We cut custom length tubes for the wing rib support and spent a lot of time trying to figure out how long they should be.
We also installed the tie wraps around the wing rib supports.
Here’s the lengths of the rib support tubes in the documentation for the LSX wing.
We’re told that they can be customized to fit snugly, important thing is that the ribs
still are in alignment – touching the string stretched across the wing. This lead to a lot
of discussion and spreadsheet calculation.
Calculations with variances from the published wing rib lengths.
We measured our wing rib distance and looked at the classic tube lengths, the LSA tube lengths,
and then obsessed over slight variances in our measurements. Nothing ended up more than 1/8 inch different
so we decided that it is only a wing. We hope to use similar dimensions on the other wing.
Cutting the tubes with an airsaw – Rare that a tube would fall and catch on a hook but it did.
Made a new airsaw blade out of a sawzall blade. Had to grind the tail off and cut a bigger notch.
Didn’t work great, then we found the real airsaw blades.
Wing rib should not push the rib up too high. It should just touch the string.
Wing rib supports in place
Next step is to put stainless steel tie wraps tightly around each tube to keep them in place.
Technique is to get them tight about one inch downslope (narrower wing) from the desired position then push them up.
We ruined a few, will order more.
Here’s a tie wrap installed correctly.
Trial fitting the wing tip. We’ll need to build the aileron before installing this.
Borrowed a little air compressor from the neighbor after I broke the drain valve on mine.
Wanted to pull it up the steps to rebuild the regulator valve and snagged the valve on a step.
Pressure on the regulator was set too high and ruined a couple of the lower wing ribs by pulling the rivet through.