Work Session 9/1/2011

The Bear Creek Aero Club is once again in the news! See this link at General Aviation News. You'll see some familiar faces here. The same article appears in the print version of GA News for August 26th. Copies are in the Bull Shack.

The cooler weather that greeted a large crew of ten Skunk Workers on September 1st resulted in impressive progress. Last Saturday, Terry and a few others reattached the leading edge skins and my do they look nice! Terry has been busy preparing the aileron skins, too, and preparing the engine for tests.

Yesterday, Tom, Clephane, Michael Payne, Nathan McConnell, Jim Cronin, Konrad Schoen, Andy Thomson, JP Bernoux, Terry Gardner, Joel McLaughlin and yours truly worked on the following:

1. Completed rough foam blocks for wingtip fairings. Began contouring.
2. Fabricated wooden false leading edge for wing root fairing foam blocks.
3. Fabricated and mounted wing root support block for aileron strap attachment.
4. Punched holes on aileron sheet for attachment to torque tubes.

See the images below for details.

TOM CLEPHANE HAS UPLOADED A NICE SET OF PICTURES AT THIS LINK.

Our next work session is planned for Saturday, 3 September at 10AM. We'll be opening up the shop to all chapter builders for the First Saturday Shop Visits.

Kent Misegades














The Bear Creek Skunk Works parking lot was filled to capacity on 9/1/2011.















Joel, JP and Terry plan work on the ailerons.



















Joel punching pilot holes in the aileron skins.














Andy fabrictaed two false leading edges for the wing root fairings. This one is taped and ready for use once the foam blocking is in place.


















Michael Payne forms the LH tip fairing.



















Jim Cronin, the human vise, with his RH tip fairing blocks.



















Michael plans for surgery on his foam blocks. Bamboo skewers hold blocks together as the epoxy cures.


















Michael climbed inside the wing to make this curved line, cleverly employing a strip of aluminum as a spline.














Nathan and Newbie Tom Clephane work on wing root blocks that will take the aileron straps.















Jim and Michael rough cut their wingtip blocks. The polystyrene foam came from a craft shop and the remains of two boogie boards.


















Jim about to make the first cut on his block. A long bread knife works well.














JP, Terry and Michael fitting the first foam block in the LH wing tip.

Below: Jim and Konrad hold blocks together as the epoxy cures. They later discovered it bonds well to Konrad's pants!