CHAPTER 13 - Preparing for the Wing

Having done all I could on the tail kit, it was time to prepare for the wing kit's arrival. First order of business was a thorough house-cleaning (remember, keep the spouse happy). Also, a major rearrangement of the living room had to occur. Since the spars would be too long to fit crossways in the living room, the side wall would have to be cleared of furniture so that the jig could go there. I moved the horizontal stabilizer into the hall between our bedrooms, and the other parts were stowed around the house. The couch was moved to face the sliding glass door, cutting the living room into two.

When the kit arrived, I went to retrieve it with my pickup. The carrier, Roadway, helped me load it into the back. First went the shorter box, which fit nicely into the bed. Then came the long box with the spars. In my standard bed pickup, the box was balanced on the tailgate so neatly that the first bump would have upset it. It was necessary to secure the load with straps for the careful drive home, but no problems were encountered.

Arriving home, I discovered that my promised help had not arrived. No matter; I used my faithful desk dolly and rolled both boxes into the apartment. Inside, the parts were inventoried and secreted around the house, except for the parts for the spars. The boxes were broken down and the wood stored on the patio.

I set about building the spars, which are the subject of a following chapter. Upon their completion, I set up the jig in it's new location. Angle iron was used to make supports for the spars, and was extended to the rear to act as storage for the other spar and long stock. Once it was all installed and braced, I re-leveled the jig and put red rags over the ends of the angle supports to remind me not to put my head there. Now I was ready to build the wings.