WINGS - 1

"Get rid at the outset of the idea that the airplane is only an air-going sort of automobile. It isn't. It may sound like one and smell like one,
and it may have an interior decorated to look like one; but the difference is -- it goes on wings."
--- Wolfgang Langwiesche, first words of Stick and Rudder: an Explanation of the Art of Flying, 1944.

Wing Progress through 10-14-2003: by this point, we've done most of the prep work (cleaning, priming, and fitting) of most of the parts. We're now assembling the landing lights, preparing for sealing the gas tanks and final assembly.

Fuel tank section showing vent line.	Outboard leading edge section.	Fuel tank skin. ( When sealed, the Skin, end-ribs and rear baffle provide fuel containment volume.)
Above: fitting the leading edge skins before match-drilling. The gap (see right) caused by a flexed spar closes when the spar is propped up. The fit would not have been this good had we not rechecked the "tank baffle"-"tank skin"-"z bracket" fit a second time.

	Above left: etching the metal to clean off the blue stamped numbers. Directly above: the left piece is one of our wing skins after we removed the blue plastic film and chemically cleaned it. To the right is the same sheet of metal undergoing the "water test." A properly cleaned piece of aluminum will cause water to "sheet" along the surface. Left: the same piece of aluminum (now properly cleaned) is ready to be primed along with all our other parts. Below: we primed all the taxi/landing light mountings, but decided to take it one step further. By applying a coat of silver paint, we hope to maximize the amount of light radiated outwards.

This series shows earlier preparation of the wing ribs. Note: if using film, make sure to check that it's color film you put in!! Duh! Interestingly, when we alodined the ribs all in the same container, the color gradient among all the ribs was rather apparent. If the picture to the left were in color, you'd see a dark bronze rib next to a platinum one.
		Left: prior to even the first rivet going in, all clecoes are set. Finally the clecos disappear one by one as we start to close up the outboard leading edges with rivets. Next task - sealing the tanks!!!!