Twist to Level
The last time we worked on constructing the fuselage boom of the plane we realized that there was a slight twist in the structure from forward to aft. We had attempted to correct this twist by clamping the boom down to a table, but this approach failed.
After returning from a three-week-long Christmas break we made a second attempt at correcting the twist. This time we removed all non-essential cleco’s from the boom and stuck a 2-1/2″ diameter PVC pipe through the holes in the boom frame at either end. We then manually lifted the plane up and turned the pipes by hand in the opposite direction of the twist.
This method quickly removed any twist in the plane. We began reinstalling the cleco’s, stopping every once in a while to check if the twist had returned and then re-adjusting the twist as needed. With four people working the process took around two hours to complete. The structure is now level with all cleco’s inserted.
The next step will be to install the rivets.
