Longeron template?

[s10sakota]

The manual states to cut the longeron bend template from Drawing 17 and glue it to a piece or cardboard or something.

How did you guys do this? The template is about 4-5 feet long.

Did you use a thin piece of plywood? Did you have a 4 or 5 foot long piece of aluminum laying around? Any pics you could post of your template.

I'm looking for a way to make the template, without buying a 4 x8 sheet of playwood! (I wonder what would be the thinnest cut of plywood I could get?)

Thanks!

[DaleB]

I didn't. Not wanting to butcher up the plans, I laid the sheet out flat on the 8' long work bench and bent the longerons to match. They turned out perfect.

[longranger]

I clamped my longerons together back to back, bent them, then laid them right on the drawing to check the bend.

http://mykitlog.com/users/display_lo...186428&row=102

[wirejock]

There's two. One one the 7 and one on the 7a sheet. Since I am building a 7a, I cut the template off the 7 sheet and cut a piece off one of the huge cardboards from the crates. Glued it on. Any solution will work but make sure your final check is with the part. I forgot the number but it's on the drawing with the longeron.

[Scbado]

I glued mine on a sheet of Masonite hardboard. I went to Menards or Home Depot and bought a damaged piece cheap. Glued it on and cut it out.

[Lemmingman]

I had one of the Vans cardboard shipping boxes that are long and wide and just used that with some contact cement. Worked just fine. Something a bit more stiff would be nice.

[truflite]

I found the template on my prints to be nowhere near close. I used the plate that rivets to the top of the longeron in the area of the bend to get the correct radius. I thought I would have to buy a new longeron because of the overbending. Fortunately, I removed what bend was needed and all is well.

[terrye]

I got a piece of .062 aluminum from a local sheet metal shop, placed it under the plans and center punched through the plans to outline the curve. Joined the dots and cut out the template. Clamped my longerons back to back and used a bottle jack in a homemade press, with a hardwood shoe drilled for the bottle jack rod and slotted for the longerons. Worked great.

[OLDSAM]

Like TruFlite, I used the F721-B deck pieces as templates for the outer edges of the longerons. That, coupled with the slotted jig that is advertised on here (can't remember the name now, will look it up and post later) that you put in a vise and squeeze the longeron between the two curved dies, made bending them two pieces of cake. Did the downward bend and twist per the instructions, that worked fine also.

[rapid_ascent]

I just laid the plans on the hangar floor and used them without any modification. I didn't want to destroy the plans by cutting them out.