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Last weekend I started forming the aileron ribs. I started with the middle rib since the metal on hand was not long enough for the longer 2 ribs. I start with the longer ones so I have a chance of salvaging the piece for a shorter one if I screw up the measurement.:rollseyes:
Attachment 6014
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Attachment 6016
I cut the ribs for both wings while cutting, but the other side is still pending. Hopefully the metal for the longer ribs will arrive by the weekend.
Dale
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Continued working on the right aileron. All ribs are formed and slid on the torque tube. The inner rib was lined up with the control wishbone and riveted in place. The remaining ribs need to be lined up with the inner rib, then riveted in place.
Attachment 6050
Attachment 6051
I used extra aileron attachment "top hats" as stops to set the position of the torque tube. Here is the one inside the outer hinge. I set the end play movement to about 1/32" You can't see it in the photo, but the delren bushing in the hinge has a flange the stop rides against. No metal to metal.
Attachment 6052
Once the ribs are lined up and riveted to the torque tube, then it is on to forming the wing tip bow, then forming the ends of the spars to meet and hold the wing and aileron tip bows.
Dale
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Aileron ribs have been permanently attached and work on the tip begun.
First bend of tip bows. 3/4" aluminum tubing.
Attachment 6120
Forming mid-airfoil curve using the TLAR method of alignment.
Attachment 6121
Not too bad!
Attachment 6122
Drilling for the attachment to the leading edge.
Attachment 6123
Inletting the spar for the bow.
Attachment 6124
After annealing, the tip was squeezed to taper to the tip bow.
Attachment 6125
The aileron spar was subjected to the same treatment and here is the test fit.
Attachment 6126
Attachment 6127
Moving slow, but moving.
Dale
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I was unable to post photos for a while, but that seems to have cleared up.
I have completed attaching the wing tip, aileron and main trailing edge.
Attachment 6141
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Attachment 6143
I have started the work on the root end, pilot cut out and box around the aileron control wishbone.
Attachment 6144
Attachment 6145
But this week has been pretty busy with work and treating my wife to Valentines dinner.
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Dale
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Progress on the root area.
Attachment 6150
Attachment 6151
Before fixing these parts, I needed to duplicate the pilot cut out bows.
Attachment 6152
I used these hi-tec forms (including the time) to make the bends.
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The day after the last photos were posted, I got a call from my father that he was in the emergency room in Miami. He had just turned 86 a few days before. I caught the next plane down. Unfortunately, he contracted pneumonia and that complicated heart and lung problems he already had and he passed away March 7. I was out of town for little over 3 weeks. He was a great help to me and a great friend. I miss him terribly.
Attachment 6281
Add that to the fact I am a CPA and up to my ears in tax returns, not much got accomplished on my project. That was until last weekend.
After listing the remaining projects to complete the upper right wing (a longer list than I hoped), it was decided to start on the false ribs. There are 19 per wing and end up about 9” long. Bending that short of a tube is difficult, so we started out with 16” blanks. That was still tough, but a lever bar helped. Last Sunday we attached all but one false rib to the upper right wing.
Attachment 6280
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Moving slow, but moving
Dale
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Fantastic work, as always, and a great demonstration on how the basic Baslee kit can be turned into something really special.
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Thanks Frank. I am trying to make it a nice one.
Tonight I added wing tip braces to prevent bowing by the covering.
Attachment 6288
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Last weekend, we flipped the wing and started on the lower pilot cutout bow, wishbone opening framing and surround and root rib area.
As usual, what Robert Baslee can do in 10 minutes took me several hours. Getting the angle cuts on the mating tubes took me forever with a file and sandpaper.
Attachment 6312
We did manage to get the framing and surround for the wishbone complete and moved ahead on the root.
Attachment 6313
However, since there is a plate that attaches the spar to the rear cabane tower, the lower cutout bow has to be cut off about 6" from the root (red line on spar in photo). This generates a lot of head scratching, but I have decided to sheet the rear 6" or so from the root rib to the second rib with thin aluminum leaving a permanent opening for the plate and access to the center spar nuts. For access to the front spar nuts, I will embed an aluminum surround in the covering, then attach a small aluminum access door.
By the way, the aluminum angle at the root in the photo is just for alignment and not part of the wing.
Dale
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Hey, neat - you made two bows for that spot, a top and a bottom.
I just went with the one.