Wing Trammelling

[Robert Lees]

Looking at tramelling the wings, and seeking the expertise of those that have "been there, done that".

At this point, I am doing them on trestles...I might do the last "finishing tweaks" before covering with the wings attached to the fuselage, but with a two-mile distance between the wings and the fuselage, this is proving a little awkward.

Would I be correct in thinking that the order of things is

1. to get the butt ends level,
2. and then the straightness of each spar correct,
3. and then the spacing between the spars correct,
4. and then doing the diagonals of the compression struts with the trammel bar?

I have a lot of Topica archive on this subject, but I appear to be missing that little je ne sais quoi that makes these little jobs a bit easier.

Rob

[taylorcraftbc65]

Definition Please

O.K. Bob, Trammelling??? Is this another English word like Boot, Bonnet, Petrol, etc.?? Please explain to those of us who speak American. P.S., I also know the word for drunk, but won't use it on this board. Sabrina

[Grant S. Bailey]

Hope somebody steps in here because I am also in need of trammeling instructions.

[Robert Lees]

Sabrina: the Brits and the Canadians must be speaking the same language....!

[Good old Winston Churchill, he knew his stuff!]

[highflyer]

Trammeling

He is talking about "Wing Alignment" in normal terms. The gentleman is using perfectly correct aeronautical/maritime terminology.

There is a section on this written by Mr. Romick in the Taylorcraft TAC's. It is a very neccessarry and vital step in the wing process. The Tooling needed is basic and can be home-made. A set of dial caliphers help out.



(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Trammel



Trammel
(n.) A kind of net for catching birds, fishes, or other prey.
(n.) A net for confining a woman's hair.
(n.) A kind of shackle used for regulating the motions of a horse and making him amble.
(n.) Fig.: Whatever impedes activity, progress, or freedom, as a net or shackle.
(n.) An iron hook of various forms and sizes, used for handing kettles and other vessels over the fire.
(n.) An instrument for drawing ellipses, one part of which consists of a cross with two grooves at right angles to each other, the other being a beam carrying two pins (which slide in those grooves), and also the describing pencil.
(n.) A beam compass. See under Beam.
(v. t.) To entangle, as in a net; to catch.
(v. t.) To confine; to hamper; to shackle.

There are only three issues in trammeling a wing. The primary idea is to
have the ribs square with the spars. Tramming can alter the interspar
distance, so that the wing will not fit the attach points on the fuselage,
and the wires must not be overtightened. To tram the wings I made a
fixture out of square tubing that replicates the attach points on the
fuselage. I also use this fixture as a rotisserie to flop the wing while
I'm covering. 1/32" difference in the spar spacing can make the wing
impossible to mate to the fuselage, so this quite critical. The safest way
perhaps is to use the fuselage as the fixture, but then you create all sorts
of additional problems, including how to support the outer end of the wing.
If you use the struts to support the wing as in final assembly, you will
produce false torque readings on the wires, which should be about " look it up ", inch pounds.

Go to some of these sites for good pics and explanations :

http://home.hiwaay.net/~gregmc/FBWEBPAGEWINGS2.htm

www.modelaircraft.org/mag/0303/hurley3.htm - 12k

https://www.modelaircraft.org/mag/hurley/hurley3.asp

FLY SAFE

[taylorcraftbc65]

Learning experience

I never would have thought that I would have learned something this useful today. I REALLY love this site. Sabrina

[Robert Lees]

I think I have mastered this trammelling game...with thanks from some archived material from Forrest Barber, Dave Rude, Greg Guy and Mark Julicher. Thanks, chaps. I will condense it down one of these days for posting.

Photo at www.taylorcraft.org.uk/wing42.jpg

Rob

[taylorcraft078]

Robert,

I am going to print that picture for when I think that I am working in a tight space!

Let's see -
Wife's van fixed - check
My pickup fixed - check (both new ones broke at the same time!)
Wife's canoe fiberglassing done - check
Bathroom cabinet door fixed - glue drying
Kid's canoe project - he doesn't need help at the moment. He is going to lose the compressor soon though.

Looks like I can clean the garage and get back to work on my wing! Going to finish sandblasting the steel bits and primer them. Maybe next week I can start putting it back together.

Dave
N36078 '41 BC-12-65

[taylorcraftbc65]

Your "other" lady

Dave,
It will be good when you get the old girl flying. (The plane, not Connie). I hope to see you and Connie at a Taylorcraft gathering next year. Look at the good side. This winter, when you have snow up to your chin, (I used to live 30 miles south of Ithica, so I know upstate winters), you won't be ABLE to do any other projects except for the Taylorcraft. By the time the snow melts, you will have her flying. Here is a photo you can print and stick on your toolbox for encouragement. Sabrina

[taylorcraft078]

Sabrina,

You lived 30 miles from Ithaca? I am originally from Waverly, NY (class of 76), dad taught in Spencer, and I worked on and off for NCR on the hill in Ithaca from 1980-1983. I fixed many 100's of terminals and 1000's of printers.

Waverly is between Owego and Elmira on Rt 17.

Small world.

Dave