3rd September 2013 - Front wingroot skin panel

To fit the last bit of the top skin, I started by chamfering the main skin along the main spar and the first main rib to conform with the shape of the curved section that would be glued in place. Then, yesterday, the leading edge was glued into place leaving the outboard edge and the rear edge loose. This anchored one edge and ensured that when the outboard edge and trailing edge of the piece were pulled down the panel would take up a nice curve. Today, the rest of the panel edges were glued and the section clamped into position while the glue dries. Meanwhile the topskin was trimmed around the rest of the leading edge, the wing tip and the trailing edge ready for the front section of the leading edge to be glued into place.

30th August 2013 - Right top wing skin

With the invaluable help once more of my friend Paul, the right top wing skin was glued into position using West Systems epoxy with the slow 206 hardener and 6% by weight of microfibre in the same way as for the left wing. The skin was stapled to the wing structure through strips of sacrificial scrap ply and clamps applied along the root, leading edge and tip where the bend radius was greatest. The inner front section cannot be glued as part of the single piece as the bend radius is too severe so this was cut out and a separate piece will be applied later. I was completely covered up for the gluing process and other than getting incredibly hot suffered no allergic reaction.

29th August 2013 - Nav and strobe cables installed

Just a few minutes work today to install the cables for the wing tip navigation light and strobe head. The nav wiring is a twisted pair of 22 gauge Tefzel. The strobe wiring is screened 3 core 20 gauge wire.

Tomorrow is the big day when the wing top skin is glued into place.

22nd August 2013 - Sealing the right wing interior

The interior of the wings are sealed to avoid any risk of the wood deteriorating over time with moisture. As before two pack Randolph Epoxy varnish was used. The top skin was masked so that the glue lines can be kept free of varnish.
The right wing contains the VOR/glideslope antenna. This is a dipole with a tuned balun. It was made based on instructions from Bob Archer.

19th August 2013 - Wing leading edge

I've become very allergic to epoxy, the least exposure and I get reactions like swelling round the eyes such that I can hardly see out. This has certainly dampened my enthusiasm for moving forward with the build. However, I have now invested in sealed goggles, filtered mask, and disposable suits to allow me to make progress. I think the look is very flattering :-)
The first test of this last week was to glue into place the small section of wing skin forward of the spar and between the root rib and the first main rib. I seemed to survive this without a reaction so today I cut to length and glued into place the 1/2" thick spruce strips that will be shaped to form the leading edge.
Once the glue was set the edges were then blended into the upper and lower skins and a reference line drawn to mark where the forward edge of the leading edge would be located. Then, with a combination of very fine cuts with the power plane and much sanding, the final shape of the leading edge was created. The left wing is now finished ready for covering.

13th January 2013 - Left wing top skin

The wiring is in, the inspection hatch is in, the plumbing for the pitot is in, the remote compass is in, and the inside of the wing is fully sealed with epoxy varnish. I hope I haven't forgotten anything because today with the essential help of my friend Paul (the fastest stapler in the west) the top skin was glued onto the left wing. It simply isn't possible to apply the glue fast enough with just one person before it starts to gel in the pot. The glue was the usual mix of West system epoxy with the 206 slow hardener and a 6% addition of microfibres. This was spread over the ribs, spars, and leading and trailing edges of the wing structure and then onto the wing skin completely filling the gaps left in the varnish by the masking. Actually the latter statement is not exactly correct. Applying the Randolph EV-400 epoxy varnish thinned to soak into the wood also resulted in it soaking straight through the masking tape and varnishing the protected areas almost as though the tape wasn't there! Still I enjoyed the hour spent sanding it off where it shouldn't have been in the first place. Note for next time use a plastic tape.
The glue can now set overnight before I remove the clamps but even with them and the nailing strips in place the aerofoil already looks superb. It is no wonder the Tailwind is so fast with such an elegant thin section wing.

11th January 2013 - Left wing plumbing and wiring

The final job on the wing before gluing on the top skin was to install all necessary plumbing, wiring, and components. This comprises the tubing to the pitot, the remote compass and its wiring, and the cables for the wingtip strobe and navigation light. 5/8" holes were drilled through the three sheeted ribs to take SB625-8 plastic bushes. The holes in the inboard rib were positioned so the wires and tubing will pass directly into the rear spar cover and connect to the wiring in the fuselage. The wiring to the remote compass was kept separate from the strobe wiring to ensure that no interference would take place. Wires were secured to the lower skin using self-adhesive cable tie bases and were protected as they pass over the ribs using spiral wrap.
The second picture shows the pitot mount with the pitot installed. The mount is screwed to the back of the spar with 1/2" stainless steel #8 screws and glued to the lower wing skin with a slurry of epoxy mixed with microballoons. This provides a light but stiff seal between the shape of the lower skin and the straight bottom plate on the pitot mount. As the picture shows it will be easy to check both the pitot and the strut attach as well as the general condition of the inside of the wing through the access panel.