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When to Attach Wings
- Thread starter JohnBruns
- Start date
Not at all. You can rig the controls, make/install the fuel lines, complete the wing root fairings, etc at the airport if you want. There’s no penalty in doing it that way.
Wings
I delayed attaching the wings permanently until the very end.
That said, I did install them temporarily, in my workshop, to do the rigging. I used two 3/8" hardware store bolts for each wing as pins. I did all the initial rigging, plumbing, and wiring, then removed them again. My wiring is terminated with Deutsch connectors and plumbing with AN fittings, so removing the wings was easy.
When I did get to the airport, It took very little time to install the wings permanently. Plugged in the pre tested wiring and good to go!
I delayed attaching the wings permanently until the very end.
That said, I did install them temporarily, in my workshop, to do the rigging. I used two 3/8" hardware store bolts for each wing as pins. I did all the initial rigging, plumbing, and wiring, then removed them again. My wiring is terminated with Deutsch connectors and plumbing with AN fittings, so removing the wings was easy.
When I did get to the airport, It took very little time to install the wings permanently. Plugged in the pre tested wiring and good to go!
I test fitted my wings at home while waiting for a hangar and thus, I needed to get more things completed. If my project is already at the hangar then I would insert the wings one single time because it is a big hassle to plug the wings in and to remove them. Plus the added chance that you make mistakes and permanently damage the wings by moving them too many times.
I reckon it all depends on your workspace/hanger setup but there is a lot of work that goes into getting the various intersection fairings fitted ,controls hooked up,fuel system connections that went a lot easier at home. If you wait you are paying hanger fees to let epoxy dry.
I fitted up the wings on the driveway and got all of the cover panels done. Only took a couple of days. Can't remember if I did the fuel lines then or at the airport. Just a quick rigging of the control surfaces to insure the tubes were not too long or short. Only regret was not waiting for a cloudy day. Did it on a sunny day in July and the reflections off th shinny aluminum made for an awefull lot of sweating.
Larry
Larry
Wing sweep and incidence on the -10 are a no brainer. The tooling/alignment holes are built-in. Earlier kits (like my -6) required a substantial amount of time with plumb bobs, water levels, and other archaic measuring tools.
this actually brings a side question to mind for me...
knowing that the wait lists around here for hangars are basically forever.....
what would a builder do if they were just on track to park on the ramp? There's certainly a lot that can't really be done at home....
that's big ding to my daydream of a retirement build project in a couple years... hmm, something else to consider. ugh.
knowing that the wait lists around here for hangars are basically forever.....
what would a builder do if they were just on track to park on the ramp? There's certainly a lot that can't really be done at home....
that's big ding to my daydream of a retirement build project in a couple years... hmm, something else to consider. ugh.
There is very little you can’t do at home. You can fit and rig everything. You can even terminate and test all of the wiring except what’s in the wings. With disconnects, you can even do that.
In your climate, there’s nothing stopping you from doing a week of final assembly on the ramp.
I did everything that I could at home. With the 6A, i did final assembly on the ramp in August. Worked out fine. The 10 was ready in November, so had no choice but to rent a hanger.
so it could be just a week or less then for the final on-airport assembly?
Is that pretty much across the board with all models?
(well I know the 12 has removable wings so that doesn't count!)
I would have thought things like the wing root fairings might involve epoxy and a lot more putzing around
With a completed RV-14 as an example, if the wings were removed for transport how long would it take to re-assemble and be ready for flight?
Is that pretty much across the board with all models?
(well I know the 12 has removable wings so that doesn't count!)
I would have thought things like the wing root fairings might involve epoxy and a lot more putzing around
With a completed RV-14 as an example, if the wings were removed for transport how long would it take to re-assemble and be ready for flight?
I waited until the hangar. Only took a couple of hours to final attach (after a test fit at home to trim flaps and close out panels)
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AgWVUWZ6BwZUkJ4g4OTCMaQYBVWhaQ
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AgWVUWZ6BwZUkJ4g4OTCMaQYBVWhaQ
A week or less? Yes, with a helper or two to assist with the heavy lifting. The wing root fairings are aluminum and (assuming you're already fabbed them) will have to be trimmed to final fit, then drilled and dimpled plus installing the nutplates. Probably 2-4 hours per side including the nutplates.
Putting wings back on a completed -14? A weekend. Maybe less if you're organized.
