Wing mounting after fuselage painting

So winter weather has arrived in the Midwest and I haven't fitted the wings to the fuselage. Can't easily fit them in the garage and the fuselage is begging to be painted.

I have a local painter ready to help me begin painting the fuselage (and it would be great to have access to the garage for the winter weather). My plan is to move the fuselage to the paint shop - then the wings - then all to the airport hangar for assembly.

Plan seems viable except for not getting the wings mounted the first time. It appears from the plans that fitting the -10 wings is even more straight forward than with the -7A. There is no setting incidence, etc, just mount the wings, clamp them, drill out the hole.... (seems easy enough huh).

Appears to me the biggest challenge will be with fitting the wing root fairing and maybe having to paint it later???? after fitting the wings.

Any thoughts or other "gotcha's" that come to mind of painting before initally fitting the wings (other than the obvious to be careful and not scratch the paint ) ?

Thanks,
Doug - wishing for warmer weather....

Maybe you could cover the painted areas with packing tape or similar. Just long enough to fit the fairings?

We fit our wings before painting the fuselage and the wings. As you mentioned the fairings would be my only consern, but being very careful you should manage. Just got the fuselage back Monday. Tried posting a photo by following the insert photo tips, but no luck. Wings will follow maybe by Christmas.
Ron

I don't see any reason why you can't paint the fuselage first. Putting the wings on is pretty simple and you should be able to deal with the fairings without scratching up the fuselage.

TSwezey said:

I don't see any reason why you can't paint the fuselage first. Putting the wings on is pretty simple and you should be able to deal with the fairings without scratching up the fuselage.

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It's not as simple, IMHO as people think...there is control rigging, fuel, pitot, wire runs and the root farings...Anyone think those are not a lot of work hasn't done them yet...they don't just "fit" you have to trim them to match the fuselage, then match drill them to the wing and faring attach angles. The front part that wraps around the leading edge WILL scratch your paint...I can't imagine being able to be that careful. If there is any chance you could take a weekend and bolt them on at least to complete the farings and drill the aft bolt I highly recommend it.

I was thinking of doing the same - fitting the wings only at final assembly. I was also thinking of using a rubber seal strip (same as on the 7's) on the wing root fairing. Will it work or is it advisable on the 10 to use the rubber?

Wing install on a painted fuselage

Rick was correct in the tasks needed at the wing root. Paint would get scratched unless something like a heavy vinyl tape were applied on the painted fuselage first-something as heavy as electrical tape or heavier. Then you have to be concerned about the tape on fresh paint.

One solution might be to fit one wing at a time then remove it to do the other one if space is tight.

I am a proponent of paint before wing install on the other RVs tho, but the 10 is different.

No!!

7DeltaLima said:

.....Plan seems viable except for not getting the wings mounted the first time. It appears from the plans that fitting the -10 wings is even more straight forward than with the -7A. There is no setting incidence, etc, just mount the wings, clamp them, drill out the hole.... (seems easy enough huh).

Appears to me the biggest challenge will be with fitting the wing root fairing and maybe having to paint it later???? after fitting the wings.

Any thoughts or other "gotcha's"
Thanks,
Doug - wishing for warmer weather....

Click to expand...

Be careful and don't assume that Van has the holes in either the rear spar or the fuse drilled correctly. Ask me how I know..my airplane flies with the right aileron down at least 1/4" maybe more like a 1/2" and the right flap is lowered as well...all this to fly level.

We've already received oversized bolts to move the wing rear spar to where it is supposed to be and re-drill the spar/fuse interface with the new, correct rigging.

I'd strongly suggest some sort of leveling with a smart level or builders' transit to get both wings set at the same incidence....mine are not. If you decide to go ahead anyway, enlarge the holes one larger drill bit at a time because a drill bit can easily "walk" and leave the center of the hole and move.

Regards,

Pierre

thanks

.... for the feedback. I'll see if I can fit one at a time in the garage.

Pierre... curious. What are you measuring against? Getting a reading off the longerons and then making sure both the wings have the same relationship to the longerons?????

Doug

Hi Doug...

...We measured the distance from the center of the rear spar bolt to the edge of the nubs that protrude from the fuselage with the flaps down. There's at least a 1/16" inch difference in edge distance, best we can tell. We're going to take the root fairings off and level the airplane and double check the incidence of the two wings and do whatever it takes to get the rigging corrected.

Janekom: The -10's root fairings have an inner angle that holds up the inboard section of the root fairing, so the rubber isn't needed like it is on the -6, -7 -9 which do not have an inner support for the fairing.

Best,

Janekom

In reply to fitting a rubber seal between the wing root fairing and fuselage, this is not constructed like the RV-7. The inboard part of the fairing is screwed to an angle underneath that is attached to the fuselage. There is no room for a seal strip. It is most important to trim the fairing very close to the fusalage for good appearance.

Also in response to Pierre's problem with the incidence angle, in my opinion, if the incidence angle is off due to hole alignment, someone must have let something slip when drilling. After building four RV's I have yet to see a detail as important as this slip through the crack from Van's.

Thanks guys!

follow up

Just in case someone stumbles upon this thread in the future...

I went ahead and stuck the wings on --- one at a time in the garage over the weekend. My wife helped me mount the wings and mounting / dismounting the wing wasn't that big of a deal.

All said and done.... was glad that I took the time to mount the wings and fit the fairing before paint.

Thanks for the input guys/gals.....

Doug....
fuselage leaving the garage headed to body shop Friday!!!!!