22 June 2014

Wings: Fuel tanks redo. Baffles sealed.

Because I'm redoing my fuel tanks, I'm really only posting progress reports rather than additional details.  See here for why I'm redoing my tanks.  Technique details on the original fuel tanks are found in their associated posts.
On these tanks, I decided to dimple the skins and baffles rather than countersink despite the plans suggesting the latter (here is one reason why the plans state to countersink). Turns out, the dimpled baffle slid right in without issue.  I didn't have to pull the skins apart at all.  The bead sits nicely against the holes as seen on the left tank on the outboard edge.  Compare with the (very generous) bead on my original tanks, which have countersunk holes.  How did I get such a beautiful bead on these tanks, as shown below?  Read here.


A peek inside the fuel flanges of the left (top) and right (bottom) tanks.  You can see on the right tank, I had included two beads on the outboard rib, #7 (bottom left image).  The second bead was ultimately superfluous.  In each image, up is looking aft (to the baffle web).  So on the right tank, left is outboard and on the left tank, right is outboard.  On the sixth rib of each tank, you can see one of the screws with a Tinnerman washer and spacer holding the respective capacitive plate.



And no need to shave down the prideful rivets due to poorly cut countersinks, as I did in my original tanks!  All baffle rivets are nice and flush.  Below is the right tank's baffle rivets.  Left is outboard top, right is inboard bottom.




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