Brief Description: Fabricated right wing tank bracket
Had another assignment at the NMUSAF this morning but got back in the shop this afternoon to fabricate the starboard wing tank attach bracket. This one has to be a mirrored copy of the port bracket completed in my previous shop session.
You will see the rough cut bracket in the first image below. The second image shows the bracket after filing and some work with the scotchbrite wheels. The two brackets are finished except for shaping the flange area where they sit against the fuselage skin. They don't sit exactly flush and it is not immediately apparent where and how much metal will require removal. The shop drawing mentions it will be necessary to "relieve" some metal from the flange. It also mentions in the instructions that the large flange will have to be bent a little to lay flush against the F-405 tank bracket. Apparently, this will be done by locking the bracket in a vise and persuading it with a heavy mallet.
The bending can't be done until installing the wing but fitting the bracket flush to the fuselage needs to be accomplished now. I plan to copy the flange on some scrap aluminum and fit the scrap to the fuselage to determine just where and how much metal must be removed. Once I figure it out, I can then replicate the shaping on the actual brackets. The brackets took too long to make to screw them up now.
