Wings, Leading Edges

Time for an update. Working on the wings so far is pretty easy business. Although each task drags on longer than expected. Clecoing the leading edge assemblies and deburring holes, all takes longer than the estimates I imagine. After deburring the 1.3 million holes in the wing skins one day I found my fingers to be bruised the next morning from the repetitive twisting of the drill bit, a good opportunity to change the labor to dimpling. There really isn't anything frustrating or monumental so far with my progress on the wings. I have decided to wait on installing the leading edge lights. I am 99% certain I will be installing the Duckworks 70watt HID's on each wing, but honestly I just don't want to slow down, purchase, and install them right now. So I'm waiting. I also decided to not install the factory stall warning. I will be installing the Dynon system with angle of attack indicator and audible alerts, therefore I see no reason for the factory stall warning. The AoA gives a visual indication to the approaching stall and can be used to find best climb and final approach speeds. The audible alert is an absolute requirement for me and without it I would keep the factory stall warning for only that reason. Why not install both? Good question. I decided its just one more thing to break, I don't have to cut an opening in my leading edge (possible water access), I won't have a little tab sticking out to get hung up on and damaged, I won't have an access hole cut out in the lower skin (cause of other possible issues). On the Dynon system the AoA is measured from the pitot tube so this allows a single install and no new holes in the wing.

I learned a new way to remove the protective blue plastic from large flat pieces. Just roll it up. I took a PVC pipe peeled back a little of the plastic and started rolling...a lot easier.

Dimpling the ribs was easy with the pneumatic squeezer. Dimpling the leading edge skins was easy once I turned them over and switched the male and female dies from top to bottom. See pic.

So after weeks of drilling, deburring, dimpling, deburring, dimpling, clecoing, deburring....I had to start riveting something, so I started riveting the LH leading edge and so far it is turning out really nice. Also as a note. There are several nights I could only squeeze an hour in and it's amazing what you can get done in an hour when you know exactly what your going to do when you walk in the shop door.

Date Time
9 1.0 clecoed leading edge
10 1.0 clecoed other leading edge
12 3.75 deburr wing skins, drill leading edge assemblies
13 3.0 deburred RH wing ribs, dimpled RH wing ribs
17 3.25 deburred and dimpled LH wing ribs, install bolts in spars
21 4.5 deburr and dimple LH leading edge, reassemble and start riveting
22 1.0 rivet LH leading edge

Also, my daughter hung out in the shop with me on the warm days to help build the plane, but she just kept falling asleep on the job.