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Tank ribs and skin

findane

Active Member
I had a devil of a time getting the leading edge ribs to line up with the skins. After some creative bending and running the ribs on the scotchbrite wheel I was able to get everything to line up.

I am now starting on the tanks I thought it would be the same procedure as the leading edge skin and ribs. No matter what I do I can't get the holes to align. If I bend the rib flanges too much the holes don't align. In the process I'm scratching the heck out of the inside of the skin.

Does anyone have a better method of installing the ribs in the tank skins?
 
I had a devil of a time getting the leading edge ribs to line up with the skins. After some creative bending and running the ribs on the scotchbrite wheel I was able to get everything to line up.

I am now starting on the tanks I thought it would be the same procedure as the leading edge skin and ribs. No matter what I do I can't get the holes to align. If I bend the rib flanges too much the holes don't align. In the process I'm scratching the heck out of the inside of the skin.

Does anyone have a better method of installing the ribs in the tank skins?
You fluted them, right?

Assuming so, I started out by clecoing from one side (top or bottom) and working my way around to the other side, "wrapping" the skin around the leading edge. Only then did I put it in the cradle.

Also, it gets better after a few times.
 
you might need to tweak the ribs with fluting pliers to get the holes to line up, or a mallet to flatten flutes slightly, depending on which way you have to go. But you need to get the ribs to be straight if you want them to line up.
 
The method I used to get the ribs clecoed in was this: clecoed the top foremost three, then the bottom aftmost three (here you need to push the compressed cleco thru the skin hole completely and then try to "catch" the rib hole at an angle to just get the cleco into it enough to hold albeit barely. Then cleco the remaining two aftmost, which should cleco a bit easier.) Then I clecoed the top aftmost three, and then the bottom foremost three. All the other should go pretty well, but you'll likely need to tap the rib with a rubber mallet to line the holes up now and then.
 
The leading edge skin is a little under-bent as well and tries to spring out, that doesn't help matters. It will get better after you've got it assembled a couple times.
 
Problem

I had to rebend my leading edge rib flanges quite a bit to narrow the ribs. This is a well know problem with the 9 wing. It wasn't just a matter of forcing them into place because when I did that you could see the ribs sticking out through the skin. PM me if you want more details.

Tom
 
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Rib fitting

What worked for me was to tweak the exposed edges (in line with the holes) of the flanges.

You can bend them inward or scotchbrite (as Tom said) the edges so they will fit in the skins without the edges interfering as much.

This should get you a better fit within the skins.
 
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