Brief Description: Right Wing Bottom Outboard Skin
I asked Hal Lyons to drop by to see if he could figure out the fit problem on the right lower outboard wing skin. After an hour or so of test fitting he suggested just riveting toward the front spar (as called for in the instructions...) and see if the extra tightness provided by riveting vs. clecoing would take up the slack. He also suggested using the wing skins box across sawhorses as a work platform for better orientation for reaching in with the bucking bar (photo 1). We couldn't use my regular benches, as it would be too difficult to get them away from the wall for access to both sides.
He was pretty much right on both counts! The horizontal work surface allowed me to buck from the front for most of the rivets forward of the rear spar, while he manned the gun from the aft side of the wing. By the time we'd worked our way forward on the first two inboard ribs, we'd taken out well over half of the gap between the main skin and the leading edge. The holes in the front spar required only light cleanup with a #40 drill to get the rivets to fit perfectly in the dimples.
Once we got to the bays with no access hole it was easier to rivet the rear spar by me peeling the skin up from the outboard end and bucking from the aft side (photo 2). I could do this solo, but it was much easier with help. After Hal left I did some test clecoing and worked out a plan for finishing this skin (photo 3). This is my best interpretation of the the order called out in the instruction manual. After a few test reaches, I'm thinking maybe I should only go about 1/3 the way up the ribs on lines 2 and 4 rather than "about half" called for in the manual. I did line 1 solo, but I'll wait for Hal to come back over tomorrow evening to go any further.
I finished up the evening by installing the nutplates for all three access cover plates. I'd gotten the final drilling, deburring, and dimpling done earlier while waiting for Hal.
Rivets Today: 196 Rivets Total: 8290
The skins box on sawhorses to serve as a temporary riveting platform.
