Start by slotting all of the ribs onto the lower spar. Don’t forget to include
the aileron servo plate and the UC plate (but don’t glue that till later).
Gently add the top spar and sqeeze it flush with the lower spar to clamp the
ribs in place. Don’t do any gluing yet, just tape things in place if needed.
Add the rear wing spars and aileron facings. You will need to support the
outer ribs when you push the aileron facings home. The wing tip core can
be glued in position.
Don’t forget to add the little sub-rib which forms the in-board end of the
aileron. I have pinned the one from the other side next to it to show you
what it looks like. The soft wood aileron facings need to be trimmed down to
be flush with the ribs. It is easy to damage the ribs, so slice the worst off
with a sharp knife1
With the structure on a flat surface, add some cyano to the joints. Make
sure the room is well ventilated as the fumes can be toxic. Don’t glue in the
wing joiners or UC plate but make sure that they all fit nicely.
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HINTS & TIPS
Aliphatic or PVA glue has been used
throughout the construction unless
indicated otherwise.
1 Wrapping some sand paper around a
convex shape (like a bottle) will help to not
catch the ribs as you sand.
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Now its time to add the top skin. Start by coating the tops of the ribs and
spars with wood glue (PVA). Don’t put more than a very thin coat toward the
rear end of the ribs, just in case you have to adjust the trailing edge later.
The wing skin has a little spanwise slit near the leading edge to help it
conform to shape. This stage will have to be left to dry for a few hours1.
Make up the 3 wing jig cradles, then turn the wing upside down and check
that the upper skin is securely attached. The wing must sit nicely in the
cradles as this ensures the correct washout2.
Build the other wing up to this
level, so that you can do a trial wing join without glue before adding the
bottom skins.
Add the two front wing joiners with PVA, pressing them hard
into the slots so that the undercarriage plate can get under the front
“hooks”
Note the little ply wood plate glued in the corner of the aileron (flush to the
lower rib surface) to provide a hard fixing for the aileron horn. Remember to
tack the trailing edge area only lightly with cyano. Add weights and tape
down the wing skin where required. If you find that when the wings have
dried and joined together the trailing edges do not seem to be symmetrical,
just run a knife between the wing skins at the trailing edge and whilst held
together in a corrected position, add cyano.
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HINTS & TIPS
1 You then need a collection of weights to
press the skin down. I used plastic cups
which I filled with water!
2 It is a good idea to put some thread or
string in where your aileron cable will go.
Wing - Supermarine Spitfire IX
Wing - Supermarine Spitfire IX