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RV Super 6 - VH-SWK

Don't know if I am covering old ground here, but have the LEFT WING out of the wing jig and on the bench.

Completed all skin riveting, and fully wired all electrical components on this wing.

Set it up, right side up, of course, and jacked up tip end of the bench to simulate the 2 degree dihedral angle of RV6 and filled the tanks with AVGAS for the first time and noted the complete absence of any leaks (big sigh of relief!!)

While filling, had all the fuel gauges and fuel level sensors powered up, so completed a fuel calibration on these at the same time, getting a total capacity of 180 Litres on this side in all three tanks, which includes the tip tank.

After leaving full for 3 days without any leaks, drained via the engine outlet and found the unique "syphon system" being trialled on the tip tank worked, in that this tank drained fully empty before the outer main started to feed.

This is as was planned and I must say I am greatly relieved that it worked!!

Now working on fabricating the "gap" between the outboard end of the aileron and the tip tank on the left wing and this is coming along nicely. Next to fabricate a roll-around sling-stand for the wings for storage before starting on the same routine on the right wing, so probably not a lot to report next time round.

Cheers
Bill Bell
August 2003

With much appreciated help from Peter Cove, who became an expert with the back-riveting dolly, the one-piece top wing skins were riveted on last month.

This months big news is that with further help from bucking buddy Barry Ranford, the much more difficult task of riveting on the bottom skins was commenced, and when Barry wore out, he was ably replaced by Peter Cove who now is a master riveter (Rosie Class) and did stirling work with the gun while yours truly forced his big fat arms into impossibly tiny spaces with the bucking bars.

(Only now has the swelling on bruised arms gone down)

MILESTONE.

Removed the LEFT WING intact from the jig at last and running the electrical wiring. Bought a 100 foot roll of #20 wire this morning and it has ALL gone into the runs in the left wing and need some more tomorrow. This plus a few runs of #14 for the heavier circuits ( heated pitot, landing lights etc.)

Bill Bell
July 2003

Bill's going great guns - borrowed my wing chord templates to position the ailerons and flaps correctly. Can't wait to see this aircraft complete. Bill's doing a meticulous job - the aircraft will outlive all of us with all that alodine!

Shirley Harding
June 2003

I have been away for awhile, which has dented my otherwise steady progress on the RV Super 6.

However, now that the leading edge components of the wings are all finished I am forging ahead with the one-piece wing skins.

There certainly are a lot of holes to drill. About 750 per skin (and there are four skins!!) i.e. about 1500 deburrings per sheet, plus it all had to be done again when the sheet is drilled to the wing PLUS 750 dimplings per sheet AND another 750 for each sheet on the wing. I think I am getting RSI!

Anyhow three of the four skins are ready to rivet on, and waiting for arrival of an extra sheet of 2024 to cut the last one from.

There is no doubt the wing is going to look very nice without the big ugly join in the middle! The downside is that those big skins are not easy to handle on your own!

Total time invested in the wings so far is 870 Hours.

Bill Bell
May 2003

Will soon close the wings, waiting on aluminium, using 1 gauge bigger than plans, engine will be IO540

Bill Bell
January 2003

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