Clamped the bracket and spacer to the spar and back-drilled using the spar holes as a guide.

The plans call fr drilling 5/8" holes in the top of your table and since I didn't want to do that, I decided to build a "sacrificial" table top.  I ripped a 12" x 8' piece of plywood and built a frame out of 2x4's and 1x4's.  After securing the top to the frame I have a top that I can throw away once the flaps are complete.

I clecoed the bottom skin to the left flap spar and then drilled through the bottom skin into the top of the sacrificial table.

 

I assembled the left flap by clecoing the ribs to the spar, skins to ribs and leading edge skin to spar.  I weighed the flap assembly down with some threaded rods I had laying around.  I taped them together and each bundle weighed approximately 5 lbs. each. 

Inserted trailing edge AEX wedge and drilled trailing edge.  Match drilled all holes.

Disassembled flap components and deburred.  Drilled K1000-4 platenut to inboard rib and bracket and countersunk.

Dimpled ribs and countersunk spar.  Deburred bottom skin.

 

Deburred top left flap skin.  Assembled right flap by clecoing ribs to spar, skins to ribs and leading edge skin to spar.  Inserted trailing edge AEX wedge and drilled trailing edge.  Match drilled all holes except inboard flap attach bracket.

I decided to print out some true size photos of the avionics I plan to use and start a "mock up" panel.  Over the next few months I will be able to look at it and see how it fits.

 

Clecoed the top skin and leading edge skin to the left flap and riveted.

Flipped the left flap over devised a way to weigh down the skins.  I found some 1x10's and clamped them to the table.  It works really well.

I then clecoed the bottom skin and started riveting the bottom skin and leading edge skins to the spar.

 

I clecoed the top skin and leading edge skins to the spar and ribs of the right flap.

I worked on the left wing aileron bellcrank by reaming the brass bushing for the bolt.  I also had to ream the bellcrank in order for the bushing to turn smoothly.  I decided that "my favorite grease" (inside joke) is Aeroshell 33.  I greased the bushings in both bellcranks and installed.

I'm ready to construct my aileron pushrods but need to verify that the pushrod lengths specified in the plans is correct.

 

After deburring I taped one end of each tube and mixed up some primer.  For this purpose I am using Nason 2-part self-etching epoxy primer. 

I poured the primer inside each tube and coated the inside thoroughly.  I also primed the inside of the W-918 aileron bellcrank to aileron pushrod.  Finally, I used rattle can self-etching primer to spray the outside of the two W-917 tubes.

 

Back to the flaps.  I removed the weights from the flap and removed the clecos in the trailing edge.  It was soon apparent that two days was insufficient for the ProSeal to adequately cure and bond the trailing edge.  I had to get creative in order to hold it all together long enough to insert the rivets in the top and tape them in place for back-riveting.

I flipped the flap top-side down and used my heavy angle as a back-riveting plate.  I used 3/16" foam sheets as a leveler for the rest of the flap.  I half-shot the rivets and flipped the flap over.  I used the mushroom set to finish the riveting.  I again used -3.5 rivets instead of -3 rivets called out in the Plans in order to get a sufficient shop head.  The left flap is done and perfectly straight!

I started again on the assembly of the right flap by drilling the leading edge skin to 7/64" and blind riveted all but the outside edges where I squeezed solid rivets.  I then shot the majority of leading edge skin to top skin to spar rivets.  Here, again, I prefer to use -4 rivets as opposed to the -3.5 rivets called out in the Plans in order to get a sufficient shop head.

 

Total Hours Flaps

Pulled the Van's corrugated conduit through the right wing.  This proved to be quite a task and took me almost 30 minutes for just one wing...I will pull the left wing later.

 

I went ahead and bolted the alignment tool to the end rib on each wing and clamped the ailerons in the neutral position.  I adjusted the rod-end bearings and bolted temporarily.  I had read where some builders are using delrin rod on the bolt as a rudder stop and I did the same.  Unfortunately, I was following the advice of other builders on the VAF Forum and mistakenly used 1/2" delrin rod.  The result (as shown below) shows the 1/2" rod diameter is too small to hit the aileron bracket.  After re-reading the Forum it appears the -9 requires a .75" diameter rod.  Oh well, another order has been placed to ACS...

I am a little baffled how to install the washer on this aileron hinge...It is supposed to go to the right of the bracket in the "gap" before the hinge.  I am embarrassed to say how much time I have spent trying to figure it out.  I shot an email out to another -9 builder to see what others have done. 

UPDATE:  Fellow builder, Bill Repucci, recommended some thin-walled washer wrenches specially designed for this purpose so I placed an order to Avery Tools.

 

I also wanted to help secure the flex conduit in the ribs so I applied a bead of clear RTV silicone at several ribs.

I began by dimpling and riveting platenuts on the inspection panel covers.

 

I had to grind the Gretz pitot in order for it to fit inside the mount tube.  I also had to fabricate a bracket to mount the Gretz electronic control module.  The pitot is designed to work with the ECM but the wires from the pitot are only about 18" long.  The wires must connect to the ECM as well as the power and ground.  I need to install the ECM one bay out from the pitot tube in order to have access to it via an inspection hole.  I riveted the ECM bracket in the adjoining bay with the bellcrank.

I decided to apply a piece of heat shrink tubing over the wires coming out of the pitot tube to help protect them when routed through the rib and around the bellcrank.

 

I am trying to arrange a date for fellow builder (now flyer), Bill Repucci, to fly over from Charlotte, NC to guide me through fitting and drilling the wings to the fuselage.  There is a possibility of him coming next weekend so I need to get busy.  Before I can close up the bottom skins I need to pull the wiring and cables through the conduit.

I am wanting to avoid any wing root wire connectors so I am leaving 12 feet of wire "pigtails" for routing through the fuselage once the wings are permanently attached.

I am adding LED lights at each inspection panel for light when I pre-flight after dark.  I will tie into a 22ga, +12v wire where you see the loops.

Here you can see how I have bundled the excess and stuffed it in the lightening holes.

 

Riveting Bottom Wing Skins...Finally!

Terry arrived late afternoon and we got busy riveting the bottom skin on the right wing.  I decided that since the wings are already stable in their wing stands it made sense to rivet them there.  This is a task that will take much longer than you realize.  Four and a half hours later we finished.  One more wing to go...

 

The only problem was when I dropped the bucking bar down into the leading edge at the third outside bay... too far to reach.  Now I will need to figure out a way to get it out.
 

I installed the lamps in less than 6 hours from start to finish.  The first step is to remove the lens section from the lamp by unscrewing the gray shroud. 

Next, remove the "half-moon" shaped plate. 

The glass lens is sealed with an "O" ring and secured with four screws.

One thing that shows the quality of these lamps is the foam gasket where the lens attaches.  The front of these lamps are water tight.

You can now re-install the lens and set aside.

Next you will need to trim the attach plate for your wingtip style.  My installation is in an RV-9A which has a molded fiberglass "notch" designed in the forward edge.  As you can see, the attach plate needs to be trimmed in order to fit inside the wingtip.

I placed the attach plate outside the wingtip and marked where the trim cuts need to be made.  I used a Dremel tool with fiber cut-off discs to cut the thick steel attach plates.  I found that I could cut about halfway through the plate and then bend and break off the cut section.

Each plate required three trimmed areas.  Here you can see the first attach plate after trimming and deburring as compared to an original plate.

You can use the first trimmed plate as a template and mark the second attach plate for trimming.  (This is if you want to install a second light in the opposite wingtip).  When you are done, the plates should look like this.

Prepping the Wingtips

Next, I measured out where the attach plate screws would be drilled as well as the 3" hole for the light in the wingtip.  Ignore the markings on the vertical section as these will be for the nav/strobe lights.

The hole for the lamp is cut at 3.0 inches using a 3.0" hole saw.  The HID lights generate quite a bit of heat so I over-sized the cut in the fiberglass to allow adequate clearance from the lamp.  After the lights are installed I will be attaching an aluminum dress plate which will have a 2.75" diameter hole.

Next, I had to trim the lamp attach plate in order for the lamp to clear the inside of the wingtip.  The lamp attach plates attach to the lamp with four screws.  After removing the plate I trimmed one edge and deburred and reattached to the lamp.

Next, install the three mounting lugs to the attach plate.  There are two "fixed" length lugs and one adjustable lug.  The lugs attach with "twist and lock" plastic nuts.

These lamps are designed to mount either in front of the attach plate or behind it.  I prefer to mount the lamps behind the attach plate which places the entire lamp within the wingtip.

Next, you install the attach plate (with lugs) to the lamp assembly.  The white nuts fit through the holes in the Lamp attach flange and the small white caps simply snap on the nuts.

Installing the lamps

In order to achieve the proper stand-off from the wingtip I cut three spacers from 1/4" aluminum tubing.  Two of the spacers are 1.0" and one is 0.25".  I also ground a slight bevel on one end of the spacers to match the angle of the wingtip.

To install the lamps I used the following parts:

• 3 - 2.0" 6/32 screws
• 3 - #6 Tinnerman washers
• 9 - #6 flat washers
• 3 - #6 star washers
• 3 - #6 nylock nuts

Make sure to install the lamp so it is oriented "top up" after the wingtip is installed on the wing.  The lamps have stamping to indicate the top side of the lamp.  A nice feature of these lamps is the adjustment screw which allows you to "aim" the lamp for optimum light dispersion.  For example, you will want the landing light to aim directly ahead while the taxi light would need to be aimed downward.

Now, all that is left is to install the outer dress plate. 

I will be attaching the 50-watt ballast to the outer wing rib.  HIDFoglight.com will be offering these lamps to RV builders who wish to have the finest in wingtip HID lighting.  They will soon also offer another HID lamp for those with the old Duckworks halogen lamps.  It will also be 50-watts and offer a true retro-fit for the leading-edge lamps.  (More info on the leading-edge HID lamps will be available on their website.  Final pricing on the wingtip HID lights is available on their website as well.  If you would like additional information on the installation of the wingtip lights, please feel free to contact me here.
 

I then drilled the tip to the hinge using 1.25" rivet spacing.

 

I also glassed in the APRS antenna in the right wing tip.

I fabricated and drilled the hinge pin retainer blocks and test installed them.

I need to order some proper Molex connectors for the navigation lights so I jumped ahead and started trimming the lens covers using my Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

 

Here is Lynne stripping the plastic in her housecoat....

 

Total Hours this Page

Total Hours Wings