Wing contruction constraint/opinions

[rjcthree]

My back garage has not progressed (ok, I added on to the house, got a new puppy, put a clutch in the Miata, and enjoyed the summer a bit) to where I can build wings in there yet, and the racecar isn't gone until spring.

Soooo, I need to build in the basement, where the emp, spars, flaps and ailerons have been built. Based on a 3D CAD rendition, the wings will not make it out of the basement assembled, even without leading edges.

The instructions have us building up and riveting the spar back skeleton before moving on to fitting the skins and LE's. I can't do that, as the skeleton won't make the turn, even if I remove the furnace. Bummer.

My proposal for your comment: fully drilling/cleckoing the skeleton, and moving on as if it is riveted, working the skins, LE's, etc, then disassembling the whole mess for deburring/dimpling/alodine. It will all be final assembled in the summer in the back garage.

I can fully build LE's and tanks, of course.

This way I can keep working through the winter.

Does anybody see a huge problem with this?

Thanks,

Rick
90432 s l o w build, wings!

[Guy Prevost]

I don't see a problem with it. If I were you, I would use A LOT of clecos in the wing skins though. If you wanted to be extra sure, put a half dozen rivets in each of the top skins while you work on the leading edges, etc. and then drill out them to disassemble when it's time to move.

YMMV,
Guy

[G Swartley]

While building my wings you build the LE and Tank before riveting the skins. The only caviot is the rib to spar connections are riveted before the LE and tank, but as long as the spar is straight it should be ok.

If your still worried send Vans an E-Mail.

[painless]

Maybe you could convince your wife (?) that you need a nice big basement window down there......

[cnpeters]

If I understand your Q, you want to know how much you can build the wings in the basement before moving to the currently not ready garage. In the basement, you can build up the frame and skins and drill them out on a jig, do the leading edge and tank. Then disassemble the frame and skins, take it out to the garage for final assembly. For both wings and average build times, you will have at least 6 months of work before needing to take everything out of the basement. Only other issue I see is on the tanks, as you will have some odor problems with the solvents. I have been doing my tank sealing in the garage, but I take the tank indoors for faster curing, since it's been below freezing here in central Illinois. No odor at all except in the room that the tank sits. The problem will be with MEK, etc., and you will want to vent it out.
Take your instructions and preview plans and read through them - you will be able to gauge all this easily enough. Hope this answered your query.