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Re: Geek's STi Build
Took off a week to visit my daughter in FL who is a Navy helo pilot. She just came home from cruise and I haven't seen her in over a year and a half due to Covid so it was a great time. Now home and while gone, my nut plates for my landing light backing plate came in and finally got the whole assembly Hysol'd into the landing light fairing. Also started epoxying in the leading edge. Firmly convinced that Kitfox has some major interest in the blue tape companies since this is how they say to hold the leading edge to the ribs during the epoxying process.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Ah, Jacksonville. Only spent a week or two there total. I was on a cruiser out of Norfolk from '10-'12. We were usually just there to pick up and drop off the helo det for deployments though it was nice having pilots onboard to mix up the wardroom dynamic.
Glad you got to go down there. I thought 8 months was a long cruise. I can only imagine what it's been like on some of the recent carrier cruises.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Finally got time to work on the plane again. With the landing light fairings all installed the wing tip install to the wings was next on the list. Installed the aluminum strips on to the capstrips of the outer rib. Slipped the wing tip on to the wing and noted over 1/8" gap in some places between the tip and the rib capstrip which was to be expected. Ran a 1 1/4" piece of blue tape on to the wing tip that was lined up on the rib capstrip and drew a line following the outboard edge of that tape on to the tip. That line ran parallel to the rib capstrip. Pulled the tape off and ran another piece of 1" tape that followed the line I drew. That left me with between 1/4" and 1/8" edge of the wing tip to cut off. Used a Dremel with a cutoff wheel and cut along the tape (left the tape on there cause it's easier to see than a drawn line when you're cutting). Installed the wing tip back on to the wing and it fit perfectly. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut sometimes. Per the instructions, I drilled #40 holes with a 4" spacing through the wing tip and into the aluminum mounting strips, clecoing as I went along. Once complete, I used a straight edge to mark the rear edge of the wing tip and trimmed that to length. Both the right and left wing tips are now fitted. Next will be installing the nut plates on to the aluminum strips that the #8 screws will go into when the wing tip is mounted for final install (after the wing is covered) (Sorry I have not mastered the picture thing where they don't rotate or stay in the order I had them in)
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Great work. What nutplates are you going to use to retain those wingtips?
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Thanks. The kit supplies the #8 nut plates which are the longer ones in the pic. I have the shorter version in my stash that I am going to use at the front ends of the strip since I started my hole pattern closer to the front edge and want the extra space between the rivet and the edge of the strip.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
I like the new wingtip and light sockets. Everything is looking really nice Gary.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Thanks Harlan. Still getting a lot of good info from your vids.
G
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Well since I didn't make the pilgrimage to Oshkosh I got to do a little more work on the Kitfox. After fitting the wing tips I needed to install the nut plates on the mounting strips so that was today's fun. Got them all drilled and the riveted. Now I guess I get to put them away somewhere that I won't lose them and then install them after covering the wing.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
A tip I found useful-try the screws in the nutplates; many of them will be really tight, so that the phillips screwdriver wants to strip the screw head. If that is the case, carefully squeeze the nutplate with vice-grips so the threaded bushing is a little less oval shaped. That will loosen up the fit. Much easier to do before you install the strips on the wing.
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Re: Geek's STi Build
Good tip. Was thinking about using allen button head screws to replace the phillips head. Good news is that they don't strip easily. Bad news is that a phillips head screw driver is much easier to find when you're not at home than the right size allen key. I will go through and check the nut plates cause you're right-much easier to do off than installed.
Thanks
Gary