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Wing Stand/Cradle

cderk

cderk

Well Known Member
Just out of curiosity - when building slow-build wings, when do you all find it necessary to begin using the wing stand/cradle? Any tips on good design or something you wish you did differently?

I've gotten to the point where I've finally gotten the spars prepped in Chapter 13 and am ready to start moving on to Chapter 14.

If there is one thing that I've learned so far is that having to work in cramped spaces is really frustrating. My work area consists of my basement and a single car garage. The wing spars barely fit in my work area. Prepping the spars, I've been doing both at the same time and I've got them on my EAA bench with casters so I can move them around. Its really challenging.

Thanks,
Charlie
 
Speaking for myself, I did the spars and added the skeletal structure on sawhorses. But it was nice to have the skeleton firmly attached to a rolling wing stand when I started doing the skins.
 
Build it now

Build a wing stand now, it'll save frustration. You need your workbench(es) for ongoing work items - skins, flaps, ailerons, and you need somewhere to put the main spar assemblies in the meantime. The floor is not a good place.

My (non original) stand: http://tasrv10.com/?p=831

A.
 
I recently built my -14 wings and a set of -10 wings and did all the work with the wings laying flat on the benches. I did build the stand for my -14 wings when the tanks and outboard leading edges were done so I could free up some space while prepping, priming and dimpling the lower skins.
 
Thanks for the tips. I guess I'll have to figure out how to make a little more room in the basement. I imagine that these things are going to take up a lot of room :D
 
Space constraints

Given your tight quarters, you might want to consider setting up some high-up support brackets on the basement walls for the spar assemblies, up to the point where you are ready to install the outboard leading edge. There is a heavy end and a light end to the spars, so with the aid of a helper on the light end, it would not be hard to lift the wing box assembly up onto a pair of support brackets fairly high up - e.g. 5 feet or higher above ground level. This would at least recover the bench space without using any more floor area such as a wing stand would take up. Once you're ready to install the outboard leading edges, build a wing stand and assemble everything in the garage, keeping the basement/benches free for ongoing work on the tanks, flaps, ailerons etc.
 
Tassie said:
Given your tight quarters, you might want to consider setting up some high-up support brackets on the basement walls for the spar assemblies, up to the point where you are ready to install the outboard leading edge. There is a heavy end and a light end to the spars, so with the aid of a helper on the light end, it would not be hard to lift the wing box assembly up onto a pair of support brackets fairly high up - e.g. 5 feet or higher above ground level. This would at least recover the bench space without using any more floor area such as a wing stand would take up. Once you're ready to install the outboard leading edges, build a wing stand and assemble everything in the garage, keeping the basement/benches free for ongoing work on the tanks, flaps, ailerons etc.
Click to expand...

Adrian - thanks... that's actually a great idea. I wound up having to finish my empennage in the garage. it started in the basement and when i disassembled to prime, i riveted everything in the garage. My basement door is only 35" wide and I believe the tail was about 37".
 
Agree with the recommendation to build the cradles now if you can find the space for them. Plus they can help in transporting to the airport when the time comes and you'll want them at your hangar before you mount the wings to the fuse.
 
Build the cradle...

...when you're done with the leading edges. At this point you will have all the rear ribs, aft spar, etc. in place. Then you can use the cradle to store your wings while you work on the fuel tanks. Later, when the tanks are done, you can use the cradle to help install them too. Then the wings will pretty much stay in the cradle from then on, while you install flaps, ailerons, tips, etc.
 
YMMV..

..but I worked on my slow build wing kit for 7 months before I needed the rolling wing cradle.
 
Be careful..

..about working on the spars while they are sitting across a wing cradle. You don't want to have any "sag" or "twist" in the spar while you're working on it. That's why I found it was best to work on the benches. That way you can level it out along its length and keep everything where it's supposed to be. For the RV-10, Vans doesn't require the use of a wing jig, but they do still want you to work on a flat surface. IMHO, setting up the spars across such a long span might not provide this.

As a hint, I found, when shimming up my spars on top of my tables (they vary in thickness along their lengths) using old magazines was a great way to do this and get it just right, so everything was spot on flat, with no twist or sag, plus supported. Once I got it all right, I tapped the magazines to my tables, to keep everything in place.
 
Thanks Mike. That's a good tip. I'll have to see what they look like in the cradle. Perhaps I can put a few removable cross members to help support the weight.
 
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