Wing - Fiberglass

2004-08-01 - Left wing tip. (5.0 Hrs).

I was right about the edge of the wing tip needing more filing. The lip along the middle was a little too wide, so I marked the whole edge of the wing tip, and used the vixen to file it down some more. The guys who said that the fiberglass will dull your files were right. I put tape on one side of my vixen file, so I will still have one side to use on aluminum. I think I need to order another vixen file (usually $10 at "The Yard").

Here, I have drilled the wing skins to the wing tip. This is the top of the wing, I have already done the bottom.

This is the front of the wing tip. You can see that there is still a little bit of a gap at the very front between the wing tip and the wing skin. I think this is what "SuperFil" is made for.

You need some foam to force the edges of the wing tip out, so you can fit and drill it.

This is how airplanes get heavier. I have decided to use K1000-08 nutplates and screws to hold the wing tip on. Even though the instructions say to rivet nutplates directly to the fiberglass, I really don't like that idea. I am going to install nutplates on the thin strip of alumunum that Van supplies, and then epoxy that strip to the wing tip. Here, I am drilling the strip of aluminum to match the wing skins.
Notice all of the crap that has gotten inside the wing. That foam and fiberglass blows everywhere.

I really don't understand why builders buy a nutplate template. How hard is it to drill a nutplate? Cleco the nutplate to the middle hole, and drill the first hole.

Then, put a cleco in that hole, and drill the last hole.

Here's the nutplate assembly line.

One aluminum strip with nutplates attached. Note, I countersunk the flush rivets for nutplates, but you have to be careful here. The aluminum strip is .016", I think, and you really should not countersink material this thin. So, I did not countersink the holes all of the way. The rivet is almost flush, but not perfect. However, this does not have to be perfect, because there is going to be some epoxy between the wingtip and the aluminum strip.

	Here, I have drilled the wing skins to the wing tip. This is the top of the wing, I have already done the bottom.
	This is the front of the wing tip. You can see that there is still a little bit of a gap at the very front between the wing tip and the wing skin. I think this is what "SuperFil" is made for.
	You need some foam to force the edges of the wing tip out, so you can fit and drill it.
	This is how airplanes get heavier. I have decided to use K1000-08 nutplates and screws to hold the wing tip on. Even though the instructions say to rivet nutplates directly to the fiberglass, I really don't like that idea. I am going to install nutplates on the thin strip of alumunum that Van supplies, and then epoxy that strip to the wing tip. Here, I am drilling the strip of aluminum to match the wing skins. Notice all of the crap that has gotten inside the wing. That foam and fiberglass blows everywhere.
	I really don't understand why builders buy a nutplate template. How hard is it to drill a nutplate? Cleco the nutplate to the middle hole, and drill the first hole.
	Then, put a cleco in that hole, and drill the last hole.
	Here's the nutplate assembly line.
	One aluminum strip with nutplates attached. Note, I countersunk the flush rivets for nutplates, but you have to be careful here. The aluminum strip is .016", I think, and you really should not countersink material this thin. So, I did not countersink the holes all of the way. The rivet is almost flush, but not perfect. However, this does not have to be perfect, because there is going to be some epoxy between the wingtip and the aluminum strip.