I thought I would start by reintroducing myself and what I would like to see in this string.
I am a first time builder with no maintenance background except a 6 week ejection seat tech school in 1982. I remember how to use a torque wrench and safety wire and that is about it. My dad was an aircraft mechanic in the 1950's in AK working on C-47's and anything else laying around. He spent the next 25 years as a maintenance controller and retired from the Air Guard. I am a former navigator (F-4, C-130) and just retired as C-130 pilot from the reserves. I fly semiprofessionally for a former crop dusting outfit that merged with my former employer. Currently an A320 copilot. Dad got his PPL at 58 and is still flying his PA28 at 82 and has been a big help so far.
I decided on the CarbonCub after a year of research and advice from a super cub owner and AP/IA mechanic. (he has 2 PA18's and a J3) The factory tour and demo ride clinched it. (most expensive 0.6 I have ever flown)
I am close to finishing the first wing after only a month. Since there doesn't seem to be a clearing house for building issues on this forum, I was going to use my build as a place folks can post heads up on problems with the manual or kit. (like not reading ahead or a bad part reference) or offering techniques to help inexperienced guys like me. (a consolidated source if you will) I know some folks have older kits and manuals and it is a work in progress. I hope to make building a CC as painless as possible for everyone and make the CC even better. (and maybe cut down on Mitch's phone bill)
One thing I have learned in 30 years around aviation, it's less painful to learn from others mistakes than your own. If I do mess up, I also found it's best to fess up so others may learn.
Jake
I know there is a ton of expertise and opinions, so don't hold back.
I only unpacked the wing stuff and organized the parts. I segregated the left and right wing parts (-001 vs -002) There are some exceptions to this...left and right side or inboard/outboard. I used part of the crate and stapled the parts in numerical order and cut a slit in the front to make a pouch. Makes part retrieval much easier. (Thx to Engine Anderson for that tip)
The parts not in plastic I put in numerical order on the shelves. The plastic parts boxes are awesome for the nuts and bolts all labeled for you.
Next...Read the entire manual! I use a highlighter and make notes. (still hasn't prevented a few minor mistakes) There are several places where the manual says "attach per figure Wxx" This may not mean all the parts shown in the diagram. (Sometimes in the manual it tells you which rivets or parts NOT to install yet even though the parts diagram may make you think otherwise...and some of the pictures may show parts assembled prior to the point you would using the manual) Mitch will send updated pictures in a DropBox folder so don't forget to look at those. Some of the pictures in my manual are old or from the assembly line in YKM so make sure you use the diagrams and not the pictures for bolt orientation and such)
An example of this is sect 13, p.74 in the wing manual(extended fuel). It says to install machined tail ribs....refer to figure W18 and W19. Fig W18 shows all the parts to include the Top clip which isn't installed until section 24, and top and bottom clips on rib #12 in section 36.
I will be using a sharpie more and more to mark on the parts that will get done later.
if in doubt...stop, take a break, reread the entire section, then call Mitch. Great customer support and he pretends not to mind my dumb questions.
Then put the spars on the horses and level them. I found it paid off going to a real old-school lumber yard vs the big box stores. Found nearly perfect lumber that made leveling the spars a breeze.
1939[/ATTACH]The first drawings of the spars are a bit small so look carefully. I marked the diagrams with top, bottom, inboard left, right etc to help until I was used to looking at the diagrams. The angle of the inboard spar gives away the top and bottom. The manual assumes building the left wing first. Be careful, a few of the example photos are of the right wing.
Section 9 has you check the inboard part of the spars for all the holes. I only found two missing. On the next wing, I will drill those before I get started adding the blocks in Section 1.
The next couple of steps involved reaming the wing attach fittings and lift struts. The 5/16 holes were too much for Dads 3/8in old craftsman corded drill. On the next wing, I will use a slightly smaller reamer followed by the 5/16. It seemed to me to be too much metal to remove in one pass and the fitting got pretty warm. A stronger drill will help too. The 1/4 holes were a breeze. Use plenty of cutting oil.
Jake
update from factory tour 12-13 Feb 2013......the wing build guy uses pneumatic drill to ream the holes.
On right wing I used a 2/1000 smaller reamer first and worked great.
Last edited by c130jake; 05-25-2013 at 11:33 PM.
Reason: Update
Next up, riveting ribs. The tabs on the ribs are small and there has been past discussion on how to set rivets in the tight spaces. I purchased the Avery kit and it comes with a nice close quarters rivet puller. The only down side it it won't pull the cherry max. I did grind a tiny bit off the top of the Avery puller and ground a nose piece on the pneumatic riveter. A spare nose piece from a cheap hand puller worked.
My first mistake. Tank straps. Look at the diagram and read carefully. You need to enlarge a hole on the tank straps that fit over the larger bolt. 1/4. One end only. The first sentence didn't specify one end only like it does for the next one and I got carried away and drilled both ends. Mitch is sending replacements.
Next up, install drag wires. After drilling out the holes for the drag wires, read carefully so the Fat drag wires go one in each of the first two bays and the skinny wire is on top (Outboard rear spar to inboard front spar)
I was a bit confused by some of the pictures showing the old larger nuts for the drag wires and the diagram W16. Use the thinner nuts like in photo 081 (ext wing).
#8 drag wire clearance. I used my Dremel with a small cone shaped stone to make the cut out.
Section 12 has you install the cable fairleads. They get in the way of the rivet squeezer when dimpling and setting the rivets that attach the nose rib to the center rib in section 25. (I may wait on the next wing) They are a bit tricky to install so I can see doing it before the nose rib install so you don't take a chance of damaging the nose ribs. Only install them to the rib inboard of the pulley attachment....I got carried away and installed one too many. They are a bugger to get back out.
Sect 13...Install the machined tail ribs and flap/aileron hanger rib. (the two nuts and two cherry max rivets) The diagram makes it look like you would install all the hardware. The clips get put on later. (Sect 24 & 36 & 49)
Jake's CarbonCub build.
Reply With Quote
Mitch is sending replacements.
