Frustrated doesn't come close to describing how I feel about the aileron well. I built the wings using Iron Designs plans. The wings are essentially finished, I just need to glue the aluminum in the aileron well. I'm using flashing material, so cheap and easy, right? I am on my fourth attempt now. Yes, it looks like you have done a great job on the wings, and I have found the flashing material is as light as anything to fill the gap. So all good, please read on.First, it's not easy to find a way to bend something 6 1/2 feet long,certainly true with most having 4' breaks, we have done in sections with the splice VERY close to a supporting K block.. at .010 thou. the over lap is very slight.so that in itself is a problem, but once found, the real challenge begins. I made a template out of the same material which would lay in the well, contacting the K block, and bending so as to fit perfectly on the upper and lower surfaces of the well.I have found, that with a 2" or 4" piece this can be done as you described. But to do both the upper and lower bend and have them 100% parallel Which they have to be, is pretty tuff as you have found out. So have made, 55% width, top or bottom with one bend, and then the other half, also at 55% of width. (this 10% extra is the over lap) So if your off 1/32" or even less, and do the double bend, it will fight you, like I suspect it is doing. But the same degree of being off, but in two pieces, will be taken up by the over lap in the center and would take the sharpest of eye to ever see it. Hope that makes sense I bent flashing to those exact dimensions and it doesn't fit. It "hangs" from the upper and lower surfaces without contacting the K blocks. A quick trial proves my suspicions and there is a slight rub when the aileron is moved. There should be about 1/4" gap, if I remember correctly...so am guessing if you don't have the gap, the above is happening when making the cove material as one piece.?? Just thinking out loud here. With the aileron easy to put in and out you could make a could of very small test pieces and hold at each rib station, (should be able to move and check at each station without taking the aileron off) If this proves good, you know it is in the full piece bending, and not the actual gap.Back to the workbench. I added 1/8" to the dimension in contact with the K block, figuring this added length would allow the metal to contact the K block and lay on the upper and lower well perfectly.Nope. It contacts the K blocks, but if, say, the upper surface is clamped together,(wood to metal), then the opposite side hovers about 1/8" high. Back to the workbench!In reading this, I am really suspecting the two bends not being 100% parallel Without doing the math, if you were off even by 1% , I am guessing you would have a slight twist, thus hitting as you prescribe.Split the difference, right? Nope. Hangs from the upper and lower surface without contacting the K blocks. Is it necessary to use a micrometer to lay it out? shouldn't have to at all.I took great pains to build the well as close to perfect as possible. The trailing edge of the upper and lower well, (plywood), all stand equal distance from the rear spar. I can stretch a string across the K blocks and they all follow the same arc.Am I missing a way to do this that is so simple I can't see it? If you've already done this, how did you accomplish it? Help save the sanity of an otherwise fairly normal guy.Thanks! Rick
Sorry about the split note, I hit the wrong button, but to continue on, in bold. I took great pains to build the well as close to perfect as possible. The trailing edge of the upper and lower well, (plywood), all stand equal distance from the rear spar. I can stretch a string across the K blocks and they all follow the same arc.I am guessing almost for sure it is not in your rib building.Am I missing a way to do this that is so simple I can't see it? hopefully I have simplified the problem in the other message.
Does anybody have an idea how much the aluminum cove cover weighs, compared to 0.8mm plywood? Since we already have practice curving the ply to cover the aileron nose, seems like the cove cover from 0.8mm would be fairly easy. At least it would bond well to the rest of the wood structure.
