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Leading Edge Skin Process

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 7:16 pm
by Direct C51
I have the top side of my leading edge skin drilled and flipped the wing to start on the bottom. I used ratchet straps and have the bottom side clecoed to the spar. The forward ribs are not perfectly aligned, and instead of using a broomstick or something to move the ribs in to place, is there anything wrong with detaching the upper side and just reaching under to move the ribs by hand to drill the bottom side? I can see this messing up the alignment on the ribs, but it sure would be easier. What would be wrong with the following process:

1. Cleco top side of leading edge to spar.
2. Match drill top side of leading edge to ribs.
3. Use ratchet straps to position skin to cleco bottom side to spar.
4. Remove ratchet straps and Un-cleco the top side of the leading edge skin.
5. Match drill bottom side of leading edge skin to ribs.

Thanks,

Nate

Re: Leading Edge Skin Process

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:23 pm
by Sonex1243
I wathed the sonex guys at oshkosh use a scribe through a skin hole to align the rib blue line. I did the exact same thing when I installed and pilot drilled my forward skin to the ribs. Just poke it in the hole, move the rib where you want it in the hole, hold the skin down and drill.

Re: Leading Edge Skin Process

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 8:33 pm
by Bryan Cotton
Nate,
I would worry that you could not get the spar holes and the skin holes to align after. I have always done the broom or scribe trick. Also I let myself miss the line a bit as long as it increases the edge distance on the rib flange.

Re: Leading Edge Skin Process

PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:36 am
by Rynoth
I also used the scribe-in-the-hole. I didn't try to necessarily hit the center of the blue line on every hole, rather just keep blue lines visible within all the holes (thus maintaining decent edge distance) without imposing too much of a bend into the rib.

Re: Leading Edge Skin Process

PostPosted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:41 am
by Darick
Just remember to use the ratchet straps when UNclecoing the wing skin too. I was In a hurry, forgot to do that and the spring in the sheet metal made a slight half moon in the skin as I took the last few clecos out. Luckily I was able to work out the crease to be almost invisible. What a dumb mistake!