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 Goldberg "Gas Bird" Construction Project Session #6


By Tommy Gray
AMA 17063


In the previous session, I started on the wing.  This time I pretty much finished it up.  I had cut the basic structure into 4 pieces ready for joining at the dihedral joints.  I then, using blocks, propped up the tip piece for one of the tip to the proper elevation it was supposed to have.  The total dihedral is 5 1/2" total dihedral measured at the tip, with one inch of it being the center section, and 4 1/2" being the tip.  I propped the center up one inch, and propped up the tip to the 5 1/2" as you can see below. I could have done it with the center flat, and the tip up at 4 1/2" but this time I just happened to have the appropriate blocks handy so I did it this way.  I usually do it the other way.

After the glue had set, I removed the pins holding the center in place, and took the wing half off the blocks to look at it.  Here is a half joined with the proper tip elevation.

After completing both wing halves, I pinned one center to the board, and propped the other up 2" to get the 1" dihedral on each side as called for in the plans.

Here is the wing with the center being joined at the proper dihedral angle.

I then cut some 1//16" sheet into the pieces for the leading edge.  When I was putting things together, I left the top of the ribs indented 1/16" at the top where they meet the leading edge so that the sheeting would come in flush  with the top of the 3/16" square leading edge piece at the front.  I glued the sheet to the leading edge and let it dry.  (Sorry, I did not get a picture of this part of the build!).

Next, after the glue dried on the leading edge, I put some aliphatic resin glue on the top of the ribs, and the 1/18" top spar so I could bend the sheeting down onto it.  In the picture below you can see where I bent it and clamped it until the glue set up.  I used a block with a good straight edge to clamp it with so that the wing would remain straight when the glue dried.

Here it is with the first piece of sheeting in place and glued. you can see the good tight joint at the leading edge I obtained by pre-fitting the sheet before gluing it on.

I completed the wing centers by adding the sheeting to the other side, attempting to keep a tight joint where they met in the center of the wing.

After I sheeted the centers, I went on to sheet the tips. I'm getting excited as it is starting to look good to me!

In the next session, I will start adding bracing to the structure of the wing.  

More to come....Tommy!
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