Before I dismount the wings to finish them up, I wanted to verify all dimensions were correct as this work had been previously accomplished by the previous owner.
After placing the aircraft in a level configuration (laterally and longitudinally) I used a tape measure and measured the distance from the wing TE tips to the tail post and found each wing was within 3/8" of each other (tolerance is 2"). This dimension is good.
I then checked the angle of incidence of each wing by starting with the LH wing and placing a level on the lower surface making sure the level contacted both the front and rear spars. I then placed shims on the level at the rear spar location until I had a zero degree bubble on the level. After securing the shims to the level, I placed it in the same location on the RH wing and found that wing also showed a zero degree bubble. That confirms the angel of incidence is corrct.
The last measurement I took was of the dihedral of both wings. My friend and I tried using the water level method but for some reason we kept getting inconsisten readings. After talking to Mark Goldberg of AviPro, I purchased a digital level and remeasured the wings. I was surprised to find the LH wing was 0.4 degrees lower than the RH wing.
I was surprised becasue everything I've seen to date that was accomplished by the previous builder was very precise and of excellent quality. I can only assume that while drilling the strut fittings, one of them slipped about 1/8". But, that is why I doubled checked the numbers.
To correct the problem, Mark suggested I replace the straps that are bolted to the front spar rather than change the struts themselves.
