MOD - Bottom Fuel Tank Cover - Right WIng

Back to work! Started on the bottom fuel tank covers. This is an option that is not advertised by Just Aircraft. I happened to see it in one of the exploded view drawings of the wing. I asked about it and was told it was an early option that they did away with. I actually liked the idea of being able to remove the fuel tank covers from underneath the wing vs climbing on top to do so. Anyway, I asked for them to be included in my kit and they obliged.

So, since I had the Stage 3 Quick Build Wing option I would have to remove some rivets on the bottom and replace them with rivnuts. I studied the layout and determined which ones needed to be replaced. I marked them with a sharpie and began drilling them out. I did one at a time, drilling out the rivet and replacing it with a rivnut. I didn't want to take a chance of introducing any slop into the skin. In all 36 rivnuts were installed for the right wing bottom fuel tank cover.

Once all the rivnuts were done I grabbed the cover and put it in place. Unlike the top cover, this was just a cut piece of aluminum, no bent edges. I was careful to get it as square as I could and clamped it in position. I used my hole finder to locate the position to drill the holes, I drilled opposite of each other in order to set the relative position of the piece and used screws to fasten it in place. The first two or three are critical as it "sets" the position of the piece. Then it was just a matter of drilling out the remaining holes and inserting screws.

 

 

 

 Once finished drilling the holes in the cover, I took it to the brake and put bends in all four sides. The purpose is to prevent wind from lifting the edge of the cover when in flight. The bent edge acts as a clamp when the screws are tightened down thus preventing wind from lifting the panel. A very important step.

 

 

 

Right wing bottom fuel tank cover done.