Plans number 1573.
I started this chapter by purchasing some white
particle board shelving. The shelving was used to build a fixture that I will
need to build the main wing spar. I built the fixture and am now waiting on the
remainder of my materials to arrive. I have epoxy coming up on the barge and
sheets of foam coming USPO.
Today I built the jig to build the center spar in. It took all day to build and maintain the proper measurements.
I then
added the "sticks" to the side of the jig per plans. I started checking to make
sure each stick was square with the shelf and found that this would be a lot
easier by adding three 1 x 3's to join everything together. You have to keep it
in three sections due to the angles of the spar. This made the sticks check
perfectly square to the shelf of the jig and guaranteed that they are straight
with each other.
The US
post office delivered my foam today after a little over two weeks enroute. Not
bad for Alaska. My new batch of epoxy made it in yesterday on the
barge so I am ready to roll.
So tonight I cut all the foam
to size and test fit to the jig and did the final sanding to make the foam
to fit perfect. I also put the relief in the foam called out in the plans.
To do this I used my router and then sanded the relief smooth and sanded the
radius to allow the fiberglass to lay properly.
I then microed the
foam pieces together and cut pieces of Wicks heavy hazmat box cardboard to
hold the foam out against the jig shown above untill the mico cures. I did put
the ends on after this picture was taken.
Next I installed the spar box interior fiberglass layups. I started with the bi-directional fiberglass layer. I then installed the bulkheads and the bidirectional glass over them. Next I did the unidirectional layups for the hard points which the bolts that hold the wings onto the Cozy MK IV will pass through. I then installed the aluminum inserts at the hard points and the final layer of unidirectional fiberglass over the inserts. I then put weights on the inserts per plans. I let it cure for a day. This fiberglass session took me 5 hours to complete, this not counting having the fiberglass cloth already cut. I highly recommend using slow cure epoxy for this. I then trimmed the excess fiberglass off and this is what it looks like now.
I then laid out the top pieces on my bench and prepared them for fiberglass. I drew a long straight line on my bench to use to line the parts up. I used micro to join the two center parts together. I glassed them with BID and peel plied them. It looks like I fiberglassed everything together but there is a gap between the far piece and the two center pieces so them I can cut them apart.
I next with micro installed the last side of the box which will be the front. I weighted it down to be sure of a good contact.
While waiting for everything to cure I made my templates for cutting the spar pockets. To do this I glued the templates to plywood and cut them out with a jigsaw and sanded them to finish size.
After the spar box had a couple days to cure, I removed it from the jig.
I then sanded all the corners to make them square and
clean. Then I laid out the toughs for the spar tape and used my router and
roughed them in. Next I took my sanding block and sanded in the troughs to fit
the templates. It took a little while to get them right.
Next I cut the
1" x 1/2" angles with my jig saw on the corners per plans. I used my sanding
block to make the angles straight. Next I laid out the
aluminum hard points that will be used for attaching the wings and floxed the
hard points in place. At this point I couldn't take it any longer and had to
clean up the garage, there was foam dust everywhere.
I then cut the Uni directional fiberglass for the shear web. I then
filled the holes in the foam with micro and installed the shear web,
alternating the fiber direction per layer of fiberglass.
I then added the
dams on the side of the spar box. These are used to hold the spar tape in place
until the epoxy cures.
After that cured I applied the top spar
cap. This layup took about 5 hours doing by myself. I fit all 11 layers the full
length. The next day I sanded the radius on the edge of the spar cap and
prepared for the bottom spar cap.
The next night
after work I installed the lower spar cap. After the spar cap cured, I put a
radius on the edge on the lower spar cap. Bellow is what it looks like to this
point. I am very happy how it came out so far. The fiberglass work is getting a
lot easier to do and make it look good.
The next layup took about 4 hours. It was the four layers of UNI
(unidirectional fiberglass) the full length of the spar, alternating the fiber
direction on every layer. I included in this layup the hard points for attaching
the wing.
I floxed the aluminum plates in place and floxed the corners for a smooth transition for the fiberglass. I next installed the three layers of UNI fiberglass and the single layer of BID (bidirectional) fiberglass. I then applied the peal ply over all of that to give it the smooth look. I also peal plied all of the seams for a smooth finish.
The next day I trimmed all the edges and sanded any rough edges. I then cut the access holes that will allow me access to bolt the wing to the center spar. I probably measure all of these holes 3 times to make sure everything was in the right place. Too much work to screw it up now. Next I glassed the front side of the center spar with two layers of uni once again alternating the fiber direction and lapping it onto the side by one inch. I then peal plied all of the edges. After that cured, I made flox corners and glassed over the end caps. This finishes chapter 14 except for installing the center spare on the fusalage. I wont be installing it into the fuselage until I absolutely have to in order to save room in the garage. I stored it out of the way and hopfuly will be installing it this winter.
The center spar at this
point weighed 43 lbs. This doesnt seem too bad for the amount of fibergalss and
epoxy that went into this part.
Now it is time to start on Chapter 13
on Monday, May 30, 2011.
If you have any questions, comments
or concerns, feel free to email me @ Jfisher59@gci.net