Sonex #318

Wing Skins

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Skins

wing001.jpg

CONSTRUCTION TIP!
When you are done laying out the first skin, flip it over and just copy it.  Use a heavy duty utility knife to score the aluminum. Take you shears and cut the sheet leaving about 1" extra on the outside of your scored line.  Then fold and break the extra off.  Don't try to do it without rough cutting it, you will bend the sheet and then you have scrap.

wing003.jpg

 
 
Leading Edge Skin (Spicer Press)
 

Tony Spicer came up with a really slick, repeatable, and controllable way to bend the leading edge skins.  After trying several different approaches I concluded that the Spicer Press was the best method that held the least amount of risk.  Tony had some very quick notes that he had published on how to build his press but being the visual guy that I am I decided to lay them out in CAD.  After doing this I thought it would be a waste not to share so I put together some detailed drawings for the press. This is what the press looks like in operation.  Make sure you keep all surfaces clean and lubricated so the skins will not have any irregularities to them.

 

spicerpress001.jpg

spicerpress002.jpg

ssp007assypress.jpg

click here to download sheet 1 of 7

click here to download sheet 2 of 7

click here to download sheet 3 of 7

click here to download sheet 4 of 7

click here to download sheet 5 of 7

click here to download sheet 6 of 7

click here to download sheet 7 of 7

Here are the finished Leading Edge Skins.  I was able to get the required 85 ° of bend easily using the press.  This makes it much easier to install these things later on.  I had no trouble getting them to fold over the ribs without the use of anything but my hands and a long 2x4.

 

leadingedgeskins.jpg