July 3, 2010
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All the compression struts are in place with proper hardware. All ribs except root rib are in place ready to be glued after trammeling of the wing. "N" strut is finished, painted and in place. I have been able to get all this finished in just two weeks! This took months to accomplish on the first wing!
I did a few things different this time to speed things up and make for a better end result. The "N" strut was the only part needing fabrication as it had to be built in place for alignment of the two strut end fittings. I did everything the same as first wing but with the patterns for the "fish mouth" tube ends already made the process was done in about half the time. Everything was tacked in place and removed for welding.
Here is where I changed the process from first wing. I don't know why but on the first wing I did the final welding in my vice. I had to make the parts twice, first one was no good at all and second required some heating and bending after welding to get the proper alignment. This time, after tack welding, I attached each part to a board with standard wood blocks for welding. It worked great!
And the second part of the "N" strut ......
This time when I did my test fit, everything lined up perfectly and did not need any heating or adjustments. Next, prime, epoxy paint and let cure in hot attic a few days before assembly.
I needed to remove some material from the double uprights on the ribs where they fit over the ply and lift strut attach fittings. That took about an hour, about the same as first wing. Lastly, I did the same to the rib that fits over the ply reinforcement for the hinges a,d then glued the ply in place.
I discovered a mistake that I had made on both wings regarding the ply. I used 3/32" ply rather than the 1/16" ply as indicated in the plans. It's going to be ok to be thicker; other way would be a mess and would have required reworking both wings. The thicker ply is at the lift strut area and hing area, not at the wing attach fitting ends. I am making my own lift struts so the different ply thickness will not be a problem. Only issue is I will need to get more 3/32" as I only have 1/16" remaining. Not a big deal but shows I need to be very precise and careful.
Next, root rib, cross brace at tank area then trammeling the wing.
Comments (2)
Marty,
I saw a post you made on SuperCub.org stating that the wood wings were good for 2200# gross? Really? I'd like to see the reference. Not to argue, but to confirm that number as I have a wood wing SuperCub project nearing completion. I bought a one off Wag Aero Cuby bumped up to SuperCub project just over a year ago. The builder and his helper had both passed away and the builders son had thrown out every scrap of paper for the plane. I have the airframe complete now and will start building the O-320 for it this weekend. Still need to build the engine, fit the cooling tin, build the exhaust, and make some mods to the cowl. It should be ready to fly in June. You're welcome to scope out my project at and email me any comments at mailto: jscott.planes@gmail.com.
BTW, really good work on your project. It looks great!
Best regard,
-Jeff Scott
Hi Jeff,
The link to your email did not work; what is your email and site again? The 2200 gross is the published weight in the 2+2 plans. There are many small differences in the wing; primarily the size of fittings and the size and placement of the reinforcement ply on the spar. There are also differences in tube thicknesses and locations in the fuselage compared to the S.C. Sounds like you are on your way to a good flying plane.
Marty