A little progress XL H-58

[Kamcoman77]

Beautiful work! I'm going to add an extra nose rib at the root and tip ends to support the LE ply during wing handling. We cracked a buddy's nose ply when installing and uninstalling his wings. Hard not to grab the LE when installing or removing the wing attach bolts. Something to think about.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Something to think about.

Thinking.. thinking.. Ka ching.  I'm totally out of plywood, but I'll order some. Cracking that D section would ruin my whole day. Thanks!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Finally. After some near panic attacks..


Woo Hoo!

[jrbirdman47]

A thing of beauty!

[Theodore]

A thing of beauty!

What is it?
Not a Veewee anyhow, doesnt look like a Verner?

[Kamcoman77]

It's the rear side of a Verner.

[Chuck in Indiana]

An old timer (OX5 guy) showed me this trick 50 years ago, and I'm passing it on..

You can load the brush as you go.
Still have to do the lightening holes in this picture. That is a lot of fun. Not. 

Building an airplane is kind of like child birth. You forget the pain after a while..

[Chuck in Indiana]

Some days, it doesn't pay to chew through the straps.    The material list calls for 18 AN4-16a and 18 AN3-13A, so I dutifully ordered them. I'm starting to skin the leading edges, so thought it might be a good idea to install the jury strut fittings first.    Here is one with the AN3-13a. As you can see, even with a wood washer under the head (which isn't called out) they should be 12a, or maybe 11a. I'll rummage through my "good junk" pile and see if I have an 11.

Hmmm, better check the other stuff.
Here's the wing attach fittings with a 16a.

They need to be AN4-20a.
Didn't take a picture of the strut fittings, but the bolts for them need to be An4-15a.
Just a heads up in case someone finds this in the future and doesn't want to end up with hardware they can't use.
Oh, opened my spar varnish can, and apparently I didn't do a good job of sealing it yesterday..
Some days, it is one step forward and two steps back.

[jrbirdman47]

Yeah, I found out that I needed several different lengths besides what was called for. Just ordered a bunch at various lengths and used what was correct. Nice looking fittings. Are yours steel or did you paint for corrosion prevention?

[Chuck in Indiana]

They are aluminum, as called out. Bead blasted and powder coated.
One of the reasons I ordered what was called out was I *hate* paying shipping and fondling charges.  Now, I'm going to have to do that.. and.. wait until the stuff gets here.
I was hoping to have everything (mostly) I needed without buying onesy twoesy.. and shipping charges. Shipping charges rant from AS&S deleted. (grumbling and shuffling off)

[Chuck in Indiana]

Ok, let's start skinning these things. I searched all over here, and Les's blog, but didn't see how anyone else was doing it. If you are using the Iron Design drawings, the dimension is 18.8"YMMV, of course. Think about this before cutting up any of the .8mm ply before you start making gussets, etc. You need 7 pieces.I was too stupid to think about this, and wound up buying another sheet. (and paying an exorbitant shipping charge.) Ok, I'll stop griping now.
A sheet metal shear makes short work out of cutting them out.

Little round super magnets hold it in location while adjusting the cut line. The light on top is from Harbor Freight, and it is awesome. Really bright, adustable, magnet on the end, and rechargable. 20 some bux. I could sell these. 
Mask everywhere glue won't be and varnish.

I thought maybe I could glue it all at once, staple it down, and move to the next one.
Nada.
The only way I could get the ply to lay down all over the ribs was this..

Plywood formers cut a smidgen (technical term)    big with weather strip glued to it and pulled down with ratchet straps. This is going to be slow going, but I'm doing this for something to do.. I have to keep reminding myself.
I glued the first side, and tomorrow I'll wet the outside with towels, pull it all down, and "wait for the glue to dry.."

[rfeenstra]

Yup.  that's what I did except I didn't use the plywood formers.  Slow set epoxy (West system with slow hardener to give ample time to get things right).  One piece at a time.

https://www.eaglersnest.com/forum/gallery/98-210114204917.jpeg

[Chuck in Indiana]

Whew! I've built some complicated wings before.. but these are labor intensive.  Of course, I knew that before starting this project. I was looking for *something to do*.
Last skin glued down on the left, last skin fit up and varnished on the right.

Tomorrow should finish that job. Still have to cut the ailerons free, skin them, and make some kind of aileron cove.
If someone finds this thread in the future, and is using T88, .415 oz of hardener mixed with .5 of part A is "just right" as Goldilocks said for one skin, thin coat on both sides. I *hate* mixing too much and wasting it even more than not making enough and having to make more as the batch is curing.
One other tip. If you make a stand for your T88..

You know how slippery T88 is? You probably shouldn't leave the bottles upside down overnight. If a cap comes loose, it will make a fine mess on your workbench. Don't ask me how I know this..

[Chuck in Indiana]

Cut out the ailerons today. 

Then thought for a while about how I was going to trim the rough saw cuts to shape. When I started this project, I didn't even know what a pattern bit is.. but I do now. I also have a little trim router, and (sort of) know how to use it. (kinda)
Stuck the K block gusset router template on it with carpet tape, located it with a couple of wood dowels, and fired up the router with fear and trepidation.

Nice. I love it when a plan comes together..

Now, I have to figure out how to skin the aileron noses. Maybe soaking or steaming and rolling them inside something?
Building an airplane is just solving one problem after another until you are done.  

[jrbirdman47]

Nice looking cut! I had no problem just bending the plywood around the nose of the aileron. They were slightly curved already from having been rolled up in a cardboard shipping tube for a few months as part of the whole sheet, but the arch was very slight. I just fastened one side along the spar cap first, then bent it over and fastened the other. I didn't think it was difficult, so maybe yours will bend as easily.