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Other GREAT RV Builder's Sites!
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First in Flight

August 14, 1901


My status

 

 

 

Finish Kit Page 8


I will be putting fuel filters off of each tank in the wing roots...  I put 90º bulkhead fittings through the fuse and used the blanks from when I cut my panel to reinforce the area...  I will use a flexible line from the filter to the tank...  There is also an angle that I will use to support the filter on the side of the fuse...

Fitting the wings...
 The night before I was going to fit the wings, a friend and I did a test fit of the left wing to see what things I might need to take care of before the fitting...  The only thing that came up was the gear weldments [mine is a trike].  The bolts went through the center section and spar just fine, but the holes in the steel weldment were off a bit, so I borrowed some reamers to fix that problem by reaming the holes with the wings off and then making sure all the bolts went through fine...
 The next day the weather was unreal...  60 knot winds with snow and dirt flying everywhere and we spent the day chasing stuff around the airport and BS'ing in the hangar...  Then just as Lee Lesher [RV-8] builder and I were about to leave we decided to try and fit one of the wings...  I applied some engine oil to the center section and the spar and it slid in very nicely...  It was a good close fit, so some rocking up and down was required, but nothing drastic...  Once the wing was on, I simply used my eye to line up one of the large bolt holes on top, oiled up a bolt and used a rubber mallet to tap it in...  Then I installed one in the bottom the same way.  After those were in, the rest went in with no further adjustment...  The right wing went on the same way.  The left took 20 minutes, the right 10...  I used the bolts that came in the kit and had no problems with installing them, and no damage to the bolts...
The next day myself and RV builder Bob Hall got to setting the wings' sweep, angle of incidence, and squareness to the fuse and tail...  First we used a tape to measure the distance between a point on the leading edge of the vertical stab and the point on the outer top of the wing where the main skin and leading edge skin met to ensure both wings the same distance.  Then we dropped a plum bob from the leading edge of each wing at the outermost ribs to the floor and made a mark.  We used the marks to snap a line, and then dropped the plum bob from each wings leading edge at the inner most rib of the tanks to check the sweep...  Some adjustment was required until the sweep was good and the wings were square with the fuse, we used small clamps to hold the wing in the rear spar attach...  Once we had the sweep right, we made vertical marks on the rear spar and rear spar attach for reference later...
Setting the angle of Incidence;  It was somewhat difficult for me to get the fuse exactly level, so I went do went down to the local hardware store and bought two new carpenters levels...  I had to spend some time to find two that read exactly the same as I wanted them to match [you would be surprised how bad they really are]...  According to the plans for setting the angle, you put one end of the level on the front spar, and one on a spacer 2.79" high on the rear spar, and the wing should be level [if the plane's main longerons are level]...  Since I couldn't get my plane exactly level, I just used both level simultaneously.  One on the wing and one on the main longeron, and made adjustment until they read exactly the same...
Then with all the adjustment done, we made another complete go around checking to ensure all the dimensions were correct, and then I drilled the rear spars...  I started with an 1/8" drill, then went right to the 5/16" drill...  This worked great and I ended up with very nice round holes...  Stuck a couple bolts in and checked everything again and ended up with the following...  Angle of incidence was perfect according to my eye on the levels...  Measurements from the vertical stab to each wing was within a 32nd of an inch, and about a 1/8" sweep back on each wings across each fuse to wingtip span...  All in all I am very happy with the results...
What would I do differently?  - I waited until the last minute to install the wings, so getting in the fuse to do various things was a pin...  Next time I will install and fit the wings as early as possible...
Tip...  Don't worry about the aileron control tubes...  You don't need them now, and you don't even need them for the final fitting...  As long as you don't have the wing tips on, you can slide the tubes in anytime...  Also,  You can do all this with two people, but three people would make things easier...
Last night I got the fuel tank vents and fuel lines plumbed...  The filters are from Earl's...
I highly recommend the bender at right...  They work great!  I got the big one [it's a Ridgid] from Home Depot, and I borrowed the small one, but I think you can get them just about anywhere...
Baggage door painted and riveted to the fuse finally...  I got the door holder open thingy at Home Depot for a couple bucks...  Got the idea from Randy Lervold.
Windshield is on awaiting fiberglass...  I got some automotive carpet and steel core push on molding for the glareshield, more pix to come...  I also have the front portion of the canopy riveted on...
At left is the fuel filter and front tank attach...  You can also see the brake line installation in these last pictures...
 
Here's a couple pix of the plane with the wings on for good...

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