Brief Description: Bending forward & center section side plates
I had to do yard work and some auto maintenance today in preparation for our trip to Airventure 2010 but just couldn't stay out of the shop. You will note I am dressed in khakis and a polo rather than normal work clothes. I was about to leave for dinner with some friends when I decided there was just enough time to accomplish one more thing.
The side plates for the landing gear boxes and the center section bulkheads need to be curved at the top (approximately the top 4.5") to mate to the fuselage structure. Per the shop instructions, I took two pieces of 2x4 that had already been ripped leaving nice sharp edges and screwed them together with two 1/8" aluminum spacers. The resulting assembly was clamped to the edge of my work table.
I marked a series of parallel lines down from the top of each plate at 1/2" intervals. The plates were then slipped between the two boards and gently bent taking care to make one for the left and a mirror image plate for the right. You just place the plate at each line, bend, and then proceed to the next line until all are done. It took a couple passes to get the desired curve. The key here is to not over do it. Keep the bends gentle and smooth. Just repeat the process until the plates match the bulkheads.
I had just enough time to get the landing gear box plates done. Should be able to complete the plates for the center section bulkheads tomorrow after work. I can't do much at this point until I have the spacers to complete the center section.
