October 2018

I covered the lenses with low tack masking tape before work, hopefully preventing any scratches etc. Having heard horror stories about virtually anything attacking plexiglass, I did test the tape on a scrap piece prior…

Having clecoed the LE’s onto the main spar and checked that the tie-down hole was correctly aligned, it was time for more riveting. I used the pneumatic squeezer for the rivets on the lower spar…

The manual suggests that you place the skins into the jigs prior to installing the inspection hatch doubler. Hmmm … much easier to do this before, & to back-rivet this whilst the skin can be…

Lots of nutplates to rivet. All straightforward, but needed to be careful to select and confirm the correct type! My technique for this type of nutplate attachment is to cleco them on, and prior to…

Lots of dimpling to be done, but all easy. I used the reduced diameter female dimple on the J Stiffeners … but I think a normal size one would be just OK actually. Breaking the…

Vans have supplied the kit with two pilot holes ready for the Stall Warner Vane slot. I have asked the LAA (Light Aircraft Association, UK) whether I will be compelled to fit a mechanical stall…

The LE Stiffeners have to be cut to length and match drilled to match the LE Skins. A line is drawn down the flange a prescribed distance from the edge. I had made a little…

Splice Strips Two Splice Strips have to be cut away from the tank skins. These strips will have nutplates attached & be riveted to the root rib of the LE’s so the tanks can fastened…

As usual a few steps in the manual involve hours of work, since there are 14 ribs to be deburred. The flanges at the rib noses need to be rounded off to reduce the tendency…