Hi all,
I recently did the mating of the aft section with the mid and forward sections. At last, it is starting to look like an airplane. Once all the skins were clecoed on, it was time to drop in the upper longerons. I confess that I didn't bend them until now, as it made more sense to keep them safely stored.
At any rate, I bent per the plans and then put them in place. There is a certain funkyness to the fit that I can't quite figure out. In the aft section, bulkheads 808 to 812, the longeron is straight the and fit is perfect. The top of the longeron is slightly canted inward, following (I think( the shape of the skin. At the forward end, near the motor mount weldments, it is canted in even a little more, to fit with the weldments. The issue is in the middle where it runs by the center section F804 bulkheads. Their upper flange is horizontal (i.e. if you put a straightedge across them from one side to the other, the staightedge would be flush all the way across). The longeron is canted in and is not parallel to this. It also doesn't seem like it quite fits right at the bulkheads where the gear attach.
I'm trying to figure out if I should put a little twist on the longeron: outwards just forward of 808 and then back in at 804 or if it is really supposed to be completely straight in that dimension.
Can anyone share a little insight or experience?
Regards,
Michael Wynn
RV 8 Pre Punch Fuselage
I recently did the mating of the aft section with the mid and forward sections. At last, it is starting to look like an airplane. Once all the skins were clecoed on, it was time to drop in the upper longerons. I confess that I didn't bend them until now, as it made more sense to keep them safely stored.
At any rate, I bent per the plans and then put them in place. There is a certain funkyness to the fit that I can't quite figure out. In the aft section, bulkheads 808 to 812, the longeron is straight the and fit is perfect. The top of the longeron is slightly canted inward, following (I think( the shape of the skin. At the forward end, near the motor mount weldments, it is canted in even a little more, to fit with the weldments. The issue is in the middle where it runs by the center section F804 bulkheads. Their upper flange is horizontal (i.e. if you put a straightedge across them from one side to the other, the staightedge would be flush all the way across). The longeron is canted in and is not parallel to this. It also doesn't seem like it quite fits right at the bulkheads where the gear attach.
I'm trying to figure out if I should put a little twist on the longeron: outwards just forward of 808 and then back in at 804 or if it is really supposed to be completely straight in that dimension.
Can anyone share a little insight or experience?
Regards,
Michael Wynn
RV 8 Pre Punch Fuselage