Brief Description: Finished preparation of left wing top skins
After wringing my hands and wrestling with how to handle the wing skin overlap, I finally decided to just follow Van's original instructions. That is, scarf the overlapping edges where they meet the fuel tank at the forward spar. Using a file and wooden sanding blocks with 100 to 400 grit sandpaper, I gradually thinned the edges of the skins. I relieved the mating surfaces of the wing skins (outer surface of the inboard skin and the inner surface of the outboard and overlapping skin). I then cleaned the surfaces with acetone and primed (filing and sanding removed the alclad). I checked the fit 2-3 times while accomplishing this task. I think they will look pretty good when finally installed.
I seriously considered cutting a notch in the skins and creating a butt joint at the forward spar as was suggested by some builders. It would probably create a better tank to wing skin transition and the method is approved by Van's but I wanted both skins to be joined and riveted to the forward spar at the overlap.
