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Wings Arrived!

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PaulR

Well Known Member
After patiently waiting my wing kit arrived today looking, I'm sure, just as it did a week ago in Oregon. ABF delievered as promised to my workplace and I put the two boxes on a trailer and with some help from my son, unloaded in the factory. Now, if I can just get the elevators finished! Can't wait to start on the wings.

PaulR
91300
Wings Arrived
 
Enjoy the build PaulR

It is an experience to be recorded an savored like the bitter sweet years of the 60s. I will never do it again but it was well worth the effort and I can go back there any time I want by just pulling out my correllated 8 inch thick photo album with dated photos and my 300+ page hand written builder's log. As I enjoy the ride today, I still can remember driving that 24' Budget rental truck from Northwestern Oregon with my kit in the back.

Bob Axsom
 
One small word of advice. Deburr and prep every single rib and any other parts for the wings at the same time. Also build both fuel tanks at the same time for the same reasons. It will seem to take forever but if you do just one wing and then start the other you will really dread the second experience. The second wing is taking twice as long as the first on my plane and I'm not enjoying it either. All I can think about is getting finished so I can start the fuselage. I can't imagine building a Bi-plane. :eek:
 
Both at once

I've been struggling with the decision to build both at once or one at a time. I have plenty of room in the shop to do both at once so from what I've read and Jim's post above I guess the decision is made!

I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions as I work my way through them. I really want to finish with them by fall so I can have the fuselage next winter. The factory is heated but not A/C so the summer work here in LA (lower Alabama)
will be limited.

Thanks for the encouragement

PaulR
91300
 
The Wing Thing

I did all the spar, rib and tank work first, but then did the final assembly one wing at a time, as it saves time & space with only one jig......and you can't finish more than one at a time anyway! The prep work was looooooong, but the final assembly made up for it. Now I am priming center fuse parts and it is a joy! I am going to have to move out of the basement soon, so must preassemble, finish drill (ream), prep & prime all fuse parts first. I will then move into the new on grade addition to finish fuse assembly & riveting.....then on to the finish kit!

Have fun & fly safe
 
Paul, Let's see if any one else has other ideas on building both at one time. I thought building one at a time would let me make whatever mistakes I made on just one wing instead of both but in reality I nearly forgot the individual steps taken and had to go back and reread the directions anyway. The wings are not difficult to build at all. I just hate repetition. I have the patience of a Tasmanian Devil on crack. :D
 
If you hate repetition as I do, building the wings is a chore. The best advice I can give is work consistently in short but frequent durations, and don't do anything in a hurry which WILL lead to mistakes. There's always more to do so don't hurry. It took me 3 weeks just to debur the wing ribs. I had them in my living room and did just a couple at a time because it was so boring.

But consistent effort led me to finished my plane in 2.5 years...almost to the day, so working short durations doesn't slow you down if you do them frequently.

If you work long hours and then stall, the boredom keeps you out of the shop and it can be the end of the project. Errors and rework also hurts.
 
I can't imagine building a Bi-plane. :eek:[/QUOTE]

Jim,
Building a bi-plane is just twice as much fun. But the most fun is building from plans. You don't have to worry about prepunched skins, b-nuts left loose on quick-build kits, ar anything other prefab issues.
Mel...DAR
 
Mel, you are a sick, demented, sadistic person. :D
I primed the last of the right wing parts yesterday and only have to deburr the tank ribs and dimple the tank parts. Finally about to assemble the darn thing. Then it is off to the fuselage.YAHOOOOOO!
Anyone got a 9A fuselage kit for sale?
 
Congrats on the new box! The rest is down hill.

n615ks said:
I am going to have to move out of the basement soon, so must preassemble, finish drill (ream), prep & prime all fuse parts first. I will then move into the new on grade addition to finish fuse assembly & riveting.....then on to the finish kit!
Click to expand...
I don't know why you would want to move out of the basement. I have found a -9 can be a perfect fit in a basement.
 
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