Greetings from a new forum member. I have just acquired a Skybolt project and have a couple of questions relating to the wing construction.
1) The wings are partially built. The upper wing ribs have some bowing in them. They are the plywood variant. The drag wires have already been tensioned. The wings dont appear to have any twist in them, but I am concerned about the bowed ribs. Can these be straightened out, or do I need to pitch the wings and start over?
2) The drag/antidrug wires have rust on them. The inner-most wires have no rust, but the thinner outer wire pairs have rust. Should I clean them up and paint them, or pitch them?
3) The lower wings look pretty good with the exception of the aft inboard spar stubs. The previous builder didnt use good protection while welding the attachment brackets to the fuselage and burned part of the spar stub. The area under the metal plates on the spars is unburned. Is a bit of charred wood ok, or do I need to pitch the wings and start over?
Regarding the plans my plans are ancient and consist of 14 pages of drawings which leave much to the imagination. Should I purchase a new set, and if I do, will they have more details than what I have in the 14 pages? I am a previous RV-8 builder and am using the Vans plans as my point of reference. Are there any additional build guides available out there which help to fill in the blanks?
It is great to be learning tube and fabric construction. These planes seem to have a soul and I have always been drawn to them. Thanks in advance for any comments.
1) The wings are partially built. The upper wing ribs have some bowing in them. They are the plywood variant. The drag wires have already been tensioned. The wings dont appear to have any twist in them, but I am concerned about the bowed ribs. Can these be straightened out, or do I need to pitch the wings and start over?
2) The drag/antidrug wires have rust on them. The inner-most wires have no rust, but the thinner outer wire pairs have rust. Should I clean them up and paint them, or pitch them?
3) The lower wings look pretty good with the exception of the aft inboard spar stubs. The previous builder didnt use good protection while welding the attachment brackets to the fuselage and burned part of the spar stub. The area under the metal plates on the spars is unburned. Is a bit of charred wood ok, or do I need to pitch the wings and start over?
Regarding the plans my plans are ancient and consist of 14 pages of drawings which leave much to the imagination. Should I purchase a new set, and if I do, will they have more details than what I have in the 14 pages? I am a previous RV-8 builder and am using the Vans plans as my point of reference. Are there any additional build guides available out there which help to fill in the blanks?
It is great to be learning tube and fabric construction. These planes seem to have a soul and I have always been drawn to them. Thanks in advance for any comments.
