SECTION 7
RV-8/8A
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FIRST, A NOTE TO QUICKBUILDERS
All information necessary to complete the RV-8/8A QuickBuild Kit is contained in the standard Builder’s Manual.
The empennage, built from the Standard Kit, should be completed before starting the wings and fuselage. The
skills learned during empennage construction are necessary during the rest of the project.
After completing the empennage, we suggest finishing the wings. They will not take long, and are relatively easy to
store. The jig shown in the Builder’s Manual is not required to align QuickBuild wings, but you may find it a
convenient way to hold the wing while fitting and riveting.
Obviously, not all the information needed to build wings from the Standard Kit is necessary for wings built from the
QuickBuild Kit. However, we still recommend reading the entire chapter to gain the “big picture.” Once you
understand the basics of wing building, you can extract the relevant information for the QuickBuild Kit.
Use the following sequence as a place to start.
x
Install Wd-421L&R-PC bellcranks. See Builder’s Manual section ATTACHING AILERONS TO THE WING and
DWG 15A. Remove the top bracket to facilitate installing the bolt.
x
Make the W-818 and W-816 pushrods. See Builder’s Manual section ATTACHING AILERONS TO THE WING
and DWG 15A.
x
Install W-413L&R and W-414L&R aileron brackets on rear spar. See Builder’s Manual section INSTALLING
THE AILERON BRACKETS in the RIVETING THE WING SKIN Section and DWG 13A.
x
Be sure lighting, wiring, and pitot line provisions are complete.
x
Prepare and rivet the W-705 outboard bottom skin. See Builder’s Manual sections RIVETING THE WING
SKINS and FINISHING THE WING and DWG 12.
x
Install the W-715-1 wingtip. See Builder’s Manual section WING TIP INSTALLATION and DWG 12.
x
Complete details of access panel in W-705. See DWG 12.
x
Install the ailerons and flaps on the wing. See Builder’s Manual sections FLAPS, ATTACHING AILERONS TO
THE WING and DWGS 13A, 14A, 15A.
OVERVIEW
The wing assembly sequence begins with the construction of the main and rear spars. Leading edge and tank
assemblies are then fitted to the main spar. The wing main ribs are then prepared and installed to the spars. The
skeleton is placed in a holding fixture where the main skins are fitted. The wing is then checked for overall
dimensions and twist. The leading edge and main skins are then taken off for dimpling, priming, and subassembly
prior to final riveting on the wing. The bottom skins are left off until last. The internal parts of the wing (aileron and
flap hangers, aileron and flap braces etc.) are installed. Riveting the lower outboard skin closes the wing.
GETTING READY
Before construction begins, spend some time building a few simple fixtures. Modify the vertical stabilizer jig into a
wing assembly stand by adding arms and supports as shown on DWG 12A. Also on DWG 12A is a simple tool for
aligning the ailerons and flaps.
The biggest fixture project is the wing stand shown on DWG 12A. If you take the time to build this before starting
wing construction, you will have a convenient, safe place to store the finished wing panel. Some builders add
custom details, like swiveling casters, to make the wing stand even more useful.
PREPARING THE MAIN SPAR
The main wing spar is supplied completely assembled and anodized for corrosion resistance. Carefully inspect the
spar for shipping damage. Use a large marking pen to mark the orientation of the spar (“right top”, "forward", "left
bottom", etc.) and study the plans until you understand how the spars are installed. You do NOT want to build a
wing upside down!
To begin wing construction, rivet the tank skin attach platenuts to the spar as shown in DWG 16A, Detail A.
SECTION 7: BUILDING THE WING
RV-8/8A
SECTION 7
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Machine countersink (trying to dimple the 0.063 thick spar flange will result in severe distortion!) the platenut attach
holes in the W-806A spar flange. See Section 5E. Use a microstop countersink with a #30 pilot to countersink the
screw holes in the spar to the proper depth for the #8 screw. The pilot will center in the countersunk platenut well
enough to keep the hole round and concentric. (Tip: cut a #8 screw short so that it enters the K1100 nutplate easily
and use it to gage the depth.)
Attach the K1000-06 platenuts for the W-822 access plate to the W-706A flange (note that the access plate uses #6
screws on the spar flange and #8 screws around the perimeter.) See DWG 9A. Dimple the access plate for a #6
screw, then machine countersink the spar flange to fit the dimples. Use a #40 piloted countersink cutter to center in
the platenut. Make another test patch to determine the depth adjustment of the countersink
Attach the two K1000-4 center section attach platenuts to the forward side of the spar. Countersink the W-706C
doubler plate to allow the flush heads of the rivets to rest on the aft side of spar. This allows the doubler plate to fit
flush against the F-804G-1 vertical bars (DWG 11A).
Spot prime all countersunk holes where the anodizing has been removed.
Fabricate the tie-down assembly (DWG 15A). Make the two W-726 spacers, but leave them undrilled. Cut the W-
731 Tie-down bar to length from the AEX stock provided and drill the match hole at the dimensions shown. Clamp
the W-731 and W-726 spacers to the spar and slip a bolt through the location hole and the hole in the spar. Align
the W-731 and back drill all the bolt holes through the spar.
Remove the tiedown and spacers from the spar, cleco or bolt them together and drill the holes for the platenut
rivets. Use a platenut as a drill guide. Rivet the platenuts, spacers and tie-down together and bolt the assembly to
the spar. Note that the platenuts are NOT riveted to the spar web. If a platenut must be replaced, the tiedown
assembly can be removed and the repair made out on the bench, without drilling rivets out of the spar.
Remove the assembly, deburr and prime. Install the tiedown assembly and the W-823PP bellcrank brackets on the
spar. The tie-down rings are not supplied in the kit, as they are simply 3/8 inch eyebolts available from most
hardware stores. Weld the eyes closed to add strength. If you prefer you can order forged tiedown rings (p/n Bolt
Eye 3/8x16TD in Van's Accessories Catalog.)
Drill the W-706-L Spar for the stall warning system wire run. See OP46-02 Step 8 and OP46-02 Figure 3.
ASSEMBLING THE REAR SPAR
The W-707 rear spar assembly, shown on DWG 10A, is a “Z" section channel, reinforced where it joins the fuselage
and at the aileron brackets.
Deburr the edges of the W-707A rear spar channel, W-707G reinforcement fork, W-707D doubler plate, and the W-
707E and W-707F doubler plates.
Begin rear spar assembly by clamping the W-707E and W-707F doubler plates to the spar. Vertical placement is
correct when the flanges of the spar and the reinforcement plates are tight. Lateral placement for W-707F is
determined by aligning the outboard edges of W-707F and the W-707A spar channel. To place W-707E measure
the distance between the outboard edges of W-707E and W-707A (See DWG 10A).
Using the spar as a template, clamp, drill and cleco W-707E/F to the W-707A spar channel. Mark and cut out the
holes for the aileron pushrods. You can use a Unibit to remove a major portion of the area, and then use a round
file or a rotary cutter in a die grinder to remove the remaining portion. Carefully smooth and deburr the inside of the
holes.
Cleco the W-707G reinforcement fork and the W-707D rear spar doubler plate to the W-707A spar channel and drill
the rivet holes to full size.
Deburr, prime and prepare the rear spar components for riveting. Note that some of the holes in the W-707F are
machine countersunk for flush rivets (DWG 10A, Detail A).
Once the reinforcement fork is riveted to the spar, it is difficult to dimple some of the holes in the upper flange of the
spar. On the inboard top flange, for the length of the W-707G, drill the holes for the main wing skin to final size
(#40) and dimple them before attaching W-707G.
Some rivets in the rear spar reinforcements also attach ribs, aileron brackets, aileron gap fairings and the flap
braces. Tape over these holes so you do not inadvertently put a rivet in one.
Rivet the components of the rear spar together.
