Chapter 7 - The Wing
Section 2 - Ribs
There are two special ribs that help support the main gear legs, the B and the BB ribs. Study the photo below:
The B rib is fabricated from three different materials—1/4” phenolic, ¼” aircraft grade plywood, and ½” last-a-foam. The BB rib is fabricated from just two of these materials, the ¼” phenolic and the ¼” aircraft grade plywood. There is a large hole that is cut out toward the bottom of the ribs to allow the aileron push tube to pass through. The BB rib has a series of holes to support the aileron idler assembly.
To begin assembly, print out full size copies of the following templates:
- B rib front section
- B rib full size drawing 1 of 2
- B rib full size drawing 2 of 2
- BB rib full size drawing
Cut the plywood and phenolic parts out and bond together with a thick micro. Be careful not to mix up the parts or get them upside down. Both the plywood and phenolic parts have a top and a bottom, are different sizes and they can be hard to tell apart. Mark them clearly. Bond the foam aft rib to the B rib plywood centered with the plywood. Using micro, fair the edge where the foam meets the plywood so we have a smooth transition.
Apply a two layer BID and epoxy to both sides of both the BB and B ribs. Let cure. Once the fiberglass is well cured you can clear out any holes with a drill or dremel. Then thoroughly sand the ribs with coarse grit sandpaper. We will be applying many layers of fiberglass to these ribs later and we want a good bond. Remove a bit of the foam edge on the aft section of the B rib and fill with micro as you did with the other ribs.
The front section of the B rib is made in the same manner as the other (non-B ribs).