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Question Re Wing Installation on My 6A

This is probably an old question already covered on the list, but new for me.

I'm getting ready to remove my wooden "false spars" from the fuse to install the wings for keeps. Have others done this using support under the fuse or is the limited bolting that holds the gear towers in place prior to wing install sufficient to hold the entire weight of the A/C?

Thanks,

Josh
Moving A/C to Sanford Airport (Central Florida area) July 1. Hopefully Flying soon after.
 
Josh:

Definitely support the fuse from underneath. The only support the gearleg weldments will have without the wings in, that is while you install them, is by two bolts on the fuselage sides. The main support of the gearleg weldments comes from bolting it to the spar.

Regards,
 
Well, I disagree with Jeff. If all you are going to do is remove the false spars, slide the wings in and bolt everything up straight away, then you will be OK. Don't move the airplane around at all and get a bolt in the lower inboard strut of the gear tower once you have a few in the center and at the root end. Also some ACF50 or similar on the spar ends makes them slide in much more easily.

Pete
 
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penguin said:
Well, I disagree with Jeff. If all you are going to do is remove the false spars, slide the wings in and bolt everything up straight away, then you will be OK. Don't move the airplane around at all and get a bolt in the lower inboard strut of the gear tower once you have a few in the center and at the root end. Also some ACF50 or similar on the spar ends makes them slide in much more easily.

Pete

We are talking 6A, where the spars meet in the center. In my case, I wouldn't want the engine weight resting on a few fusalage side bolts.

I have a cradle that I jack up under the fuse, and also attach an engine hoist to the engine, just in case.

L.Adamson RV6A
 
Josh Kovac said:
.... Have others done this using support under the fuse .......
Here's how I did it. Sawhorses and foam blocks at three stations along the fuselage. If you look closely, you can see a main tire just barely clearing the floor. I also installed and removed the wings several times by myself thanks to a forward sweep condition.... by "walking" the wings into place, carefully repositioning the (wing) sawhorses every foot or so of travel across the floor.

fa03835bt0.jpg
 
L.Adamson said:
We are talking 6A, where the spars meet in the center. In my case, I wouldn't want the engine weight resting on a few fusalage side bolts.

I have a cradle that I jack up under the fuse, and also attach an engine hoist to the engine, just in case.

L.Adamson RV6A
I know we're talking 6A, and I have assembled one without using a cradle. It wasn't the first time the airplane had been assembled, so I knew that all the bolts would go in without too much trouble.

Looking at the pictures again, we did have an engine hoist on the mount and a trestle at the back, more for stability than for weight bearing I think. The wings were quite a tight fit into the fuselage bulkhead, the first one took a bit of persuading to get fully in, the second was lub'ed with ACF-50 and went in much more easily. I'm not saying cradles are wrong, just not a must have.

Pete

PS I wish I had half as much space a Rick!
 
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Pete, there is no way I would install the wings on a 6A without some support under the airplane. In order to get at all those bolts, one needs to crawl into the cockpit. Add that weight to the mix, plus some jostling around in the process and you have major trouble without external support.

Again, I recommend using supports under the fuse. I am impressed that you were able to assemble a 6A without them, but IMHO, why take the risk?

I did mine almost exactly as Rick did.
 
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Absolutely support the fuselage

I went through this installation a couple of times and it took a couple of days each time. Those close tolerance bolts were darn near impossible to get in - I mean it is an oil the bolts, grind sacrificial bolts to a point for alignment pins and drive then in with a heavy mallet "hard to do job". You need precision alignment capability and a stable work platform.

Bob Axsom
 
Thanks for the help!

6A'ers,

Thanks for taking the time to give me some advice on the wing installation. This was my first "question" on the list and I sure appreciate the help.

I will go with a support or cradle under the fuselage for the installation. I can already tell getting those bolts in through the gear tower / spar / fuse center section bulkhead is gonna be fun in florida in July...

Thanks again,

Josh
 
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