Work Session 10/5/2011 - Left Wing Prep

Yesterday Terry, Jim, Joel, Nathan and Kent worked from 4-8 preparing the left wing for covering, which is planned for all day Saturday, 10/8/2011. Preparation work included bolting on the brackets for the fuselage and lift strut connections, installation of plastic conduit for future wiring needs, Scotch-Brite scuffing of all surfaces to come in contact with the PolyFiber fabric, setting protruding nail heads in leading edge sheeting, fabrication and bonding of additional spacers to buttress the butt rib, and fabrication and bonding of a mounting block for the pitot probe.

Our next work session will be on Thursday, 10/6/2011, from 4-8, where additional preparations will be made on the wing. We may even cover the rudder if time permits.

Please RSVP to kmisegades@bellsouth.net if you will be at the Skunk Works on Thursday and/or Saturday.

Does anyone have empty parts bins? We have acquired a large assortment of valuable, aircraft-grade fasteners that need to be sorted into such bins. This would make a great project for someone so inclined. We'd probably need 40-50 such bins, and some means to support these for easy viewing/use.















Jim and Joel needed an hour to get the fuselage mounting brackets to fit just right.














Joel and Nathan work on the electrical conduit, installed should we decide to add lights at a later time.


















Terry and Joel test fit a spruce block that Joel fabricated to hold the pitot probe. It will allow easy removal should the relatively fragile pitot ever be damaged.

Below: Joel holds the block in place while Terry secures it with a vise while the epoxy cures. Clearly the crew was getting punchy by the late hour of the work. But the results look great!