This is a request I sent for info: "I finally got my wings installed but I'm afraid I'm going to break something. I used a come-along with ropes attached to the hand holes.
It depressed the wing skins at the ends but fortunately when the pressure was relieved the skins straightened. Any suggestions as to what is making the install so difficult and what I might do to correct it?
I have watched the video of the yellow 12 and at Sun n fun 2010 saw the wing removed and reinstalled with no difficulty.
"
Hi Rlricks,
The first question is did your wings fit easy before you installed the fine large rubber strip supplied by Van's? We have not yet had one that did not here, 6 flying, so my guess is that your would work just fine with out the rubber strip.
The method you describe to install your wings will do damage please, for your sake do not do it again.
The problem is that Van's forgot to tell you that you have to trim the inner wing skins so that you have at least 1/8" clearance so that the rubber strip can be compressed enough to allow easy wing installation. Easy here is a relative term. It would be easier than what you have done as described above yet it may still take two men and a boy to get the wings on. We tried on my first RV-12 and gave up on the rubber strip to save the airframe before Sun-N-Fun 2010. At Sun-N-Fun I had a nice long talk with Van himself at the aircraft and he was concerned that we were flying it without the rubber strip and I explained that it just would not fit, then he related the need to trim the iner wing skins so that it would fit, I pointed out that we had just paid a large sum to have the aircraft painted and that we were not going to ruin the paint on the wings trying to trim the metal. We later came up with the next solution.
The material I used was from Home Depot, it is the MD brand, High Density Foam Tape Weatherstrip, the size is 3/16" thick x 3/8" wide x 17' long. I used the white color and it comes with two rolls in the package which is plenty to do both sides of the plane. The aircraft is hangared and I see no indication of any change in the material after 14 months so it would seem to hold up well and at about $ 2 per package it is cheap to replace.
I start with the wings on and run a 1/8" masking tape line around the wing root even with the wing skin on the fuselage. I then remove the wings and place a second 1/8" tape line outside and against the first tape line. Then remove the first masking tape line and place the foam tape to match the inside of the second masking tape line. Remove the second masking tape line and replace the wings and let sit for 24 hours or so, so that the foam tape will have some clamping pressure to keep it in place while the tape bond develops.
I might add that my wings fit with only 1/8" or less gap between the wing and the fuselage if your gap is wider by much you may need thicker foam tape and it is available.
Good luck, hope this helps.
Best regards,
Vern
