[AltonD]

I just received my slow build wings. There are two three foot galvanized pipes in the spar box. Without digging into the plans just yet, can anybody tell me what's up with that?

Alton
Boxes of wing stuff has arrived.

 

[painless]

Alton:

Those are your aileron counter-weights. You will pop-rivet them to the inside surface along the entire leading edge of each aileron. Elegantly simple.

Regards,

 

[AltonD]

Cool. Thanks for the reply. I am considering building the ailerons and flaps first. any pros or cons?

 

[TShort]

I did all the spar work, front and rear, then built the ailerons and flaps. Reason being, I am building a new shop and don't want to jig the wings yet.

The ailerons and flaps are relatively easy - esp if you just finished the tail. The book says the flaps are the easiest control surface, but I thought the ailerons were the same or easier.

I can't think of any reason not to build them first...

Thomas
-8 wings

 

[AltonD]

Thanks. Just what I needed to hear, and from a man that has done it. I am wanting to do the Ailerons and flaps for the same reason. I have a jig being built for me and it is not quite ready.

Alton

 

[TShort]

I thought of one downside ...
You cruise thru the ailerons and flaps so quickly (and there is lots of visible progress) that once you start on the real meat of the wings it seems like forever until you actually DO something. Fitting, fabricating, drilling, deburring, etc - but you don't see results as fast as with the control surfaces ... it is still a heck of a lot of fun, and way better than work!

Thomas
-8 wings

 

[RudiGreyling]

I did all the spar work, front and rear, then built the ailerons and flaps. Reason being, I am building a new shop and don't want to jig the wings yet.

The ailerons and flaps are relatively easy - esp if you just finished the tail. The book says the flaps are the easiest control surface, but I thought the ailerons were the same or easier.

I can't think of any reason not to build them first...

Thomas
-8 wings

Ditto,

I did my flaps and ailerons also first, before tackling the meat of the wing.

Regards, Rudi

 

[RV7ator]

Controls First

Alton,

I recommend building the flaps and ailerons before the wing. They're needed to set gaps when positioning the flap hinge. BTW, don't rivet the flap spar and hinge assembly until you accomplish these tasks - gives you the most adjustment latitude. Another gotcha possible: the tip aileron bracket is pushed a bit inboard by the tip rib web bulging; it's not perpendicular to the rear spar like the drawing depictation. Could impact your aileron location which ripples into flap positioning.

John Siebold
BT, DT

 

[Davepar]

You can build the whole wing except for the bottom skins before needing to position the flaps. I did my flaps and ailerons after the wings.