Building a Biplane
The first thing you have to do when the kit
arrives is take inventory. This is a picture of the parts for the quick build wing
kit. As you will notice, most of the parts supplied by Fisher are precut. In
fact, with the quick build wing kit, I was able to build my wings with only the following
tools:Hobby saw (razor) $6
Sanding block $4
Carpenter's Square $20
Drywall Square $15
I did have to borrow my Dad's drill press to drill the holes in the spars.
Here I am working on my wing when I lived in St. Louis. Note full size
blueprint hanging on the wall. Most of the construction of Fisher airplanes can be
done right on the full size print - very nice.
As you can see, you
will need lots of clamps for gluing. The best kind are really light duty (cheap)
spring clamps. I bought mine in the fly market at both AirVenture and Sun N Fun. The
ones I'm using here are really too strong - they tend to squeeze out the glue. This
could result in a "starved" glue joint. With T-88 epoxy, the goal is to
just hold the part in place until it dries. In fact, when I add the geodetic pieces
to the wings and fuselage I use ordinary clothespins!
Another shot of the wing before the addition of the geodetic pieces.
This is
KZ Zatius, an EAA Technical Counselor. He is inspecting my first completed wing
panel. EAA Technical Counselors are experienced aircraft builders who volunteered to
share their knowledge with other EAA members building aircraft. A Technical
Counselor visit is a great way to make sure you're building an airworthy aircraft.
This is a finished wing that I hung from the ceiling to get it out of the
way. Wings are a lot easier to get out of the way than the fuselage so it is
probably best to the wings first. Otherwise shop space can really disappear. Notice the gap at the trailing edge where the aileron is located. Basically, you just construct the whole wing with one standard full size wing rib. You then cut about four ribs out just behind the rear spar and that becomes your aileron. It is a little unnerving to have to take a saw to your wing. Definitely a time when you double check your cut lines to the print about five times!
Luckily, I have a friend who owns an auto-body
shop with a paint booth. So when I needed to varnish my wings I borrowed his spray
equipment and paint booth. Here you can see I've hung the wings from the ceiling for
spraying. When building your own airplane, you always end up getting help from lots of different people. Your local EAA Chapter is the best place to start. Other builders are always willing to share a special tool, trailer, etc.
Disclaimer: This page represents the personal views of Charles J. Becker. In no way, shape or form should this be consider the official view of the Experimental Aircraft Association.