Wings last?

[BobDz]

New poster, New builder here.

I'm thinking of building my wings last, instead of second or third. My thinking is this: 1) I really don't want my wings sitting around until I finish everything else. 2) I can't install the wings permanently until I move to a hanger. So it seems pretty logical to build the wings right before I move to a hanger for final assembly.

With that said, am I missing anything (keeping in mind that I do not have plans yet)? Is there any reason that I shouldn't build the wings last?

Thanks in advance
Bob

[Bryan Cotton]

Welcome to the forum! I can't think of a reason. But I will say that my wings didn't seem to mind sitting around and I was not able to install my wings permanently until I kicked the renter out of my hangar. Once it was time to put them on permanently the job was a snap. They are easy to store. Nice and light. I put mine on a high shelf out of the way.

The only possible consideration is doing rigging with no avionics or any interior stuff in place.

[Murray Parr]

Welcome to the forum Bob,

I started with the empennage and control surfaces first, then I did the fuselage. I then built the wings but still had a lot left to do with installing all the engine related stuff and instruments etc. I built a wing stand on rollers so I could keep moving it around to keep it out of the way.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't build in any order.

[Friesen5]

I built my Sonex in a 1 car garage. I built the wing frames prior to the fuselage. That way I could hang the wing frames on the wall while I was working on the fuselage.

But... either way works well. Storage of parts prior to assembly was always a problem. I found, and you will too, creative ways to store the parts until I needed them.

Mervin Friesen
Sonex 122 C-FMNX
500+ hours

[Kai]

I did the control surfaces first.

Then the tailfin and stabilizer. Then the Wings, and then the fuselage and all, the installation work.

The rationale behind this is that when you start you need to develop some feel for the work, which comes with assembly of the control surfaces. Then you need to develop yourself into working with somewhat larger components. By now you should be competent enough to start on a wing. The further you get into this, the more confidence you get. Make sure that everything is totally finished before you start on the next item.

When the second wing is finished, starting on the fuselage and all the installation work will come as a welcome respite from all the dreary repetetive previous effort.

[kmacht]

The only downside is that it will force some decisions earlier. Once you build the fuselage you have to choose tri gear vs tail wheel, what engine in order to get the right engine mount, and dual vs single stick. There will also be some fuselage pieces you need to leave uninstalled like the rear spar carry through until you are ready to rig and drill the wings to the fusealage. None of that is a big deal and can all be worked around if you really want to build the wings last. If you loo online there are some plans for sonex wing storage racks that you build from 2x4’s. The wings only take up about a 2’x12’ space when both in the rack. Of course the up side to doing the fuselage first is that you can sit in it and make airplane noises to keep motivated.

Keith
#554

[BobDz]

Thank you for the responses gentlemen.

Bob

[BobDz]

Was at Sonex today.
Wings can't be last on a tri-gear, because the mounting location of landing gear.

[mike.smith]

Like Keith was saying, the fuselage takes up a lot more space than the wings on a storage structure. I was building in my basement and could not have built the fuselage before the wings due to space considerations.

[Eric W]

Was at Sonex today.
Wings can't be last on a tri-gear, because the mounting location of landing gear.

Not understanding this, but I built the taildragger. Do the gear leg mounts get drilled into position through or with the wing spar attachments? Even if so, you could build the fuselage up to the gear leg mounts, then build the wings "last" then finish off the gear leg attachments once the wing is done.

I did wings last because it was pretty simple to hang the fuselage above one of the cars in the garage, though I guess you could similarly hang the wings against the ceiling. I also had this idea that I might develop more metal working skills in the fuselage (mostly large, flat slabs) before getting into the every-surface-curved wings. Practically, probably doesn't make much difference, especially if doing the control surfaces and h-stab / v-stab ahead of either the fuselage or wings.