Since I last posted, I have spent a lot of time with the hinges on the flap control tube. Of course there have been many interruptions due to harvest and other life events. The wedges that fit these to the #2 rib are critical, because if they are off the hinges will bind. I had to do them over once. Finally, I had everything working and in place. Still, I spent last week measuring and remeasuring to be sure the assembly was in alignment. A long pause in work is not good. It takes a while to get back in the swing. Finally, on Saturday (three days ago), during a snowstorm, I decided it was OK. That day I glued in the #2 ribs. I think the snowstorm helped me focus, since the stuff outside that needs doing is not going to get done for a while.
The photo shows the rear spar and the linkage arm that operates the flap hinge. The rib is still not glued to the rear spar, but it is glued to the main spar, so this is commitment. Because of the outboard ribs, it is no longer possible to remove the black tube, which lowers both flaps as it turns on its hinges.
Yesterday I glued in the #3 ribs, and today the # 2 1/2. The 2 1/2 is covered with plywood on both faces, and forms the outboard face of the gear well. This completes the intermediate ribs. Now the torque tube is really hemmed in.
The next step is to glue the rear spar in place. In an earlier post, I said I would be sanding the rear ends of the ribs to fit this spar, which runs at an 8 degree angle to the main spar. I've made every effort to sand this angle as I placed the ribs, so there will be just some final fitting before gluing in the spar. After the spar, there are just 3 trailing ribs on each side, because the ailerons and flaps already contain most of the trailing edge ribs. Light is at the end of the rib tunnel!
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