Could it be that the Wings are harder to make than the Fuselage? (Oct. 30th 2004)

Got some trouble today with riveting and drilling rivet holes...

Even with this most preciuos tool (Model RL 100 ARROW, Fastener Co., Inc., Saddle Brook, N.J. 07663), the rivet can't be pulled without bending the wingrib out of the way...

 

... and this is the result of bending the wingrib. This rivet was ~very hard~ to drill out (but it has to, this joint is crap). So a creative way has to be found to complete this almost impossible job...

 

This M3 lognut provides some additional clearance. The rib is still bent a bit, but this acceptable. However this trick also has a drawback: the rivt puller's 'grip' on the rivet mandrel is very short now (only a couple millimeters). My fear is that the puller's jaws may become worn before I can compelte the two spars.

 

Another invaluable tool: the Dremel flexible shaft. This is the only known way (at least to me) to drill this bottom rivet holes. Even for the angled drill tool this holes are too close to the sparweb.

And now another invaluable note:

if you follow the plans and install all wingribs before you install the root rib - then kiss your wing good-bye. There is ~no way~ to drill this holes after all ribs have been installed. At least rib #1 and #2 have to be removed to get acces to this root rib angle. Drilling from the opposite side is also no option, because there the wing attach angle is in the way.

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Little sch...y Angles (Oct. 29th 2004)

This two angles look very similar...

... but are NOT! They're assymetrical. It's a long time ago I fabricated them. The knowledge about this pasts got lost. So sch.. happened. A new angle was made within half an hour (some angle stock was left over). However also a new rearspar attach plate had also to be made. So a 1ft x 1ft of 0.190 material had to be ordered from Wicks (greatest aircraft materials supplier on this planet).

 

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Wing Skeletal (Oct. 25th 2004)

This views are always appealing

The mainspar became a bit banana shaped by the riveting job. This will disappear when the wing is skinned (at least my building buddies said so...). Reinforcing angles up to the outmost rib (on my flying machine at least)

 

also a nice perspective (if I should better make the wingskin transparent?)

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What a nice little Petrol-to-Noise Converter! (Oct. 23rd 2004)

The Revmaster is back from rebuilding. What has been done?

 

Yes. it's single ignition ;-)) As nice looking as the old Revmaster cast-aluminum valve covers were - they were ~heavy~ (and the cork sealing I can get around the corner - the Revmaster O-ring I can't) - so back to the good old VW roots.

 

That exhaust tubing came with the engine. It had never seen exhaust gas. The black color is ceramic coating (inside and out). Unfortunately the exhaust stub now points into the wrong direction (UP, where the turbo was installed before). However this tubing is so nice, - will see how I can route the pipe to the silencer.The turbo I will not use anymore (too heavy/clumsy). It's already sold on ebay. Instead the compression ratio is increased to 1:9. This (hopefully) will make the 80 takeoff HP. Sidenote: all Sauer(R) aviation engines (actually Type ones) are 8.9:1 to 9.3:1. These run reliably in various motorgliders for many, many years. I'll burn 100 Octan car fuel (Exxon V-Power or equivalent). Displacement is 1985 ccm, compression chamber volume is 48 ccm.

What's to do next:

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Mainspar Mission Accomplished! (Oct, 20th, 2004)

The last forgotten solid rivets are set now. All rivets could be set with the Sioux 3X rivet gun. Now I've to clear the worktable for wing assembly. Parallel to the wing I will drive the engine assembly forward. Have a look at the aft sparweb, it's almost one meter longer than shown in the Sonex plans (tech examiner wanted it that way for enhanced buckling resistance). The clecos hold the distance-strips 1/8" x 1/2" at the rib locations in place. Also the rib spacings are narrower than the Sonex plans show (thanks, examiner).


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The Last hard-to-set Spar-Rivets (Oct, 19th, 2004)

These seven remaining flush rivets are worst to set. An angled rivest set (see Oct 3rd) may be O.K. for round-headed rivets. However flush rivets are a totally other story. An angled rivet set will 'travel' around and probably make bad indentions into the alumoinum sheets. So the rivet set has to be straight here - but this is not possible because the angled sparcap is in the way :-(

 

This should help. The steel of this tools is very tough (I've cut this set into two pieces with a hand-saw, so I know). The cutout does not compromize strenght.

The front is grinded slightly convex this assures the hits go on the center of the rivet head (and not on the surrounding sheet metal).

 

This piece of solid stainless-steel makes the bucking bar. Neighbouring shop-heads should be identical in height. When riveting, the spar is turned around, the bucket bar rests on the table.

 

The new tool clears the 7 degrees sparcap flange nicely. Setting those rivets proceeded smoother than anticipated. The mainspars are ready now for receiving the wingribs.

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Setting those Terrible Spar-Rivets (Oct, 3rd, 2004)

Some of the not-so-nice features of the Sonex is that you cannot use off-the-shelf tools to rivet the mainspars together.

This ground-down rivet set can be used for all round-head rivets. So there will remain only seven hard-to-reach flush rivets per side. I think it makes no sense to build the rivet squeezer just for 14 rivets. So another way has to be found.

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