Starting on the Wings

Last Night Connie and I finally started on the wings proper. The instructions from Quad City were a little vague on how the innermost ribs (done first) go on. The two innermost ribs get a sheet of aluminum riveted on top, like two logs across a river supporting a bridge. All the others have a little triangle-shaped gusset at each end.

We began by marking a rivet line on each side of the aluminum sheet and then drilling holes 3 inches apart. We drilled along enough length of the sheet to come within 3" of each end of the rib leaving an overlap for attaching to the forward and aft spars. Then we used the drill press to drill the first hole in one end of the rib, making sure that the rib was perpendicular to the drilling table. We did this by firmly taping it to a piece of PVC piping that was the same diameter as the wing spar (against which it would later lie) and then making sure the PVC pipe was level. Using a drill press is invaluable here. We got straight holes and had the control to avoid the sudden break-through and resulting dent in the opposite side of the small rib tube that a hand drill usually makes.

We laid the rib on the wing, aligning the hole in the aluminum sheet and the rib. The second rib upon which the sheet of aluminum would also sit was placed a few inches apart under the sheet to hold it up and make it perfectly perpendicular to the first rib. Making sure the sheet was straight, we set the first rivet. Then we went to the other end of the first rib and marked the last hole. This was drilled and riveted. Then the middle hole, then progressing outward the entire rib was eventually attached to the sheet of aluminum. The second rib was attached in the same way.

The entire assembly sits on the leading and trailing wing spars very neatly. There is enough aluminum remaining on each end of the sheet to rivet to the spars. Some will have to be trimmed on the trailing edge.