Skins 1st or wing stand 1st?

[grantcarruthers]

Just about to place the wing skeletons on the stands for skin fitting, seems that putting the skins on 1st with clecos would elliminate most of the sagging issue. Once on the stands I'd place the jack stands etc. as per instructions to support the skeleton for the rest of the process.

Blah blah blah so question is, is there some reason not to do it this way and to hang the sketeton and then have to shim the skeleton straight as per Van???


PS, my wife had her first build experience Sunday and partnered for the entire riveting of the left wing skeleton!!!! Wooooohooooo, I've got a build partner finally. We drilled out 2 of the 1st 3 rivets and she wanted to quit. Wouldn't let her though and the only one drilled out after that was my doing.

[mikehoover]

You can do it either way, but with skins on there is just a little more weight to deal with initially. You will have to support the wing in the middle either way before the skins come back off. It's not a big deal to get everything leveled out and then run a string along the main spar from end to end and then put the support under the aft spar and shim it as necessary to level the string. Just be careful not to kick the support while working around it, so you won't have to re-level the center.
Here's a picture of mine:
http://www.aclog.com/rv-9a/images/Wing/DCP_0138.JPG

[grantcarruthers]

Thanks, good pic.

I think I'll end up flipping a coin to decide instead of thinking about it too much. Waste too much build time as it is. Sometimes you just have to pick a route and make the best of it instead of analysing the bajesus out of the question looking for THE best method.
I ought to get a bunch done New Years Day, the CFO of the family has granted me an entire day in the shop for going to see her folks Saturday and Sunday.

I hope to have both on stands and skins mounted and drilled.