Brief Description: Initial installation of forward longerons
After clecoing the center section in place, I tackled the foward longerons. Both the lower and auxiliary longerons were clamped in place and match drilled per the shop instructions. This included the holes through the weldments for bolts and/or countersunk screws. A little final fitting and bending of the longerons was required to get just the right fit.
The sideplates for both the center section and the landing gear boxes were clecoed to check fit with the bulkhead flanges. Fit was good but it was necessary to deepen a few flutes in the flanges near the top of the bulkheads to get better alignment of the rivet holes.
The various longeron gussets were clecoed in place to check fit. Some had to be radiused a little more to get a flush fit against the bulkhead flanges. The heavier metal of longerons, bulkheads, reinforcement plates, and gussets make it a bit harder to get the layers pulled up flush with the cleco fasteners. I plan to order a few wingnut draw type clecos to use when doing the final assembly and riveting. I think they will be useful when fastening skins, reinforcement plates, spacers, longerons, gussets, and flanges together.
