Bootalini

I was a bit short of building time this week but I did manage to get some pre-sheeting prep done on the wing cores.

First, I cut and fit the hardwood gear mounts to the false ribs. I cut the false rib rectangular slots carefully so as to attain a nice snug fit which when combined with a bit of glasswork will make for a strong
setup. You'll notice that the forward mounting gear beam is sitting a bit deeper in the false rib in order to maintain the gear hanging vetically with the gear down. Let me explain......the main gear positioning on this Aurora is further back than on the original plans due to the fact that I now have to account for a wing tube. The thinner than normal wing is not helping either. The net result is that the mains are mounted "non-level" behing the high point of the wing camber.

Next on the "to do" list was cutting a path for each wing servo lead. Central was all out of Gator tubes for this so I defaulted to plan B. The photos illustrate better than I can explain but this method worked well. Simply start by cutting a vertical slot of approx 1/8" X 1/2" deep with a sharp X-Acto and then let the Dremel do the rest. This method actually leaves a relatively clean setup.

Next up is glassing the beam mounts to the false ribs, installing the whole assembly into the wing including the wing tube, and then gluing/sanding the balsa skins. I hope to have the wings sheeted by mid-week.