VECTOR HELP !!! This is new to me???

[Paul Taylor]

I am almost at a point to add some glue, and I really am wanting to do this right. This is a very first for me. All my wings have been flat down on the plans as I build. The Vector has a taper lower spar and it says to raise it 5/32 off the table at the end of the spar. And to make matters worse I had to cut the spar. .

As I eye ball this wing with my hammer and nails in hand (CA bottle) I am trying to think ahead about what will go next. LE sheeting, cap strips, center sheeting..... I noticed that there is a little extra wood on the spar from R-6 out to R-11. OK no problem, cap strip and LE will fill that in, then I think about it and I see that is not the case. I think. Or will it? Maybe not?
Here is a photo of what I have. Nothing is glued.

I think I need to shave down the spar a little more.
Help, anyone been there done this?

I hope I explained this right. See the red box in the photo.

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Paul,

It is either not cut correctly or is bowed.  Sometimes the wood relieves itself once cut.  That is why you cut oversize and sand down to the finished size.

[ray copeland]

Hey Paul,  I am coming along on a Vector kit myself ,my first real built up ,. I cannot tell from the photo what you have going on there i am sure someone will be able to tell. I have called and e-mailed several people with questions and they have been very helpful, thanks Randy and Phil !!  One suggestion, stock up on sand paper!!  

[Bill Little]

Looks like a *little* "modification" is necessary..........

Cut slot in the rib deeper, or thin the depth of the depth of the spar.  Which ever it takes to maintain a straight wing.  Glue it all up before you "mold" the LE sheeting.  At least I would......

Big Bear

[Paul Taylor]

Think I will shave the spar. The whole raise the wing 5/32 of an inch put a new spin on things for me. I am sure I will have some more dumb questions before I nail anything down.
Thanks guys.

[Rafael Gonzalez]

Because it is a double taper wing (seems to me, width and length...), in order to lay flat on the table, both tips need to be raise the taper amount. I had this problem on a ship that I built a while back do not remember the ship but had the similar problem.

Instead of shipping the spar with the taper, they shipped a straight piece. I aligned the ribs where they touched the slot to the spar (bottomed the spar to the ribs) and marked on the spar the correct height that would bring the spar flush with the rib. Then, I removed all the ribs and proceded to cut the spar to the right angle with a straight edge.

Do not cut the slots deeper as that will misalign the spar with respect to the wing taper. Just use the R-X to R-XX reference, mark it on the spar and cut it.
You could also use just the 2 end ribs at each extreme of the affected area for reference.

I hope this is clear enought....

Best,


Rafael

[RandySmith]

Looks like a *little* "modification" is necessary..........

Cut slot in the rib deeper, or thin the depth of the depth of the spar.  Which ever it takes to maintain a straight wing.  Glue it all up before you "mold" the LE sheeting.  At least I would......

Big Bear

Please do not cut the ribs deeper, Measure the depth of the spar at the tip rib, and measure at the root rib, make sure the spar is cut ...straight.. from tip to tip using those 2 measurements plus the excess that it takes to extend to the exact center of the wing...example if the rib spar depth is 3/8 inch at the tip and 5/8 inch at the root , lay that out on the spar material and cut it with a steel staight edge.   If the wood for the spar is warped  trash it and cut a new piece, do not use a warped piece for the spar. If they sent spar wood too big, wide, or not cut to size , just trim it to fit

Regards
Randy

[Bill Little]

Please do not cut the ribs deeper, Measure the depth of the spar at the tip rib, and measure at the root rib, make sure the spar is cut ...straight.. from tip to tip using those 2 measurements plus the excess that it takes to extend to the exact center of the wing...example if the rib spar depth is 3/8 inch at the tip and 5/8 inch at the root , lay that out on the spar material and cut it with a steel staight edge.   If the wood for the spar is warped  trash it and cut a new piece, do not use a warped piece for the spar. If they sent spar wood too big, wide, or not cut to size , just trim it to fit

Regards
Randy

*My bad* on cutting the ribs slots "deeper".  I was referring to the slots in the ribs for the spar to sit and not the "ribs" themselves.  Since this is a "kit" I "assume" the ribs were all cut correctly to begin with.  I had a bit of "scratch building" in my head at the time.  Sometimes the spar slots don't get properly cut when cutting by hand.  Kit ribs should be slotted correctly and not need that.  The spar should be cut to the proper size for alignment to be maintained.

Sorry!
Bill

[Paul Taylor]

THANKS GUYS!!!

Knife in hand...... stay tuned!
 

[john e. holliday]

I take it this is not a kit??  If a Brodak kit the instruction book is very well written and thought out.  I've had several of the Brodak kits in which the bottom spar had to be jigged up to the correct height.   That meant several peices of scrap along the spar to keep it straight.   

[Paul Taylor]

I take it this is not a kit??  If a Brodak kit the instruction book is very well written and thought out.  I've had several of the Brodak kits in which the bottom spar had to be jigged up to the correct height.   That meant several peices of scrap along the spar to keep it straight.   

It's a kit Doc, and the instructions are fine. The problem is part of the instructions told me to cut a part.

I am one of those guys that can measure something three times, cut it and it is still too short.

[john e. holliday]

Now you know why I cut over size and then sand til it matches.