Virg wrote:
> Da PLANS---Da PLANS, You have to draw it on the table anyway,
I guess Virg has a point here. There are only about 6 points that really
matter in defining the fuselage sides, so it's pretty quick to lay out. The
worst part of laying out the sides is the pathetic dimensioning. I have no
idea why anybody would use individual dimensions rather than cumulative
dimensions. The first thing I did was get the calculator and start adding
all the numbers so I could just hang the tape measure on one end and read
off each new station with reference to the firewall. Measuring each bay or
station individual with respect to the previous one is an invitation to a
bad case of tolerance stackup, or worse. It's close enough for KR work, but
a pain in the butt, and the reason several folks have discovered their
fuselage is either one bay short or one bay long! Other than that, make
sure the two spars are the correct distance apart.
I drew mine out on the table so I could screw the positioning blocks down
that force the upper and lower longerons into shape. That's a great time
to make any changes to the plans that you want to make, mainly the overall
length or the addtion of a bay. Plots on paper are subject to expansion and
contraction with humidity, twisting, or accidental tearing, but lines made
from chalk lines (and then reinforced with a Sharpie) and a big drywall
T-square (from Home Depot) will stay put for a long time, and will
definitely not move. I can still see mine on the my table top...
And I'll save Virg the trouble, "build it per the plans!"
: )
Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama
see homebuilt airplane at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford
email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net
