Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2017

Let's Build a Rib!

This is a summary of the rib building procedure as I had posted it to the EAA builders' forums. How I build a rib: Nose block, and preformed upper and lower capstrips are placed in the jig. Both capstrips are left long at the trailing edge, the lower sits atop the upper for now. Intercostals are added, forcing the capstrips into final shape. The upper capstrip is marked where it abuts the lower. It's then removed from the jig, trimmed with a razor saw and sanded to final fit. Then all the joints are hit with a sanding bar to bring the pieces down to the same thicknesses, there is some slight variation between them. A vacuum with a brush attachment pulls up all the sanding dust before gluing begins. Here are all the parts in the jig post sanding. Cardstock spacers are used either side of the spar blocks to allow easier installation of the finished rib on the spars. Next, the nose gusset is laid in place with an aircraft nail partly driven into the upper and low