6

R-80 Tiger Moth – A Wing, Part 2

 

Last month, the lower left wing had assumed wing shape, but there remained much to do to get it finished to the point of being ready for rigging. The wingtip bow was on and braced, but there remained a section of the trailing edge to be added before the construction of the aileron inside the wing could begin.

This picture shows the already laminated curved portion of the trailing edge being glued to the straight trailing edge and the aft tips of the three inboard ribs. These three inboard ribs were left unfinished during the rib-building phase and their ends cut to length as part of fitting the curved trailing edge. The geodetic bracing was fitted into the ribs after they were cut to length and the tips glued together.

The aileron is constructed in the wing to take advantage of the already rigid structure to keep everything in alignment. Between the wingtip rib and the inboard end of the aileron, the parts of the ribs aft of the rear spar and the trailing edge attached to those ribs become part of the aileron. The aileron is cut free of the wing when sufficient bracing has been added to the aileron framework to ensure its rigidity.

To the right, the 1/8” ply aileron spar is being glued to a vertical locating member in each rib just aft of the rear spar. Small spar caps will be added to the aileron spar between each rib, top and bottom, and geodetic bracing added from the spar caps to the trailing edge.

To the left, the aileron endplate is being glued to the aileron spar and the trailing edge. The endplate is kept in accurate position by the hinge bolt through the pre-drilled hole. Clamping during gluing in this case is done by wedges.

Next Page