Am I having a brain fart here??

danielhv · #1 09-28-2008, 06:44 PM

So Im clecoing all the ribs to both the spars on the wings... got one done, and then half way through the other.... problem is, the ribs seem like they are facing the wrong way.... but if I flip them around, it wont match the plans.

Let me try to explain what im seeing... the trailing edges of the ribs have a little tab that sits down beneath the flange of the rear spar. The left wing was fine. But the tabs on the right wing are on the opposite side of the right rear spar flange...

Here are some pics:

rvbuilder2002 · #2 09-28-2008, 07:07 PM

Look carefully at the plans while evaluating teh ribs as follows.

When the plans say to use a W-7XXR rib in a specific location it means a rib that when held vertically in front of you, fwd end away from you and bottom flange down (side with the fwd tooling hole closer to the bottom), the flanges point to your right.

So...any rib when viewed from the top leading edge away from you, that has the flanges going to the right is an "R" rib. Any with the flanges going to the left is an "L" rib.
L's and R's are used interchangeably on both wings. Also be sure to use the alternate part #'s in the correct locations...they are thicker material. The inboard most (root) main rib for example.

az_gila · #3 09-28-2008, 07:10 PM

...from the first picture, but it looks like your Right wing ribs may be upside down.

Look carefully and make sure left and right are true mirror images of each other, assuming you have the roots at the same end - which it looks like from the pics.

Webb · #4 09-28-2008, 07:12 PM

Daniel,

Best I can tell from the picture, it looks like the flanges of the ribs that attach to the skins are facing the same direction.

Go back and look at the plans. Notice the rib flanges face one another at different points on the wings. This is so you can get your hand inside the inspection hole and get a bucking bar on them.

[ _ ] [ _ ] [ _ ] Like this. The underscore is the inspection hole.

Not like this [ _ [ [ _ [ [ _ [

Once you get them oriented, they will all work out like they are supposed too.

Hope this helps.

Geico266 · #5 09-28-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webb

[ _ ] [ _ ] [ _ ] Like this. The underscore is the inspection hole.

Not like this [ _ [ [ _ [ [ _ [

Once you get them oriented, they will all work out like they are supposed too.

Web, that was so simple even I understood it! Man, I'm about ready to order a tail kit! I can do this!

danielhv · #6 09-28-2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002

Look carefully at the plans while evaluating teh ribs as follows.

When the plans say to use a W-7XXR rib in a specific location it means a rib that when held vertically in front of you, fwd end away from you and bottom flange down (side with the fwd tooling hole closer to the bottom), the flanges point to your right.

So...any rib when viewed from the top leading edge away from you, that has the flanges going to the right is an "R" rib. Any with the flanges going to the left is an "L" rib.
L's and R's are used interchangeably on both wings. Also be sure to use the alternate part #'s in the correct locations...they are thicker material. The inboard most (root) main rib for example.

Im pretty sure I have that part right. I marked every one with a perm marker and many still have the label from vans. When I marked them, I marked them with the same # as the label said.

As far as alternating, I did alternate the ribs... If you look closely at the pics where it shows the whole wing, along the rear spar you can see the flange of every other rib...

Second... if everything (tooling holes on both leading and trailing edge of ribs) line up on the left wing, and all the holes the rear spar line up... doesn't that take out all the guess work as to rather or not something is wrong??

morlino · #7 09-28-2008, 08:13 PM

It was confusing at first because your right wing is on the left side of the picture....

Take the rear spar off completely and look down the wing through the smallest set of lightening holes. It looks like your right wing root rib is oriented correctly but I think Gil is correct and the rest of them are mixed up and flipped around.

Should look like the bottom picture here: http://rvproject.com/20020519.html

Counting the root rib as #1 it looks like maybe you've got #2 and #4 switched.

Oh yeah, and stop working so fast... you're gonna be ahead of me real soon

LettersFromFlyoverCountry · #8 09-28-2008, 08:18 PM

This is one of those times when it's good to think about WHY something orients one way or the other. In this case, it's all about access when riveting with the skins partially on. Put the bottom skin on , then reach inside the access holes... each rib should be oriented so that the flanges are easily available to you to buck the rivets by sticking your hand in the access hole.

If you're feeling the web of a rib, it's turned the wrong way.

danielhv · #9 09-28-2008, 08:25 PM

I just went out there and pulled about 4 ribs off the right spar, and the part #'s I wrote on them DO match the part # lable vans put on there.... but even if I switched ribs betweent he two wings... it still wouldn't work. The little "cut tab" on the flange of the ribs is still on the wrong side for the rear spar ONLY ON THE RIGHT WING.

It's almost like the rear spar is wrong... but even if I flipped it and riveted it the other side, its the same... So if the ribs are identical between the left and right wing (ie: left wing's W-711L is the same as the right wings W-711L) then something else is wrong... because ALL the ribs on the right wing are wrong. The only way to fix it is to make them face the opposite directions the plans call for! I dont get it.

danielhv · #10 09-28-2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Collins

This is one of those times when it's good to think about WHY something orients one way or the other. In this case, it's all about access when riveting with the skins partially on. Put the bottom skin on , then reach inside the access holes... each rib should be oriented so that the flanges are easily available to you to buck the rivets by sticking your hand in the access hole.

If you're feeling the web of a rib, it's turned the wrong way.

This is not the case here... the flanges are facing the inspection covers on both sides. Just like Webb's depiction:

[ _ ] [ _ ] [ _ ]