Slats

I began the day with some small tidy tasks that needed to be done. 

First, I painted the outer wing tip ribs. Not necessary, but it looks much neater and provides some extra corrosion protection. The area won't be seen once the wing tips are installed, but it finishes off the end of the wing nicely.

Second, there was a small triangular area on each wing where the wing transitions from flaps to ailerons that did not get covered with fabric. I wanted to finish it off as it was unsightly, so I draped the wing and masked the area off and painted it. A small detail but worth the effort.

Next up, I began installing the Slats for the final time. I started with the slat arms. No surprises here as I had pre-installed them before sending the arms and slats to powder coat. They went in without issue and look pretty good. After they were installed, I hit them and the leading edge of the wing with John's 360 Avenger ceramic coating.

Then I started figuring out the Slats themselves. They are "handed" meaning they each go in a specific position on the wings. Once I figured out where each one was to be installed, I began the process.

I only got the first one on the arms when I realized the powder coat was going to need to be removed from the bearing cups on the slats. I checked them all out and they all need reaming. So, that was the end of the day. I'll take up the reaming process tomorrow. Once that is done, then back to the fitting process.

By the way, it is much easier to fit the slats while the wings are on the rotisserie vs when the wings are installed on the aircraft. As you see in the pic, the best way is with the wing upside down. Once I have them all installed and adjusted, the wings will be ready for installation on the plane.