my garge - which wasn't long enough - and moved into the basement. It was too cold to do this at the hanger.

  Jan 01, 2024     Main Spar - (8 hours)       Category: Wings

Cleaned and prepped the parts for the main spar.
Drilled and riveted the top and bottom beams on the main spar.
Once I receive the main spar straps I'll temporarily mount the main spars to the fuselage to ensure they are sent and the correct angle - should be challenging.

  Dec 20, 2023     Wing Parts Prep - (4 hours)       Category: Wings

Received a box with the remaining parts for the wings - minus the man spar straps - the main parts the connect the wing to the fuselage.
I cleaned and Anodyned the aluminum parts.

  Dec 13, 2023     Rear Spar - (10 hours)       Category: Wings

Completed the rear spars.
These were fairly straight forward to assemble. There's ~16 retaining nuts that require #3 solid rivets - which can be a little challenging.

  Oct 24, 2023     Wing Kit Inventory and Prep - (6 hours)       Category: Wings

Completed the inventory of the wing kit. The missing parts are enroute.
I also started my favorite part - cleaning and prepping the parts - and there's a lot of them. I'm going to Alodine the ribs and smaller parts. The spars and skins I'll paint with grey primer.

  Oct 14, 2023     Wing Kit Delivery - (3 hours)       Category: Wings

Christmas in October - the wing kit was delivered to my hanger this week by the owner of Flying Legend.
He was in country - from Italy - and delivered my wing kit after deliver a quick-build kit north of VA.
Not the fun part of inventorying the kit. He also delivered the Fuel Selector Switch which are about impossible to purchase in the US - supply backlog.
We had a great visit and he liked the wrap on the airframe and my seat cushions.
The engine and parachute will be delivered in the near future.