I used some Boelube to lubricate everything. Then we wiggled and pushed the wings and they slid right in. It was tight, but no problems. You can see the plumb bobs I hung over the wings to check the sweep. I staked a string and measured carefully. They're swept forward very slightly, but within 1/32" of being perfect! I also triangulated and measured carefully from the tail to the tip of each wing. The measurements are so close, it's negligible. Once again, the accuracy of these kits and the engineering that has been done just blows me away. Thanks, Vans!
Here's a shot from directly in front. My sawhorse makes funny looking gear legs.
Some additional checking revealed that the rear spar bulkhead stubs sticking out of the fuselage were rubbing on the flanges of the tanks. I believe some minor trimming will alleviate this, and also correct the 1/32" forward sweep error. According to the plans, if it's within 1/2" it's close enough, but I don't want that rubbing anyway, so why not correct it?
I had to just walk around, take some pictures, and enjoy the moment. Passersby were really looking. Some stopped to comment. All in all, it was a great experience.
Once I realized that the wings have to come off for that minor trimming before going any further, there was no point moving on to consider the angle of incidence. So we just enjoyed the moment before taking it all apart and packing it back into the garage. I really enjoyed this time with Paul and the rest of my family, friends, and helpers. This will be repeated again soon to finish the sweep and incidence adjustments, and drill those holes in the rear spar.
I have more pictures and lots more detail in my log page here:
http://www.europa.com/~swayze/RV-7A/Fus ... 00822.html
CJ
