Fellow builders ...
As the weather here in Kansas has been far too hot to do the wing leading edge
layups (95F - 105F - everyday!) I have been progressing with the fuselage. I am
however beginning to cool down at last and will be looking to do the first wing
layup in the next month once the tempertures are once again down in the lower
70's. I have the wing leading edges bonded to the spars and have noticed that
although I spot epoxied the wire slots in their jigs on a very flat surface, now
they are on the spar the centre and outer sections appear very slightly bowed -
each as much as 1/8th inch. This may not sound much but when you run your eye
along the leading edge it seems most obvious and is most annoying. I just can't
leave it like that.
I have put it down to natural stresses in the foam and they are very easy to
push back straight as the leading edges in their uncovered state are quite
flexible.
I am figuring that when I do the layup I will jig up the leading edges to stay
straight during cure which I believe will be quite easy just by leaning and
lightly clamping a straight edge either side of the top and bottom surfaces.
Once cured the hard skin will keep the leading edges straight.
Has anyone else encountered this problem - and how did you solve it?
I have been going exactly one year - although I have also been relocated from
the U.K to here in Wichita during that time also. The tail surfaces are done -
apart from priming and painting and the controls mounted in the cockpit module.
The wing ribs are also done. Even so I seem to have been going forever.
Its interesting, the tailplanes took 8 man hours to complete to the filler
stage. Once the filler had been applied (hour each side) it took a further 8
hours of sanding (2 hours each side) before getting the surface finish I was
looking for. The wings should be fun to fill and sand as they are probably 6
times the area. Hence the need to get them straight to begin with!
I would appreciate any comments.
Martin Tuck
Builder #152, Wichita, Kansas, USA.
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