EarlyBird

I have dry fitted the two wings together to measure the spars. This highlights the issue I have with joining the two wings together. My room is not big enough 🤣😭 so it looks like I will have to work by dry fitting I'm taking it apart before bedtime or I will be walking into it in the night. Steve

Wingtip fabricated and glued in place. The last two ribs glued in place after cutting the slots for the braces. I have been trial fitting the wings together and I was wondering when is the best time to join both wings as I could do it now any ideas? Steve

All of the 1/8 ribs are now glued in place this just leaves the three 16th ribs which need some special attention I'm going to start with the tip rib which will be different to the first Wing as I will be adding the sheet framework before glued in place. All will become obvious tomorrow I hope. Steve

The tip shear web is glued in place to brace for the additional ribs. Then the new rib is dry fitted and marked up. Glue is applied to the rib and set to one side Then glue the web and push into place and do the same for the rib. Check the straightness and for vertical at each stage finally add the weight to keep it in place. Now pull up the leading edge sheet and use the profile I made earlier. This is the method I used on the first Wing, this is my first time at doing it this way. Steve

First rib glued and shear web used to brace ready for more ribs to be added. I use pegs and spar pieces to hold the shear web in place Steve

I've added 1/16 packer in front of the 1/32nd. With another dry fit I feel confident this will work so the first rib is glued in place with a help of the bit of weight Just waiting for the glue to dry again Steve

Start by shaping the bottom spar. To fit Dry fit everything to check all is okay. Clearly not as the ribs do not sit on the spars and trailing edge sheet, I will investigate, back later. Steve

And with the clamps off and with a bit of sanding even better but not perfect A bit more tidy up to do but for the time being I will put this to one side and start the second Wing or is that the second half of the wing? Steve

Waiting to dry. Steve

With the extra supports in place I am now ready to fit the wing tip sheeting. Steve

Much later That looks better, trust me. Steve

Offending wood removed. And glued pinned and weighted down. It's a case of wait and see. Steve

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That's a very good description of how to form and cover a wing the only thing I would add is for the tip which is glued and clamped at the leading edge first then along the edge towards the spar. Last is the spar which is covered by the sheeting and gradually forms a curve which when dried can be cut to a straight line with the spar. While sitting here looking at the wingtip I notice the line I should have used was already drawn, now that is annoying. My thinking is that I should remove the sheeting and cut to that line. Steve

Thanks John, but I had already started so I had to finish. I am now looking at the top and wondering again whether to cover it or not as I am not too pleased with the outcome of the tip. I think there is two much of a curve on the edge which is caused a slight depression towards the front. I'm now considering all of the options to make this look right Steve

Not brilliant but it will do as it is only the bottom. The top. I was going to sheet the whole of the tip I am now having second thoughts as I could just apply cap strips. I do like a challenge though I will see tomorrow.

After a long day here we have it. The easy bit first the trailing edge Followed by the hard part the leading edge And all-in-one our top view of the tip. Unfortunately the bottom is not complete. Oh dear the sheet looks to be a bit short. No problem I will sort that out tomorrow it's been a long day so it's bedtime for me. And so to bed said Zebedee. A bit of The magic roundabout just for the younger ones who do not understand. Steve

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Cap strips on, top and bottom. Next will be the wing tips. This could be more fun because I am not a fan of block balsa wood, the idea is to sheet the tips. We will see 🙄

After lots of planing and sanding this is the result Cap strips next for a change. Steve

Left to dry overnight this is how it looks now. As you can see I have started on the leading edge I have great difficulty in resisting the temptation to start using the David plane. Here is the underside. A bit of sanding should sort that out. Steve

Leading edge top sheet started. Here it is with the leading edge pins holding it in place while the dampened balsa dries to shape. Now glued

Hi kc, the spars are continuous I bought 4 foot lengths so that there would be no joins. I think it's a shadow you are seeing Second lamination glued and clamped in place. I remember now why I went for a quarter inch balsa into layers rather than the one layer of half inch the reason is balsa was becoming expensive and doing it this way I used one sheet of quarter inch and reduce wastage. Something else I forgot to mention was that I have sanded the top spars and the top of the ribs the tops spars have been shaped approximately to the ribs by doing this when the sheet is applied there will not be a flat spot running along the line of the spars Steve

I decided a long time ago to make the leading edge from two 6 mm pieces the reason why I haven't not got a clue now Here is the first layer glued and clamped drying overnight.