My RANS S-21 Outbound Build

[Kyle Communications]

06/09/23

Checked adhesion of scupper plate to inner surface of RH upper wing skin. Safety wired aileron and flap bellcrank bolts to rib lightening hole flanges. 
Match drilled upper leading edge to forward spar and deburred. Microstop countersunk leading edge rivet holes. Dimpled RH upper wing skin leading edge rivet holes. Removed wing skin and roller applied two coats of anti-corrosion coating to ribs, forward and aft spars, stringers and fuel tank support contact surfaces. Reinstalled upper wing skin and levelled wing on supports. Riveted lead edge of upper RH wing skin to forward spar. 

5.9h

[Kyle Communications]

09/09/23

Riveted RH upper wing skin to ribs and stringers from leading edge back to five rows forward of rear spar. 

3.7h

[Kyle Communications]

15/9/23

Match drilled rear spar to upper RH wing skin. Removed skin clecoes and deburred rear spar. Trimmed and deburred aileron and flap wing gap seals. Aligned gap seals with upper wing skin profile and clecoed into position. Match drilled gap seals to spar and removed to debur. Refitted gap seals and riveted remaining rows to wing ribs. Riveted gap seals to rear spar.

4.8h

[Kyle Communications]

18/09/23

Inverted wing, leveled and squared structure on supports. Installed draw string for wing lights. Notched stringer around wing truss. Clecoed bottom skin to ribs to check aileron/flaps/tie down attachment penetration clearance. Removed skin and rolled edge break on leading and trailing edges. Trimmed skin around binding penetrations. Reinstalled and clecoed skin to ribs. 

2.7h

[IBob]

Very classy action, Mark.....)

[Marty_d]

Mark, I will be very pissed off if you finish 3 planes before I finish my first!

[Kyle Communications]

Marty I doubt that very much...still have a lot of work still to get done on Mabel and the S-21. The problem is there isnt enough hours in a day now I am retired..its worse than when I had a real job. Between trying to get the house at the farm to a final inspection and the concrete went down for a new tractor shed up there last week also subdividing this block we are on here at Burpengary not to mention trying to get CDI modules and throttle kits made, things here at Burps will come to a grinding halt soon as I have 4 sheds to pull down and a new 9 x 18 mtr workshop shed to go up which will be the new build shed as well. The sheds have to go for the develoment of the block and a new shed put on a totally new alignment. I hope I live long enough to get it all done. 😩

[planedriver]

The mans a machine for sure.

[Kyle Communications]

19/09/23

Match drilled leading edge of RH bottom wing skin to main spar. Removed clecoes and deburred bottom skin. Microstop countersunk main spar. Dimpled lead edge skin and re-clecoed skin to spar and ribs. 

2.7h

 

[Kyle Communications]

22-09-23

Removed bottom RH wing skin and vacuumed swarf from cavity. Roller applied two coats of anti corrosion paint to ribs, stringers, spars and fuel tank supports. Deburred access cover ring tabs and clecoed in position on skin. Squared and leveled wing structure and refitted skin. 

2.1h

[Marty_d]

Very neat work Mark.

[planedriver]

Great progress! but I have to ask, Do you ever stop for sleep?

[Kyle Communications]

I have to confess its not all me doing this work on the RANS wings. I am not superhuman 😅 . I have great guy helping me get this done because I do have too many things happening at once here . I am very lucky to have him helping me get the wings done. Rodger wanted to have another project to do as he is retired and offered to give me a hand...of course I jumped at the offer. He has previously made a set of these same series wings for his aircraft, He is a master builder too. The previous aircraft a Waiex and RANS S-20 with the metal wing he has built are beautifully made. There is still a lot to do of course. The tail feathers and the fuselage will be delayed until I can get the new shed built here as all the other sheds have to be removed for the development of this block here at Burpengary. Mabel is almost ready to go to the hangar as soon as I can get the parachute install finished and that has to be done in the next week or three so the build shed can be cleared out to store all the stuff out of the first 2 of 6x9 sheds to be sorted and packed into boxes and stored in the 7x15 shed while the new 9 x 18 shed gets put up. Mabel will be moved to the hangar and the build table dismantled. Then all the gear will be stored in the 7x15 shed until the new one is up then the 7x15 will be taken away and the RANS will then be under way again in the new 9x18 shed...The house build at the farm should have its final inspection in about 2 weeks and the new shed up there hopefully will be erected in November, the concrete for the floor went down 2 weeks ago. That way all the farm gear will come out of the current hangar there and the hangar will be available for Mabel and the Mistress when she is finished.

 

[rodgerc]

There will be plenty left for you to do Mark….As with most (all?) kits, the time to build is typically 2 to 3 times longer than that claimed by the supplier. 

Put another way, if you believe the supplier’s build time estimate, then you’ll likely believe their claimed empty weight too.

 

Got to go now, there’s someone at the door offering to sell me a bridge in Sydney harbour and an island south of Victoria for a price to cheap to refuse. 

[Kyle Communications]

23/09/23

Riveted RH wing bottom wing skin to forward spar, stringer and ribs from leading edge to 5 rows forward of rear spar. 

3.6h

[Kyle Communications]

25/09/23

Matched drilled skin to rear spar. Removed all clecoes, deburred skin and spar, vacuumed wing cavity to remove swarf. Clecoed skin back in position, re-squared and levelled wing and completed riveting bottom RH wing skin. 

4.4h

 

[IBob]

You're leaving a terrific trail that will be a real asset to other builders here, Mark.

[Area-51]

On 23/09/2023 at 4:19 PM, Kyle Communications said:

23/09/23

Riveted RH wing bottom wing skin to forward spar, stringer and ribs from leading edge to 5 rows forward of rear spar. 

3.6h

The LE is a single piece extrusion?

[Kyle Communications]

Yes the LE is a extruded section basically a LE spar and so is the trailing edge or rear spar and the lot is held together with a truss in the centre

[Kyle Communications]

04/10/23

Drilled pilot holes for fuel tank retainer bracket in lower wing skin. Trial fitted fuel tank and root rib, mark filler cap opening. Cut filler cap and sight gauge holes, vacuumed and flushed swarf from fuel tank. Drilled and countersunk fuel cap flange holes. Fabricated fuel flange retainer. Installed fuel tank take-off fittings, reinstalled fuel tank with internal fuel tank support and installed filler flange and cap. 

5.1h

 

[Kyle Communications]

06/10/23

Installed RH wing fuel tank retention brackets. Bolted and riveted root rib to front and rear spars. Riveted upper and lower wing skins to root ribs and fuel tank supports. Second (RH) wing complete. 

2.9h

[Kyle Communications]

Well the Mistress left wing now has some company..The right wing is done and in the rack.

I have my hangar space with only parts sitting in there. 4 wings and one set of tailfeathers for a savannah.

Soon the savannah bits will be joined by the fuselage. 

 

[Kyle Communications]

13/10/23

Trimmed and deburred aileron skins and placed on levelled support. Straightened and deburred aileron ribs. Drilled, deburred and riveted hinge doublers and push-pull attached plates to appropriate ribs. Centre line marked ribs, drilled and clecoed upper aileron skins to ribs. 

3.1h

 

[Kyle Communications]

14/10/23

Match drilled RH aileron lower skin to ribs. Match drilled RH upper skin to spar. Updrilled all holes to #30. Disassembled, deburred all holes. Brush applied 2 coats of anti corrosion paint to rub and spar contact surfaces of RH aileron. Reassembled and riveted skins to ribs and spars. 
RH aileron complete. 

4.6h

 

[Kyle Communications]

15/10/23

Leveled and squared LH aileron. Match drilled skin to ribs. Match drilled spar. 

1.7h