Wing Skin

[mattsmith]

Hi,
I am building a RV8A QB and the wing skin does not fit correctly. When I cleco the skin to the front spar all of the rib and rear spar pre punched holes are a half hole off. If I cleco every thing but the front spar it fits fine but then the front spar holes are a half a hole off again. Has any one else ran into this problem and how did you fix it? Thanks for all the help.

[Rick6a]

I suspect you can probably work out the half hole mismatch by the thoughtful placement of cleco buttons.

Try this method: Alternate your cleco installation pattern. For instance, starting with a bare skin laying atop the structure, insert a single cleco somewhere in the middle of the skin into a rib hole located midway between the front and rear of the skin. Then install a single cleco through a hole somewhere along the forward spar into a hole that best lines up. Then insert a single cleco somewhere along the rear spar in a hole that best lines up. At this point, you should have a total of three clecos buttons holding the skin in place. If you can get all three of those cleoes installed, it is a simple matter to work outwards from all three points by working forward, midway and aft inserting clecoes one hole at a time. Eventually, the mismatch should pull out.

If that does not work...I don't know what to tell you.

[mattsmith]

Hi Rick;
I have tried that, one thing I forgot to mention is when i start pouting clecos in from the rear spar working forward toward the main spar all the holes are fine but the main spar holes are off by half and there is about a 3/32 gap between the front skin and the rear skin. could my QB wing be twisted?

[chaskuss]

Matt,
Sign back in and check your private messages.
Charlie Kuss

[niblettda]

Originally Posted by chaskuss

Matt,
Sign back in and check your private messages.
Charlie Kuss

How about sharing with the rest of us? I'm not in this situation, but I'm about to start fitting my wing skin soon.

Thanks

[briand]

Are all the ribs straight? Can you cleco the two spars, then work on the ribs? Something is not right because everything should line up better than that. Been a while since I did my wings but I remember them being pretty idiot proof.

[mattsmith]

All the ribs are straight and if I put clecos in the main spar I cant get any other clecos in any wear else. If I put clecos in the rear spare I can get clecos in the ribs but not the main spare. I think the dissidence from the main spar to the first hole in the ribs is off. I have tried the left skin on the right wing and get the same result. but the left skin or the right skin on the left wing, every thing lines up.

[airguy]

Take some good digital photos with measurements, and send 'em to Vans...