We called Van's this am to tell them about our inability to install the center wing panel, and they told us to keep trying, which we did, and we eventually got it in. HOWEVER, I think if they had told us to not rivet the first two or three rivets closest to the center panel, on each inboard and outboard section, it would have made the installation much easier.
We had to drill out a couple of rivets again today, simply because there as too much head protruding.
We're just about ready to close the wing; the only remaining items left are the inspection plate on the underside and the panel on the outboard edge of the wing that has a number of tabs that are to be bent to varying degrees...that should be interesting.
I'm including photos of our "problem-child" center wing panel. Note the "J" curve in the skin of the center skin that needs to fit in the groove of the front nose ribs. If I were building this plane again, I'd probably sit down and figure out which panels would be exposed, and I'd 'etch' the blue film with the soldering gun, and pull the strips off that would expose the holes to be riveted. As it stands now, we have to stop and spend 5 or 10 minutes etching and stripping the wings.
No comments:
Post a Comment