OK time to build that wing!

We get it from Lancair with the spars already set in the upper skin (we actually bond the LOWER skin!)

First I install the fittings for the fuel lines and put a layer of flox (cotton mixed with resin!) around them to form a nice smooth transition from the fitting to the spar for some layers of fiberlgass to smoothly cover to hold the fitting snugly in place for the lift of the airplane with no chance of a leak:

We inspect the wing carefully as close-out approaches:

We then throw the wing, minus lower skins, into the giant cradle, or jig, that will hold it in place to within a few hundredths of an inch.

Final chance to find any gaps in the fuel-sealant! The white stuff is fuel-tank sealer. As you can see, almost the entire wing is simply to be filled with fuel. The inner bay is not filled with fuel because the landing gear lives there.

Ah, the simplicity of a wet-wing. The simplicity of a carbon-fiber structure. So few pieces.

OK look carefully! See how the spars, ribs, and leading edges afre so SHINY? That is because it is all perfect pyramids of wet hy-sol, ready for the wing skin to be put in place!

And, we spread hy-sol on the wing skin as well, getting the hy-sol down into the little scratches and gouges we got from sanding the wing skin wherever the hy-sol would go.


And we throw the the wing-skin on!

The next day, after the hy-sol is 100% set, we remove the upper cradle to see the wings! I had duct-taped the leading edge very tight to squeeze out every last bit of hy-sol, to save every possible ounce of weight!

What does the leading edge look like from the INSIDE? Here you go! As you can see, the upper and lower skins overlap, with JUST the right amount of hy-sol in between them to hold them together perfectly, forever.

And lift the wings right out! The wings weigh nothing, and are very easily carried by 2 people.

Are there any leaks in the wing? Any leak would let out fuel, since the wings will be full of fuel in flight! We inflate a surgical glove and watch it all day long.. if it it deflates, then there is a fuel leak! But, the glove stays inflated all day. This is no surprise, since the layers of hy-sol that form the bonds around all the edges were perfectly uniform at 1/3" tall, the hysol squeezed out exactly like expected at the leading edge, the hysol bead on the inside was perfect, and the wing skins were held down to within a few hundredths of an inch.

I take the wings for a quick test-flight to see how they handle. No problems to report yet!

OK let's get that hy-sol squeeze-out and bondo that was used to lock the wings to the jig all sanded away! I wanna see a sleek wing now!

When they made the wing, they could not put the pieces of carbon fober in EXACTLY the right place and size, since they could not know EXACLTY where everything would wind up. So, they gave us all the wing skins with a bit of extra trailing-edge. We then marked exactly where we WANTED the trailing edge, got out the pnuematic cutter, and got to work trimming the trailing edges to the exact perfect location.

We do it for the flaps and ailerons, upper and lower trailing edges, both wings. This is a decent amount of cutting, but all very fun!

Then, we install the flap-attach brackets:

AND we gotta drill some holes in the skin for the flaps to retract. If you look REAAAAAAL careful, you can see the core exposed by my drilling.

OK here is a close-up for you. You can see the core between the layers of carbon fiber here!

And then we sand the slot for the flap actuators nice and straight. I want everything to look perfect!

And there is the slot for a flap-actuator: (one of six or so)