browser icon
You are using an insecure version of your web browser. Please update your browser!
Using an outdated browser makes your computer unsafe. For a safer, faster, more enjoyable user experience, please update your browser today or try a newer browser.
« « Previous Post: December time-lapse video | Next Post: » »

Wing Spars #1 (Angle fabrication)

Posted by on January 1, 2014

wings

Total build time: 230 hours.

After a break from building for the holidays, I’m back at it. From having reached the decision point of either moving on to the forward fuselage or the wings, I chose the wings.  The main reason is that once the forward fuselage is finished and attached to the aft fuselage, my free/open work space shrinks rather dramatically due to having to store such a large and unwieldy structure. The wings however take a lot of room to build, but once complete they can be removed and easily stored anywhere.

Before the shape of the wings themselves are built, the main substructures must be built, and the primary structure to any aircraft wing begins with the wing spar. It’s basically a very strong and lightweight I-beam, and as I learned it’s more like building a bridge than an airplane part.

There are a lot of angle components that I needed to fabricate to add strength to the spars.

Waiex-570

 

All of those parts I had to make and finish using stock aluminum bar and angle extrusion. For the final piece (two of them actually) I took photos of the process:

Step #1: measure and cut a length of angle:

 

Waiex-578

Waiex-579

 

Step #2: measure and mark the shapes that need to be cut into the angle:

 

Waiex-581

 

Step #3: “radius” any interior corners to relieve stresses, then cut the angles.

 

Waiex-582

Waiex-583

Waiex-585

 

Step #4: Deburr rough edges and remove any excess material to fit the required shape and size. Make it look pretty!

 

Waiex-586

Waiex-587

 

There ends up being 2 of every part, one each for the left and right wing spars.

« « Previous Post: | Next Post: Wings #1 (Rib Gussets) » »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SOLVE: