Instructions for Bending Wing Skins
Airmate - Dec 21, 1990
1. Cut two 2" x 60" x .025" aluminum strips and make a single bend to fit the nose radius of the ribs at each end of the skin. The strips should make perfect contact with the entire rib contour when the ends of the strips are held down on the rear rib.
2. Mark center of curves with an ink marker pen.
3. Straighten these strips out and use them to mark the wing skin at each end to mark the center location of the nose bend at each end of the 12’ long wing skin.
4. Double the skin over with an observer at each end to insure that the skin bend is on the center marks.
5. Place a 2" x 8" x 12’ plank on the skin so that the edge of the plank will be at the leading edge of the nose bend.
6. Put three men on the plank and have them flex their knees in unison to bend the sheet.
7. Check the bend contours by fitting the ribs into the inside of the skin. Also check the fit of a rib at the midpoint of the leading edge as the center does not bend as easily as the two ends.