Tail skins

[Bryan Cotton]

Hi all,
On the tail skins, do you bend them any more as compared to how they come in the box? Or just fold them over and cleco them down? They seem more open than the scratch built leading edges I have built before.

[Mike53]

I just used mine right out of the box.I would recommend that you not rivet the sub structure until you line up and cleco the skin,then open one side and rivet the ribs .If you rivet the sub structure and then try to put the skin on you will find the holes do not line up unless you are extremely lucky.( the whole sub structure will become very rigid and not want to move )Trust me on this one :?
Mike

[Bryan Cotton]

Mike,
How do you rivet to the forward spar with the skins on? From the back side?
Bryan

[mfazio]

First take your sharpie and run a line down the middle of the mating flange on the spars and ribs. You'll want to align these sharpie lines with the pilot holes on the skin.

Align the forward and rear spars against one side of the skin. You'll want the rear spar flange to align precisely along the edge of the skin. Clamp the rear spar. Align the forward spar by lining up the sharpie line on the forward spar with the pilot holes in the skin. Clamp the forward spar. Now take each rib and align the rib so you can see the sharpie line through the skin. Clamp each rib. This will locate the substructure with the pilot holes in the skin.

As I recall I believe I had cleco'd the substructure together to one side of the skin before I started pulling rivets. The forward connection point to support the nose rib was a little tricky to locate the angle that is bolted to the structure, not difficult just a little tricky. Also pay attention to the alignment of the rear spar on the skin and the piano hinge that attaches to it.

Mike
Waiex #63
Just about to rivet my first spar

[Bryan Cotton]

Mike,
I think I have it easier, as I have holes in my ribs, spars, and skin. Once I modified WIX-T11-09 to match the plans, everything clecoes together well. The only thing I am trying to figure out is how to rivet the ribs to the forward spar with the skin on. Maybe I can get a hand riveter in there, but the forward part of the skin is in the way.

[fastj22]

Bryan,
Are you talking about riveting the hockey sticks to the front spar? Or the ribs to the front spar channel? Both should all be done before skinning.

[Bryan Cotton]

Ribs to front spar, hockey stick is already riveted. Mike was suggesting the skins be clecoed on while riveting the frame together to preserve alignment.

[fastj22]

Ribs to front spar, hockey stick is already riveted. Mike was suggesting the skins be clecoed on while riveting the frame together to preserve alignment.

I'm trying to remember, its been 2 years, but I thought I just did the measurements from the drawings to set the ribs. Riveted them in place. Since every rib is a different length, they can't be off by much and maintain a even slope of the spar from base to tip. The entire frame will move around a bit until you rivet the bottom skin on. Maybe I'm missing something, but I didn't have the skin clecoed to the frame when I riveted the ribs/spar. The skin came later.