Tuesday, November 11, 2008








The wing kit has arrived!


October 24, 2008 the ABF truck pulled up with two very heavy and awkward boxes. Now I have to get to work as the reality of what I have done hits me.
I have decided to log every event in a notebook along with digital photos. This might be useful when applying for an airworthiness permit from the FAA when I (dare I say it?) am done.
In the intervening time since the delivery, other life events have occurred, as in every one's life but I have accumulated about 25 hours of build time.
I did have to drill out an errant rivet and availed myself of the excellent how-to videos on the EAA home builders website before attempting same. It was successful and I felt a little pride.
Looking ahead in the plans book reveals a complicated (to a novice) but very well thought out sequence of procedures that will result in a structurally sound and aerodynamically straight wing that will carry me safely into the sky. Pretty poetic, huh?

A lot of small parts had to be assembled and it seems that the bulk of the time will be spent on deburring the metal. All of the holes are pierced except those that are drilled during assembly and all of the panels and parts are sheared. These operations leave sharp edges that must be removed to avoid stress concentration concerns and to insure proper rivet bonding requirements. The deburring tools purchased from Avery Tools are excellent for the task.


The following photos show an angle device I milled to allow riveting close to brackets, some miscellaneous parts and rivet squeezing.