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Tank skin defeat....

J

JDA_BTR

Well Known Member
Tank skin wins! I have the baffle mounted, ribs well-prepped and off the plane they fit the skin well. Ribs in the baffle, baffle bolted down, and time to put the skin on ----> I'm worn out and it isn't together.

Got the bright idea to use the padded jig that holds the skin on the bench upside down to squeeze the skin down over the ribs. Works, but not enough to get things lined up.

Tried top first, then bend down for bottom; bottom first; leading edge first then work each side down..... you know I'm tired!

Open to good ideas. Best one I have is to get a strap and step in the loop to pull the skin down. I don't have anything on the deck to secure a strap too and can't just go around the aft skeleton because the top skin will get bent if I do that.
 
You are just trying to put the skins on the ribs? I just started with a cleco at the nose and worked my way back with a cleco in every hole, alternating between top and bottom. Its tight, but it fits.
 
I couldn't get that to work..... doing it on the wing up on the jig. It doesn't seem a problem if I did it on the bench but I'm trying to follow the instructions; mate the skin and ribs to baffle, and then take that assembly off the plane for drilling.

I think I couldn't get enough bend at the LE with one hand pulling down and another free to cleco. Might have to attract some help with a beer offering.
 
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It is tight, no doubt about it. Keep at it - with a lot of manhandling it can be done, and the next time you put it together it seems easier!
 
JDA_BTR said:
Found this post: http://www.rv8-hangar.com/left-tank-z-brackets/

I'll strap with the wood on the bottom as seen there! Should be able to pull it down like that
Click to expand...

I did the strap thing getting the non-tank leading edge to fit a week ago. The other thing I found helpful was working from one end to the other, i.e. top skin / bottom skin in one span wise location, then moving on to the next. I am not sure how this will work on the tanks, since I have not gotten that far yet.
 
It occurred to me too that if the tip of the rib flange is sprung out it will make it tough for that reason as it would push the tip out. I?m going to double check that.
 
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