Author: Dan Masys <dmasys@...> Time: Tue Jan 1, 2002 2:24 pm PST Link
Just a note of encouragement to anybody who feels, as I did, that the prep
work on the wings seems to go on forever. Over a thousand holes to drill,
debur, dimple, etc. My wife (Rosie the Master Riveter) and I got the top
skins riveted to the left wing in one session on December 26th, after
working on wing prep since October 10th, and the left tank and leading edge
attached. Her riveting was flawless and we both were pretty amazed at how
the upper surface of the wing is perfectly smooth with no dings, smileys or
raised rivet heads. Next day I finished the flap brace and aileron gap
seal assembly, installed the Gretz heated pitot-static tube hardware and
put the left wing onto the storage rack.
But the big surprise was on Dec. 28 I started the right wing, and in two
days had the skins, ribs, and spars clecoed and drilled, and the right tank
ready for the first ProSeal session. Looking back in my log notes, I got
the right wing to a stage of assembly in three days that took over a month
for the left wing. Hoo Haw! It's amazing how much faster you can go when
you know what you're trying to do and all of the jigs, etc. are already
built.
I celebrated this apparent surge of productivity by ordering the fuselage
kit :-). With 330 building hours in the log since last July, this project
is now beginning to look like a serious attempt to commit aviation!
Dan Masys
-7A N868DM reserved, the other wing...