Thursday, March 10, 2016

Replaced the T-703 ribs - 3 hours

I decided to replace the T-703 ribs. When I had replaced the tank skins, and re-match drilled the ribs to the skins, I had a couple of holes on the T-703 ribs that were just a tad oblong. All the other ribs came out just fine, it was just a few holes on the inboard ribs that were not perfect. This is probably due to how tight the fit of these ribs are to the skins. So tough to get it to sit right.

So I decided to bit the bullet and redo the ribs. A small step back, but the correct choice in the end.

Again, The process was same as I did before. I adjusted the flanges for 90 degrees, filed the rough edges, fluted and straightened, cut the access holes and refitted to the skins. Took a long time to ensure that the fit was good and carefully match drilled. In the end, the ribs are great!