Installed landing lights and lenses

Cut the plexiglass lens to 3/4″ larger than the opening in the wing using the Dremel with a diamond dust blade. Cut like buttah.

Covered the lens with tape to protect it. Put in in place within the wing and traced the opening onto the tape. I lined up the backing places and marked the tape with the finished cut lines. I cut to final size with the Dremel and sanded the edges smooth with a sanding drum in the drill press.

Set the lens into place and used the tape “leash” i made on the front of the lens to pull it tight against the inside of the skin. Drilled and clecoed all th holes with a #30 plexi bit.

Remove the lens from the wing and removed the tape. I countersunk the holes with 100 degree zero-flute countersink bit in the electric drill. I deburred the back side of the holes with a single turn of the same bit.

I used VHB double stick tape to secure the backing plates to the lens.

I installed the landing light onto the bracket that I had riveted into the wing in an earlier step.

I secured the lens in place with #6 stainless screws.

And then repeated the whole process for the right wing.

This completes section 17–Outboard leading edges!

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Wing Time (hours):	137.0
Total Time (hours):	348.0

Finished riveting the outboard leading edge to the left wing

Finished riveting the outboard leading edge to the left wing with a little help from Remy.

I set the left wing into the cradle and used the pneumatic stapler to attach the carpet suspending the outboard edge.

And that completes cradle construction.

Fluted and straightened the flanges of the tank ribs.

Today’s Time (hours):	1.0
Wing Time (hours):	123.0
Total Time (hours):	334.0

Started riveting the outboard leading edge to left wing

Clecoed the outboard leading edge assembly to the left wing assembly.

Blind riveted the leading edge ribs to the main spar.

I set the the wing upright on the workbench and riveted the leading edge skin to the lower flange of the main spar.

I need a bucking partner to get the upper flange. Hopefully Remy will be available tomorrow evening.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	122.0
Total Time (hours):	333.0

Built wing cradle

Built wing cradles. Used (6) 10′ 2×4’s, (2) 4′ 2×2’s, glue, 3″ construction screws, and 2 strips of carpet 16″ wide by about 5 feet long.

Picked up those nice locking casters from Amazon… 4 Pack Caster Wheels Swivel Plate Stem Brake Casters On Red Polyurethane Wheels (4 inch with brake) I bought two sets. Might try putting the other set on one of the work benches. Maybe get some more for the other benches if I like it.

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Wing Time (hours):	120.0
Total Time (hours):	331.0

Riveted outboard leading edge to right wing

Completed the right outboard leading edge by riveting the landing light bracket and J channel stiffener in place.

Clecoed the outboard leading edge to the right wing.

Blind riveted the leading edge ribs to the main spar. I couldn’t get the rivet puller square to the river so I fabricated a wedge to safely pull the rivets at an angle. Thanks to Jared for the reminder on this technique. I had originally read about it in section 5 but had forgotten. I ended up using a piece of left over trailing edge wedge. I cut of a small section about half an inch long and drilled a hole in it to accommodate the tail of the blind rivet.

Riveted the leading edge skin to the bottom flange of the main spar.

Riveted the leading edge skin to the top flange of the main spar. Remy bucked for me.

I made a home depot run and picked up a bunch to 2×4’s to construct a wing cradle.

I messed up and stripped a couple of screws that I used to attach the inspection plate to the left leading edge. Need to order a screw extractor.

Today’s Time (hours):	3.0
Wing Time (hours):	116.0
Total Time (hours):	327.0

Riveted right outboard leading edge skins to ribs

Riveted right outboard leading edge skins to ribs with some help from Remy.

Placed the leading edge back into the cradle and clecoed the J channel stiffener and the landing light bracket in place. I’ll rivet those in place tomorrow. It was getting late.

Sophie deburred the edges of all the tank ribs for me while I was in Toronto this week.

Today’s Time (hours):	2.0
Wing Time (hours):	113.0
Total Time (hours):	324.0

Left outboard leading edge complete.

Finished riveting the skin to the ribs of the left outboard leading edge. Had to lie it flat and get Remy to buck the last three rows on the top side. Just couldn’t reach.

Riveted the landing light mounting bracket in place.

Riveted the J channel stiffener to the top of the skin.

Left outboard leading edge complete.

Clecoed the ribs into the right outboard leading edge skin and drilled the 3/8″ hole for the tie-down eye bolt.

Fabricated the spacers for the landing light brackets. Painted the spacers and mounting screws. Riveted the nut plates into the brackets and shot another coat of paint over the rivets. Assembled the landing lights into the brackets.

Today’s Time (hours):	4.0
Wing Time (hours):	111.0
Total Time (hours):	322.0

Primed all the parts

Wiped everything down with acetone and shot everything with P60G2 Primer.

Painted the outboard bays flat black so it looks decent when seen through the landing light lenses. Kinda wish vans provided some sort of reflector or housing.

Dimpled a lot of nut plates. Riveted them to the splice strips, the inspection plate doubler. and the landing light backing plates, and the landing light brackets.

Clecoed the inspection port doubler to the skin and riveted in place.

Clecoed the ribs to the left skin and drilled the tie-down hole.

Made it about half way through riveting the left leading edge before calling it a night.

Today’s Time (hours):	6.0
Wing Time (hours):	107.0
Total Time (hours):	318.0

Finished dimpling everything

Clecoed the left leading skin to the ribs.

Slid the j channel into place and clecoed the starter hole. Then match drilled all the holes from the skin into the stiffener.

Match drilled the aft-most top and bottom holes in each of the ribs.

Disassembled everything and repeated the whole process for the right wing. Deburred and dimpled all the holes.

Dressed the edges of the skin with a file and sand paper. The cut-outs for the landing lights were pretty jagged. I cleaned them up with an abrasive drum on the Dremel and some sandpaper.

Dimpled the skins with the DRDT2 and scuffed the insides with a scotch brite pad.

Dimpled the rest of the parts.

Everything is ready for priming and assembly.

Today’s Time (hours):	7.0
Wing Time (hours):	101.0
Total Time (hours):	312.0

Work continues on outboard leading edges

Deburred all the edges of all the things. The doublers for the landing light lenses looked like they were crafted by Van’s with a chainsaw. You can see the before and after shot below. I used sandpaper to work the flanges around the nose of the ribs so that the skins don’t telegraph any faceting.

Trimmed the four ribs called out in the plans so that they will fit around the spar braces. Finished with files and sandpaper.

Flattened, straightened and fluted all the ribs. Then final drilled and deburred all the holes.

Dimpled all the holes with the squeezer.

Cut the J-channel stiffeners to length and drilled the first inboard hole in each.

Final drilled #19 the screw holes in the splice strips. Carefully deburred the holes and dimpled for #8 screws. Dimpled all the #40 holes as well.

In other news, I received the order confirmation for the engine I ordered at Sun ‘n Fun. The ship date from Lycoming is October 11.

series-engine-390

Today’s Time (hours):	5.0
Wing Time (hours):	94.0
Total Time (hours):	305.0