Top wing progress

With the ailerons worked out I thought it was time to start the steel parts for the top wing.
More jigs!

I really envy guys building RV`s, their parts come in a box, mine are somewhere in steel sheets.

Anyway, the top wing has a central attach fitting, built up of plates and tubing, with bent up U channel fittings holding it all together.
I made up matching sets of steel plates, and match drilled them. I then bent up some steel u channel fittings.
They had to be bent to match the lower taper on the front and rear spars.
I then made an assembly and welding fixture. This has an aluminum channel base, 2 stub spars, and a channel to hold the fore to aft tube.
I wanted this fixture to be very solid, as the plates and the tube are quite thick and so require lots of heat when welding.

Once all the parts were made, and securely bolted in the fixture they were welded.

Regards the actual welding, all finish TIG welding is done by my good friend Christiano.
Chris is an extremely talented welder, and machinist, who moonlights as a Boeing 777 Captain.

Once the assembly popped out of the jig I put it on the wing, and amazingly it fit.

With this central fitting now complete I can work outwards in both directions, making the wire tabs and I strut attach fittings.
Once the tabs are all done, I can measure and order for the top wing drag anti drag wires, and get them underway.
I will also work out the wing tip lights, which I am looking forward to.
I shall try not to burn the wing down in the process.