How do I prevent a caddy-wompus nutplate installation

[Steve Ashby]

I am so cornfused,
After drilling the wing root fairings to the wing root, the plans call for removing the wings (which I did) and then installing nutplates to the inside of the wing roots so that you can screw the fairings on. Not a problem for most of the wing root, but the leading edge section, where the fuel tanks are, presents a problem. The fuel tank root ribs do not match up with the edge of the skin. The holes for the wing root fairings pass just outside of the tank root ribs. There is also cured proseal slathered on the root ribs, leading to an uneven surface for the nutplates to nestle. OK campers, what have you others done to prevent caddy-wompus nutplate installations?

[L.Adamson]

I used several different types of nutplates. The triangular type, and the two rivet hole followed by the threaded part type. It's been too long ago, and I certainly don't remember the proper nutplate names. But...........that's what I did.

L.Adamson

[jsharkey]

I drilled the tank skin flange extension with pilot holes first. These were placed so that the nut plates would fit on the skin, miss the tank rib flange and allow me to dimple the skin. I cleaned up any local proseal as necessary. I then used a strap duplicator (from Avery - where else?) and the pilot holes to match drill the root fairing. Worked well. I drilled at #40 first then opened the holes out to full size without the dupicator since the thickness of it tends to affect spacing, especially on the tighter radii.

If you are still bridging the tank rib flange some local shims would level the surface.

Jim Sharkey

[Noel Simmons]

Dimple the the #40 holes in the nut plate

[Steve Ashby]

Scott, you are the man. I used your formula and it worked like a charm. First, I trimmed away the excess proseal with a razor knife. Then, I clamped a nutplate in some vice grips and fed it to the grinder. In less than a minute, I had a new and improved nutplate that nestled up right next to the fuel tank root rib flange just like it was meant to be there. A little dimpling, a little rivet squeezing and viola! It was straight and true. You can find some pictures of the process here: http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=stevenrashby&project=5&catego ry=0&log=77584&row=1[/url]

Thanks for the sage advice. I owe you one.

[N62XS]

Steve:

Its cattywaumpus! Kinda like cattycorner. Caddywompus would refer to a GM vehicle, wouldn't it?

[nucleus]

Yu forgot the H in "Whompus"

[N62XS]

Down here in the United States of Georgia, its dawg and I think the "h" was retired by Pat and Vanna. I prefer waumpus, but in our new era, I can "embrace change".