Wing Assembly Log, page 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/14/98; 3.25 hrs; hung right aileron.

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Airfoil jigs are clamped around the wing to place aileron in proper position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Detail of outboard aileron brackets. Note the reference marks on the bracket for locating on the aileron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yeah, I know.....drilling the aileron brackets COULD be accomplished with the wing on a workbench.......but that is too practical.....(and comfortable)....

Note: As always, think SAFETY! Wear your safety glasses and avoid the "ole chip in the eye"....

 

 

 

3/17/98, 3.25 hrs; hung left aileron; trimmed fuel tanks for final fit.

3/21/98; 2.5 hrs; riveted bottom skin to right wing thanks to the help of Don (You Ready?) Hull and Melanie (You Guys Are Sooooo Slow) Buchanan.

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3/23/98; 1.75 hrs; fabricated wing inspection covers; installed platenuts for right wing inspection cover.

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3/31/98; 0.5 hrs; installed pitot fitting and line. The drawings call for homemade clamps to secure the line to the spar. I used nylon cable clamps with a short length of vinyl hose and riveted them with a washer to the spar.

 

 

4/3/98; 1.25 hrs; began mounting Navaid autopilot servo in right wing.

4/4/98; 3.0 hrs; completed installation of autopilot servo; fabricated bellcrank/aileron pushrods.

 

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Update, 2/20/00; You can't imagine how many inquiries I have received on the Navaid servo installation! At the time, I just whipped up some simple brackets to hold the servo, didn't think much about it, took one photo, and moved on. Man, I could have made a small fortune if I had documented the mount more thoroughly.

I think everybody gets way too stressed over the servo mount. All you need is just something to keep the servo from falling out of the wing. I held the servo about where I wanted it, grabbed a handful of scrap angles, and cobbled together some brackets to hold it in place. Seriously, that is all there is to it.

I have had the servo out a couple of times, and while it requires some dexterity, it will come out the standard access hole. It would not be practical to adjust the servo in place, however.

But, once the servo is properly set up, you shouldn't have to remove it. This really is not that big a deal. Keep in mind that the servo arm only moves a fraction of an inch in normal operation, and the aileron forces are very small. There is no need for the mounting hardware to be much more robust than that tiny little bolt that attaches the servo pushrod to the aileron bellcrank. The drawing I received from Navaid that one of their customers had submitted wherein the bellcrank was redesigned was the epitome of engineering overkill. That new bellcrank would probably weigh two pounds and would be strong enough to tame a servo five times the size of the Navaid unit!

Just use some common sense and don't make the servo mount more of an issue than necessary. And as always, don't hesitate to email if you need more info (but this is about all I know to tell you!).

Update 3/3/00; RV-6A pilot Bob Butler is installing a Navaid in his completed plane. You can go here to see another (and far easier!) option for mounting the servo.

 


4/6/98; 2.0 hrs; installed right aileron/bellcrank pushrod; fabricated spacers for right aileron bolts.

4/7/98; 5.75 hrs; installed left aileron pushrod; hung right flap; skinned bottom of left wing.

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Buchanans #3 and #4 busy assisting Dad with riveting bottom skin on left wing. They do good work! (But they sure ain't cheap!?!)

 

 

 

 

 

4/8/98; 3.25 hrs; installed right flap brace; riveted left flap brace and hinge to wing.

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Ant's-eye view of flap brace and hinge ready for drilling to skin.

 

 

 

 

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Right wing ready for EAA technical advisor and top skins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/30/98; 1.5 hrs; riveted inboard top skin on right wing.

5/4/98; 1.5 hrs; riveted inboard top skin on left wing.

5/12/98; 1.25 hrs; dimpled and deburred left top outboard wing skin; ready to rivet.

5/13/98; 1.25 hrs; dimpled and deburred right outboard top skin; ready to rivet.

5/24/98; 3.0 hrs; riveted right and left top outboard skins to wings.

Wings are complete except for aileron gap seals and tips. These will be installed when the wings are fitted to the fuse.

Total time wings: 179.25 hrs.

 

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A simple cart was constructed from scrap lumber (actually, the base used to be the trailing edge brake...). The cart is on castors so it can be rolled around the shop as necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruler

 

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