Not really looking forward to this after the life threatening tedium of riveting the top skins. I really shouldn't say things like that as it gives the impression that there is something else to do that would be more fun. Sometimes it's hard to remember that you are having the time of you life when you are drilling out a rivet gone bad for the second time. The truth is that all of it is better than not building an airplane, but some of the processes are more fun than others.
The real trick to doing the bottom skins is getting past the first part. I guess that could be true with just about any task. Just beyond the procrastination lies the productivity. I eventually got into it and discovered right off, that the area under the wing walk is a real bitch because of the closely spaced ribs.
To work the bottom skins by oneself, ideally, one would be equipped with the long arms of a basketball player and be crazy skinny too, like a vegetarian. A second elbow joint in the center of your forearm wouldn't go unappreciated. If you don't happen to have these attributes, it is best to find a helper, preferably a woman, to help you. You'll need very small hands to get between the ribs at the small end of the wing.
We elected to hang the skins while the wing remained on the stand, rather than placing the wing on a table as the manual suggests. I just felt the my reach would be better if I didn't have to lean across the leading edge of the wing first.
Duct tape is employed along the way to hold the skin back. Notice the little tray of rivets perched on the bottom of the stand. Guess how far those little boogers go when you knock the tray off. The answer is I don't know for sure because I haven't found them all yet.
So here I am finishing up the first bottom skin. The next skin overlays the inboard skin as we work outward towards the tip. But, since this is the left wing, the Pito tube must be installed first.
With the mast in place we can continue on with the riveting of the skin.
The picture above was taken later showing the same area below the mast while I was trying to connect the Pito and AOA plumbing. The inspection mirror becomes your best friend during the bottom skinning process as very little of the work is directly visible.
And so we continue to pound those rivets...
And eventually we move on to the right wing.
At the start of this post I mentioned the need for skinny arms. The next picture illustrates the extent to which my arm can extend through the lower middle lightening hole. About half way, which is kind of a problem because my favorite bucking bar only just reaches the furthest rivets in the lower part of the bay and very little pressure or control could be applied. It was the wild west down there.
Well, along the way there were a few dents, and a few rivets had to be replaced but, perseverance pays and we eventually got through it.
One tool that is absolutely indispensable and, strangely, was not included in my tool kit was a sharp pointy thing.
The sharp pointy thing is used to bring the parts to be fastened into alignment prior to inserting the rivet. Shown above, it's the unsung hero of aluminum aircraft construction. Place the pick in to the hole above the one that won't accept the rivet. This is usually enough to convince the hole in question to allow the rivet without further comment. Occasionally the obstinate hole itself must be probed before it will allow the rivet in. Don't feel sorry for the hole, it had it coming.
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